How to Sprout Seeds

Have you ever wondered, while looking at a $5 box of alfalfa sprouts, why you don’t just grow your own sprouts at home?

It can’t be too hard, right?

For Pete’s sake, you make your own nut butters, sprouting seeds should be a piece of cake!

The catch is, you’re not sure how to begin.

Well look no further and put away that $5 bill.

Home sprouting is easy, affordable, and pretty much fool proof.

Not that I’m calling any of you a fool.

Let’s just get that out of the way, shall we?

Another perk, you most likely have the materials needed to sprout your own seeds just sitting around your house, waiting to be put to good use.

All you need:

- 1 large glass jar with a wide mouth

- a fine piece of cloth (cheese cloth, muslin, and even sheer netting work well)

   Just be sure that the weaving is smaller than your seeds

- rubber band

- glass bowl for propping

- organic sprouting seeds or grains

That’s it! I told you’re already well equipped to begin!

The only thing you’ll probably need to buy are the seeds/ grains

All health food stores carry sprouting seeds as do some regular grocery stores.

In Germany, you can even pick up a bag in the food aisle of drug stores.

Be sure that you buy seeds and grains which are intended for sprouting.

You do not want to buy seeds which are intended for planting in the ground.

Sprouting seeds YES

Planting seeds NO

A bag of sprouting seeds will probably cost between $1-$4, depending on the variety.

For this demo, I’m using a prepared mixture of fenugreek, lentils, and Daikon radish seeds.

I like this mixture because the lentils taste sweet and nutty while the radish and fenugreek taste spicy.

Also, radish seeds, when combined with other seeds, block the growth of bacteria and milder. More on this later.

Each package of sprouting seeds will include general guidelines for growth.

There are three stages to sprouting seeds: germination, growth and harvest.

So, let’s begin shall we?

Germination

Germination simply describes the process of a seed changing from dormancy to life.

To reincarnate your seeds, they need to soak in water.

Depending on the seed variety, this can take from 6- 12 hours.

Step 1: Put 1-2 Tbsp of seeds in your jar and fill it up with water. Let the jar sit for the recommended amount of time, as stated on your seed package.

My seed mixture recommended 6-8 hours.

Step 2: After your seeds have soaked for the given amount of time, put the cloth over the mouth of the jar, seal it on with the rubber band, then drain the water away.

Step 3: Put the jar upside down in a clear container (aim for a 45 degree angle) and set in a sunny place.

Growth

For the next few days, your seeds will grow into sprouts. All you need to do is rinse the seeds 2-3 times daily to moisten and prevent bacterial growth.

Step 4: Simply fill the jar with water, gently swirl it around, then drain the water away.

Before you know it, your little seeds will begin to sprout!

Harvest

Your seed package will tell you how many days to allow from germination to harvest. The recommendation takes into consideration when the sprouts are at their top flavor.

My seeds grew for 2 days before I harvested them.

2 Tbsp of seeds yielded 1.5 cups of sprouts.

Step 5: Give your fully-grown sprouts a final rinse then store them in a paper-towel lined container in the refrigerator.

Step 6: Your seeds can be stored for at least 10 days in the refrigerator. If you notice mold, a funny smell, or sliminess, throw the sprouts out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bacteria and Mold

You must be aware of the health of your sprouts when growing them at home.

Bacteria and mold can easily be avoided by keeping your seeds rinsed and well drained.

Standing water is a haven for both mold and bacteria so be sure that your jar is angled in a way that the water is free to drain. Also, make sure that the supporting container is free from standing water.

Many people new to sprouting mistaken developing root fibers for mold.

If you look closely at the photo below, you will notice the root fibers.

 Small, fuzzy hairs growing out from the sprouts’ roots are normal.

Nutritional Benefits of Sprouts

Just to name a few of the health benefits, sprouts are:

- raw and living

- highly active antioxidants

- have shown to prevent some cancers

- easily digested

- per calorie, sprouts have a greater concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes compared to any other food

For more detailed descriptions of the health benefits of particular sprout varieties, visit this site.

You can also refer to this site for both the economical and nutritional benefits of home sprouting.

Uses for Sprouts

The uses for sprouts are really limited only by one’s imagination.

Sprouts can be cooked into veggie burgers and added to stir fry.

Top a salad or sandwich with sprouts.

Add them to your smoothies or fresh juice.

Incorporate the flavors into soups, vegetables and grains.

Use in place of dried seasonings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have fun growing your own healthy, versatile, tasty sprouts!

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Horseradish Hummus

After sleeping in this morning, I had to get the day started in a quick way.

Breakfast was had in a flurry before running out the door for my yoga class.

Life slowed down again during yoga to a happy, peaceful pace.

Once back home, I continued the yoga vibes by nourishing my strong, capable, stable body with a healthy and filling lunch.

Lunch all started with a batch of horseradish hummus.

Horseradish Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 cap chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 large clove of garlic
• Juice from one small lemon, about 2 Tbsp.
• 2-3 Tbsp. horseradish
• 1 Tbsp. tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Put all ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor and pulse to get things going.
2. Scrape down the sides and gradually add the olive oil while continuing to process until smooth and creamy.

Hummus is one of the easiest foods to make. It takes only a couple of minutes and the final product is healthy, versatile and delicious.

You may be wondering why I’m eating my horseradish hummus with apple slices in the above photo. Do not be mistaken, the white slices aren’t apple, they’re kohlrabi.

Kohlrabi is one of the food which I didn’t know until moving to Germany. It is a turnip and tastes like a mixture between broccoli stems and sweet radishes. It is a little spicy and very crisp. Germans eat kohlrabi raw as well as cooked. One of the most popular kohlrabi dishes is similar to a potato gratin.

So, back to the main squeeze of my lunch… the sandwich!

