Grow Your Own!

I sprout. That is, I grow sprouts. The picture below is about half-way through what I call a "sprouting session." It's not really called that, by the way. I'm going to tell you how to sprout and try to convince you to start sprouting for yourself. Why? Because I'm obnoxious and demanding and I care.

Before I tell you how to do it, please read the excerpt below (which I stole from an ezine article) which will, I'm sure, thoroughly convince you of what a fantastic idea sprouting is!

The following is taken from http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-The-Nutritional-Value-Of-Sprouts-For-Your-Health&id=883635

Health Benefits Of Sprouts

Sprouts provide many things our bodies need for us to live healthy lives. They are an excellent source of protein which helps our bodies repair itself as well as regulates many of our bodily functions (balancing of water, delivering nutrients, etc.). Sprouts also provide a huge dose of vitamin C, helping our immune systems fight off colds and diseases. Further, some types of sprouts such as broccoli sprouts have elements that can help prevent cancer. In fact, some studies have suggested that they contain several times more anti-cancer chemicals than in mature broccoli. (Note from Sandi: on the NIH [National Institutes of Health] website you can find confirmation of broccoli sprouts' anti-cancer properties; they also kill helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes stomach ulcers and some stomach cancers, but don't take my word for it, go read about it here.)

Another benefit is that they are organic. Many fruits and vegetables that you purchase in stores have been compromised by pesticides and other fumigants. This is not true of sprouts . Further, sprouts are easily digestible due to their cell walls being delicate and easily releasing nutrients.

Advantages Of Sprouts Over Other Foods

One of the primary advantages of consuming sprouts is the level of vitamin production that happens within them. When vegetables and fruits are purchased from your local supermarket, those foods have stopped producing vitamins. In fact, they stopped producing them the moment they were picked. Then, those foods are often shipped hundreds, even thousands, of miles to the stores where they are eventually bought by customers.

Sprouts continue producing vitamins up until the moment you consume them. Even in your refrigerator, they will keep growing and producing vitamins. Eating these instead of store-bought fruits and vegetables ensures that your body will enjoy the maximum amount of vitamin content. --End of excerpt

See?

Now I bet you just can't wait to start growing your own sprouts. Here's how:

1. Get a sprouter. Al the items I mention can be got here: Sprout People I'm sure they can be got elsewhere, too. I got mine at a little health food store in Virginia about a million years ago. I use a quart-size Mason jar with a sprouting lid, which is just a plastic screw on top with a screen in the middle (for drainage and air).

2. Put about 2 T. of sprouting seeds into your sprouter and cover them with water...at least an inch or 2 over the level of the seeds.

3. Soak for 6-8 hours.

4. Drain.

5. Sit sprouter on your counter and rinse them 2-3 times per day for approx. 5 days.

6. When they look big enough to eat (generally 5 days for me), put them in a sunny place (not outside) and they will green up nicely.

7. Remove from sprouter and put into a large bowl filled with water. This will bring the hulls or husks to the top where you can scoop them away.

8. Put them in a zip loc bag and pop 'em in the fridge and there you have it. If they're in the fridge for more than a couple days, give 'em a rinse here and there. Ours normally don't last that long; we eat 'em!

Super yum!