In a recent post
Second Chance Reads for January,
I mentioned a post on growing sprouts and gave the link for it.
As I was compiling that post, I thought I should talk more about how easy it is to grow sprouts and how nutritious it is.
I've been doing that for a long time, but I always used a piece of cheesecloth over the wide-mouth jar opening.
In looking at all of the sprouting jars and accessories on Amazon, I decided to upgrade. *g*
I treated myself to a 2-jar with stainless steel strainer lids and rings. They're supposed to be delivered today.
Since I also ordered 1 pound of organic mung beans, I'll set up those 2 jars along with my usual wide-mouth jar and cheesecloth. Now I can grow 3 different kinds of sprouts. Since I hate kale, I'm going to sprout kale seeds and see if they are more palatable in a stir-fry than the leafy green itself.
Why Eat Sprouts
Nutritionists recommend 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day which amounts to 6 servings.
Most people can't even squeeze 1 or 2 veggies into their diets.
Sprouts make it easy. A handful in a salad, a handful on a sandwich, a handful or two in a stir-fry. With different kinds of sprouts, you don't get bored eating the same thing every day.
Before you know it, you've had the recommended servings.
Are Sprouts Nutritious
Absolutely. They're rich in important nutrients. Depending on the type of sprout you eat, you get different ratios of nutrients. Most are high in folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K.
Interestingly, most sprouts have higher amounts of those nutrients than the fully-grown versions of the same plants.
How to Start
You need this for equipment:
1. a wide mouth canning jar
2. a stainless steel strainer lid or a piece of cheesecloth
3. a stainless steel ring to secure the lid or a rubber band to secure the cheesecloth
4. sprouting seeds
Most people start sprouting with Mung Beans because they germinate fast. That kind of sprout is what you usually see in Asian cooking.
Mung bean sprouts were my introduction to sprouts of any kind when I first went to Japan many years ago.
You can get a pound of them at Amazon for $9.99. Since you only use about 1-2 tablespoons of seeds, all sprouting seeds last a long time. Store the unused seeds in a closed container in a cool dry place.
How to Sprout
I don't believe in reinventing the wheel, so I'll give you the link I referenced in my
Second Chance Reads post:
How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar. The post on TheSpruce website has illustrations and clear directions.
Basically, you soak the seeds overnight. The next day you drain and rinse the sprouts and set them aside. Every day thereafter you do the rinse and drain process twice, setting the jar aside after draining. Stop when the sprouts are the size you want.
It takes about a week to have sprouts ready to eat. They're best when they're small and just starting to turn green.
If you have some wide-mouth canning jars, all you need is cheesecloth or strainer lids. They come in plastic, but the
stainless steel strainer lids (just the lids by themselves) are my choice for something that lasts a very long time which also helps me avoid plastic.
Yucky Vegetables Better as Sprouts
I'm not fond of kale, broccoli, and a few other veggies that are being included in everything at the supermarket. (You couldn't pay me enough to eat cauliflower-crust pizza!)
Surprisingly, these Superfoods aren't objectionable as sprouts.
This pound of
Microgreen Mixed veggy sprouting seeds will be what I sprout next.
Takeaway Truth
I may learn to love kale and broccoli—as sprouts.
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