Once the hummus was ready, I dug out a whole wheat pita bread from the depths of my freezer. Apparently it’s been there since Valentine’s Day.

After a quick defrost in the toaster, I slathered one side of the pita with the freshly made hummus.

On top of that, I piled red cabbage, arugula, sprouts, cucumber, tomato, and warm tofu veggie balls.

It ended up being something like a falafel sandwich.

Scrum-diddily-umptious!

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Summertime Food

This time of year, there is no excuse for eating premade, processed food.

 

There are just too many delicious fresh fruits and vegetables in season!

Since being home, I’ve enjoyed visiting the local farmer’s market and cooking, healthy, wholesome, fresh meals.

Starting my days right with breakfast!

Quark

Peach and Blueberries

Ground flax, ground hemp seeds

Raw oatmeal

Mint

Quark

Strawberries and Blueberries

Ground flax, ground hemp seeds, wheat germ

Raw oatmeal and apricot jam

Midday Lunch Breaks

Arugula and red cabbage

Red pepper, cucumber, tomatoes

Pan seared grilling cheese with Italian seasoning

Balsamic glaze

The more colorful, the better!

Whole grain sunflower bread

Arugula, goat cheese, cucumbers

Balsamic glaze

Dinnertime Discoveries

Steamed beets

Zucchini and mint fritters

Tofu veggie balls

The beets and balls were fantastic… but I won’t even waste my time typing the fritter recipe as it was far from par.

How to Steam Beets

1. Wash the beets with warm water then cut off the top and bottom bits.
2. Quarter the beets, leaving the peel on.
3. Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a pan then add the steaming basket and beets.
4. Turn on the heat and allow the beets to steam for 15-20 minutes, or until a fork inserts smoothly.
5. To peel the beets, put on a pair of disposable rubber kitchen gloves and simply run the skin off. You can also use a paper towel to do the same trick.

Tofu Veggie Balls

Pretty much a veggie burger in ball form.

Ingredients

• 1 block hard tofu, pressed for 15 minutes to release excess water
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 Tbsp. sprouts (more on this to come shortly, I used a mixture of fenugreek, lentils and Daikon radish seeds)
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raw oatmeal, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp. sesame, olive or flax oil

Method

1. Break apart the tofu with your hands, creating a crumbles. Add the additional ingredients and continue to mix with your hands. Squeeze the mixture until all ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Form the mixture into balls, no bigger than an inch in diameter.
3. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan. Add the balls and brown on all sides, turning frequently, being careful not to burn the balls.
4. Eat straight from the pan or covered with tomato sauce in a tofuball sub or top off a plate of spaghetti with these bad boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh, fun, colorful, healthy, summertime food!

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This is how we do it!

I am rested and recovered from the Karneval fun!

As one of my friends put it, “thank God we have a week off of school- I need at least a week to recuperate from Karneval!” I couldn’t agree more!

After getting lost in the blogosphere last night, I finally made it to bed around 3am. Luckily I slept in to 11:30 to make up for it! I was starving when I woke up so quelled the hunger with a load of vitamin C.

Citrus in a synchronized-swimming formation is always a winner.

I checked my e-mails and read blogs while munching these down. Around 1 I was hungry again so set out to finish cooking the pancakes from yesterday.

There are a few appliances I can’t bring myself to buy knowing that I’ll only live in Germany for probably one more year. Although I do not own these appliances, I often wish I did.

Blender        Juicer       Waffle Iron      Electric Griddle

Making pancakes is supposed to be an easy and delicious treat- and it is if one own an electric griddle. If one only owns one small non-stick cooking pan- making fresh pancakes is a time-consuming-pain-in-the-bum!

I decided to save some time this morning by not waiting for a full serving- rather eating one pancake at a time.

Pancake #1 with almond butter, agave, and cinnamon

Pancake #2 with toasted pecans, maple syrup and cinnamon

I cooked, ate, and read blogs. This is how I do it!

Unfortunately, I’m not as good at multi-tasking as I had hoped. Several pancakes ended up a little on the dark side.

I spent what was left of the day doing laundry and dishes. Luckily, the housework was interrupted by an invitation for coffee at the Aussies’. I haven’t spent time with them in ages! Bob is off on Thursday heading back to Australia for 6 weeks.

Today was such a beautiful day. The sun was bright and the air was crisp! The setting sun even created photogenic shadows of my drying rack of all things!

The sunlight even made Alex look like a model!

I later hit up the grocery store and then started on dinner.

Burgers and fries tonight!

Veggie burgers and baked potato wedges to be more accurate.

The ease of this recipe rests in the hands of the almighty food processor!

Beautiful, isn't it?

Smoked Tofu Veggie Burgers

• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

• 2 plump garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 block smoked tofu, drained

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

• 1 small bunch parsley

• 2 tsp organic vegetable bouillon powder

• Cumin, pepper and chili powder to taste

• Today I also added 1/2 yellow pepper that needed to be used as well as some oatmeal to soak up the extra liquid

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal.

2. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for roughly 6-8 seconds, until well mixed but still retaining some texture.

3. Form the mixture into six equal ball shapes and place on the baking tray. Press with fingertips to make a burger shape.

4. Bake for 25 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to firm up on the tray for 3-4 minutes.

The first time I made this recipe, I over processed the mixture and ended up being a little grossed out by the “meaty” appearance. Very realistic.

I’m sorry for the awful photos, please just trust me that these are beautiful and delicious!

I ate my veggie burger on a homemade whole wheat pita from Sunday. You can find the recipe here. I topped the burger with cheese, tomato, a little mayo and cress. Can you buy cress in the US? I had never heard of or seen this spicy sprout before moving to Germany.

Question: Have you ever grown a sprout garden in your home? Did you use a kit? What are your favorite sprouts?

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