Growing sprouts

Sprouts are something I really love and know from my childhood (my mom is just sooo good!!).

And of course I still grow my sprouts at home and I am so happy every day when they sprout a little bit more (the city girl claps her hands and jumps around the sprouting jar :-)). And they grow so fast!!

It’s a miracle how out of small, inconspicuous, dry seeds, lentils or whatever, suddenly little sprouts start growing that have been waiting to do so (sometimes) for years. And with each day of sprouting the vitality increases! These sprouts are full of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals!

And they taste so nice, fresh and nutty! I use them in salad, over vegetables or pasta, snack them pure or on bread, but you can also make your own spread or dip (find recipe below).

Home-grown sprouts are really a super cheap way of providing yourself with essential vitamins, without even leaving the house! If you have no sprouting jar (you get it in the health food store or online, I have this one), you can easily build one yourself! All you need is an empty jar, tights/stockings (better unworn!! hahaha ;-)) and a rubber band. Then cut the tights in a matching square and span over the jar with the rubber band (see the result in the pictures).

Here is my manual for growing sprouts:

1. You can take pretty much all seeds / nuts / legumes that come your way: lentils (all types), sunflower seeds, alfalfa, flaxseed, broccoli seeds, peas, chickpeas, sesame, quinoa, mung beans and so on. I also sometimes buy special mixtures, e.g. this at Alnatura)
2. Fill 1 tablespoon of seeds in the jar and pour water over it (there really is no „too much“) and let it soak overnight.
3. The next morning drain the water (with lid / tights still on the jar) and put the jar aside. The seeds are now just a little wet from the soaking. That’s enough.
4. From now on, flush with fresh water 1-2 times a day (that also works through the tights, so you don’t have to always remove it from the jar, if you have a sprouting jar, you can remove the lid for pouring in the water and put it back on before pouring the water out again) and set the glass aside again.
5. Depending on which seed you take, it takes 2-7 days until the sprouts are ready (lentils take e.g. 3-4 days). Just try again and again every day until they taste good for you. That’s it :-)

And here’s the recipe for the sprouts spread:

ingredients:

• sprouts (the outcome of 1 tablespoon seeds, which is a good hand full of sprouts)
• 1 small shallot
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (soaked 1-2 hours and drained)
• 1 tbsp cashews (soaked 1-2 hours and drained)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp of water
• 2 tsp tahini (sesame seed paste, optional)
• 1 tsp dried herbs (such as thyme, oregano, etc.) or a few leaves of fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, chives, etc.)
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• salt
• pepper

preparation:

1. Place everything in a blender and blend until a nice, smooth spread forms.
2. Depending on which sprouts you used, you’ll need to season it further (be creative! Mustard or tomato paste for example also fit great sometimes).

Have fun sprouting and enjoy!

Cheers, Steffi