Sprouts

From seed to sandwich in under a week.

With the cooler season approaching, the days of running to the garden for fresh greens are gone. But that doesn’t mean you need to rely on your local grocery store to supply them over the winter.

Growing sprouts is an easy, fast project that requires minimal equipment and effort. These babies require less than 5 minutes of your time each day and are a great project or responsibility for kids. Mine loves seeing the progress throughout the days and is a huge fan of eating something he grew!

There are a wide variety of sprouts to choose from and with that the specific nutritional info can vary. In general, sprouts are high in folate, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K. They also boast high levels fibre and essential amino acids. Sprouts are more nutrient-dense than the fully grown versions which makes them a lower calorie, more nutritious option. Growing them yourself also ensures they don’t suffer from nutrient depletion sitting in a grocery store cooler.

There are options for creating your own sprouting set up, but after a few failures I opted to purchase these lids from Amazon. There are also options for starter kits like these if you don’t already have a mason jar to use.

When it comes to choosing seeds, there are quite a few choices. A good place to start is with a sandwich booster or salad mix or you can opt for a sample pack like this one. I really enjoy the Mumm’s sprouting seeds from Amazon and love that they are organic.

Start by measuring 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of seeds into your jar and add the mesh lid. Fill your jar about halfway with cool water, give it little shake or swirl then pour the water out. Repeat this a few times to rinse the seeds.

Fill the jar 1/2 – 3/4 of the way with cool water and leave to soak overnight or for 6-8 hours.

After soaking, pour the water out again and repeat the rinsing process. After 2-3 rinses, leave the jar upside down on a try or plate to catch the excess water.

Rinse your sprouts with cool water a few times each morning and night. Leave the jar upside down, out of direct sunlight between rinses.

Continue this process 3-7 days (this can vary depending on the type of seed you are sprouting) and watch the magic happen. You’ll know the sprouts are ready to eat when they are 1-2″ long and their little green leaves begin to open.

At this point they should be patted dry with a towel and transferred to an airtight container or bag for storage in the refrigerator.

Sprouts are a wonderful addition to salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, stir fry, omelets, scrambled eggs, sushi, and even smoothies or juices.

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