Growing Your Own Sprouts
What would your definition be of the perfect food? Living in a world where “if it’s not ready in 5 minutes or less we don’t have time to eat it”, our perfect food would have to be something that’s ready to eat whenever we are hungry. It would be nutritious; in fact it would contain all of the vitamins and minerals that our body requires. We would have the fun of growing it ourselves, without ever having to go outdoors. And of course it would cost practically pennies per day to grow.
Well it just so happens God has given us this perfect food, and if you are new to sprouting, then this article is for you.
Growing sprouts is not something new to man. In fact many civilizations have been growing sprouts for thousands of years.
Sprouts are indeed a superfood. They have a greater concentration of vitamins and minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosamines and trace minerals than the mature plant that the seeds originated from. For example, broccoli sprouts have been found to contain fifty times as much of the antioxidant sulfurophane as the mature broccoli, which makes it an excellent cancer fighter. Wheat grass juice derived from the sprout is the closest substance to hemoglobin known and is therefore an excellent blood purifier and liver detoxifier. Peanut sprouts reduce harmful cholesterol. Sunflower, buckwheat and grain sprouts dramatically improve the quality of life of diabetics. Most sprouts are an excellent source of omega-3. Many sprouts, such as Brussels sprouts, are very rich in fiber. And sprouts are easily digestible. Because they are baby plants, their delicate cell walls easily release their basic nutrients.
And of course it would cost practically pennies per day…
To understand how they become so beneficial, let’s step through their growing process. Sprouts begin as seeds, and these seeds can come from vegetables, grains or beans. Some seeds come from plants with very deep roots, allowing them to absorb rich minerals from deep within the soil. Most health stores sell a wide variety of seeds for sprouting. Be sure to purchase certified organic seeds. To begin growing your own sprouts, you will need a “sprouter”, which you can purchase for as little as $15.
The seeds will first need to be soaked in water for a few hours or longer, depending on their size. (I also add a couple of drops of 35% hydrogen peroxide). The seed package will include a recommended soaking period. When you soak seeds, you allow water to fully penetrate the hull of the seed. This allows the seeds to “wake up” and to begin the germination process. When complete, rinse the seeds in fresh water.
The sprouter I use has 3 trays, and I plant different seeds in each. I have 2 sprouters, therefore 6 trays, and I stagger the growth so that I always have fresh sprouts ready to be eaten. Just simply place the recommended amount of seeds in each tray, water, then let nature do the rest. No soil required. Most seeds will require watering twice a day, once again their package will include all necessary instructions. Be sure to completely drain after each watering. They don’t require direct sunlight, just a bright room at room temperature.
A word of caution: If your sprouts begin to mould, throw them out immediately. You can’t always go by looking at them, as some types of sprouts have very fine white hairs at the root of the sprouts, which is perfectly normal. But the smell will give it away. The biggest cause of mould is not draining your sprouts thoroughly after each watering.
Most sprouts will mature in as little as 4 or 5 days. Rinse them off and enjoy your sprouts raw, or add them to your favourite soups, sandwiches, etc. Your salads will really come alive when you add buckwheat lettuce, baby sunflower, golden alfalfa, Chinese cabbage, purple turnip, curly kale, daikon radish, crimson clover, and more. Sprouts that are not consumed immediately can be kept in the refrigerator for several days.
Unfortunately you will read stories now and again warning against sprouting due to salmonella contamination in sprouts. Additionally the good folks at the Food and Drug Administration like to remind us that sprouts could be contaminated with food poisoning bacteria and they advise the very old, the very young and those with compromised immune systems to avoid raw sprouts. Those knowledgeable in sprouting feel that these stories are far overblown because it makes interesting news – it’s the original “health food might be bad for you” story Just remember, it is far more profitable for Big Pharma to raise an unhealthy society.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I don’t have any medical training. I am just an individual that researches information that other people have studied and proven to be effective, and I just pass that information on to you.
