I was at my friend's house last week and asked her mother if she was still growing alfalfa sprouts. I had them in salads and wraps at their house on previous occasions, but didn't see any in the kitchen. She told me how I can grow my own sprouts with no special equipment. Thank you Mrs. Lankin for the seeds, stockings, and instructions!What you need:
Empty plastic soda or water bottle (1 liter works well), cut off the top before the place where it narrows.
(Or other thin, tall container)
The foot of one stocking to stretch over the bottle
1 tsp sprout seeds (I'm using organic alfalfa seeds)*
Water
Instructions:
1. Put seeds in the cut off bottle, cover with water. Stretch stocking over top. Let sit 1-2 days.
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| Day 1 |
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| 1 tsp for tall/long bottle |
2. Using the stocking as a sieve, drain the excess water and shake the seeds down along the side of the bottle.
3. Put the bottle on its side, on a tray, with the bottom slightly elevated to let the excess water drain away. Keep in a dark place for about a day and a half, until you notice the seeds starting to sprout. Keep the seeds moist.
4. When you notice the first signs of sprouts, move to indirect sunlight (direct sun will dry the seeds). Add water every day and leave bottle on it's side so seeds stay damp, but not soaking.
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| Day 6 |
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| Day 7 |
5. When sprouts reach the desired size (in 4-6 more days), remove from the bottle and rinse in a sieve.
* You can buy sprout seeds at your local health food store or online
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| Salad with sprouts, oranges, raw walnuts, and more |
Yum...I'm really not a gardener, but this looks so easy I just may try it!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try this. How do I know what kind of seeds to purchase for sprouting.
ReplyDeleteI assume any seeds that can grow to be plants have to be sprouts first. However, they have different requirements. The times and instructions listed work well for alfalfa sprouts. I believe broccoli sprouts, mung bean sprouts, etc. are similar. Some seeds need to soak longer, some seeds require longer periods of dark, or even sunlight to sprout. I would like to try sunflower sprouts. I enjoy eating them, but I couldn't get them to sprout in dirt.
ReplyDeleteIt is sort of amazing that alfafa sprouts with such high nutritional content can be grown in around ten days!With alfafa sprouts being involved in the e.coli poisoning incident, it is indeed better to grow our own alfafa! Do you have any tips for those who wish to grow alfafa sprouts on a larger scale?
ReplyDeleteI’ve been growing alfalfa sprouts for a year now. It has helped me a lot in serving delicious and healthy meal for my family. The good thing I love alfalfa sprouts is that it’s so easy and fast to grow. You don’t need any garden beds or any gardening equipment to grow them. Glad you also found a way to grow alfalfa in your kitchen.
ReplyDelete>Ethan Frye