Sprouts – All-In Gardening

The Really Simple Way to Get Healthier

I think we all want to become healthier in one way or another.

Believe it or not, it’s easier to do than we often think.

I’m not talking about starting to run, or lift weights or even do an aerobics workout that leaves you sore and breathless. You can do those things if you prefer, but the first and easiest change is in what you eat.

I’m not saying you need to cut out all the sugar, alcohol, caffeine and carbs cold turkey, because you know as well as I do that doesn’t last long. Depriving yourself of the things you love just leads to binge eating, which is not healthy at all.

What I am saying is to incorporate as many fresh foods into your diet as possible. Add more fresh veggies to your plate to increase your fiber and vitamin intake, and you will begin to notice positive results.

When you grow your own fruits and vegetables, it’s easier to eat healthy. You can snack on the peas and beans while you’re weeding your garden, pick some edible flowers and add them to a salad or pig out on raspberries. There’s no reason not to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Plus, when you’re out in your garden you’re moving around. Pulling weeds, picking flowers and walking around are all good for you. Not only does it add some movement to your day (especially important if you have a sit-down job), it also lowers your stress levels. And lowering stress levels leads to a healthier you.

I have been enjoying my sprouts, and eat some almost daily. I like them as a fresh snack the most, but have also added them to other ingredients to make a meal.

In the recipes section (still a little empty) you will find my Sprout Salad and Sprout Scramble recipes. I love how they both turned out, and how easy they were to make. They are also both easily doubled or tripled, based on how many people you’re cooking for.

If you’re new to sprouting check out my beginner article. It lays out the process step-by-step, plus provides some links to quality organic seeds.

Let me know how your sprouts turn out and how you like the recipes.

Happy Gardening!

Sprouts Update

BRRRRR! It’s cold out there today! It’s -35 Celcius (-45 C with the windchill) and not much sign of it warming up anytime soon. The sun is shining though so that makes me happy.

A few days ago I posted about the sprouts I started. I’ve been munching on them for a couple days now and they’re oh so tasty. Well, in my opinion anyway.

It didn’t take long for them to grow, and the alfalfa seeds definitely give you a lot of bang for your buck. I can see how that one little package can easily yield 30 cups of sprouts. My one tablespoon of seeds yielded almost four cups of sprouts on Day 4. I’m sure if I had left them another day the jar would have been completely full.

I took pictures of the progress each day starting with the seeds after the initial soaking for several hours. Check out the pics below.

Day 1
The inside of the jar is coated with the newly soaked seeds.

Day 2
Can you see them starting to sprout?

The best part of the process is being able to enjoy fresh greens within a few days. The photo below is of my supper Sunday evening, which was Day 4.

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They’re Here!

It seems like it has taken forever, but in all honesty it’s only been a few days.

My sprout seeds arrived and I couldn’t wait to get some started. The lids came with two packages of seeds, plus I ordered a separate package of seeds for more selection. And with the temperatures quickly dropping to minus 30 degrees Celsius, a taste of spring will be welcome.

Two packages came with the lids and the other six were in another package.

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The lids out of the package so you can see what they look like.

When I took the Sprouting Workshop I bought seeds from the same company as above and they had an excellent germination rate. The lids are a little (okay, a lot) different from the one I bought at the workshop but they seem to work well. I like the ease in which the water can be added and drained, and the jars don’t want to roll away because of the flat design on the lids.

I put the seeds (1 tbsp of alfalfa in one jar and 4 tbsp of Crunchy Bean Mix in another) in water and let them soak while I was at work. Each seed type has a different recommendation on the package which I suggest you follow, at least until you know how much room they’ll take up in the jar.

After soaking all day, I drained the water and laid the jars on their sides. I’m anticipating some sprouting by morning. The trick is to keep them moist, so I’ll rinse them again before I go to work.

Crunchy Bean Mix after the water was drained.

Last time I sprouted seeds the beans were ready in a matter of a few days. They were crunchy and had a somewhat nutty flavour. I can hardly wait for these to be big enough to eat.

I love sprouts in salad, on a sandwich or just by themselves. Adding some fresh greens to our diet will be a good mid-winter boost.

The package of alfalfa seeds is supposed to yield at least 30 cups of sprouts. If I remember I should measure each batch I do so I can see just how much I get. It will be interesting to know.

It’s easy to get started with sprouting, and no specialized equipment is needed. I have had success with a plastic mesh as well as the stainless steel screen I bought at the workshop. I plan on buying a few different types of lids as well as an actual sprouting tray just to see how each works. I just have to be careful not to get ahead of myself, or I’ll have more sprouts than we can eat in a week.

Stay tuned to see how they turn out. I’ll be posting pictures so you can see the progress.

Have you tried to grow sprouts? If so, did you enjoy the process and the tasty reward?