Seed and garden catalogs are arriving, and gardeners are already showing signs of spring fever, months before they’re able to double-dig beds. Still, they dog-ear pages that describe the glories of certain heirloom lettuces, the pretty colors of Easter egg radishes and the sturdiness of heat-resistant spinach.
Gardeners draw plans for redoing herb gardens and flower beds and begin to clean and sharpen tools, but they can’t get their hands dirty yet. In the interim, growing sprouts in the windowsill can help take the hurt out of winter.
Within days of soaking the seeds, the magic happens. The tiny seeds begin to pop open, wispy, ivory-colored stems begin to unfurl, and kelly green leaves begin to form. In the dead of winter, a garden grows. And if you have kids, growing sprouts is a quick, inexpensive way to engage them in gardening and, perhaps, to even get them to eat the food they grow.
The only supplies needed are a clean, quart-sized jar, some sort of airy mesh cover and sprouting seeds. Health food stores sell the seeds and sprouting kits for about $5. The kits often include a trio of lids with different-sized holes. The bigger the seed, the bigger the holes should be. Add water and sunshine, and within five to 10 days you’ll have sprouts.
Availability:
Sprouts can be grown year-round. All they need is water and sunlight.
Selection and storage: Sprouts can be grown from vegetable, grain and lentil seeds. Some of the more common kinds of sprouts are broccoli, radish, onion, alfalfa, mung bean, soybean and sweet pea. Store fresh sprouts in the vegetable crisper for up to three days. Be sure to rinse and drain well twice daily to prolong their freshness, and discard any sprouts that are dark or slimy.
Preparation:
It takes five to 10 days for the seeds to sprout, but the process is simple. Rinse the seeds with warm water, then refill the jar with clean water and soak for six to 10 hours. Drain the water and leave the seeds damp, but not sitting in water. Rinse twice a day until ready to eat. Drain well and store in the refrigerator.
The flavors will vary. Alfalfa sprouts have a mildly nutty flavor, radishes and onions are spicy, and sweet peas will faintly taste of fresh-shelled peas. Add them to salads, sandwiches, tacos and stir-fries. If adding to stir-fries, put them in at the very end to keep them crisp and to preserve their nutritional value.
Use only seeds that are specifically grown for sprouting; ideally they should be organically grown. Do not use seeds that have been treated with fungicides or insecticides.
Nutritional value:
Sprouts are very nutritious, full of vitamin C and several B vitamins, fiber, protein and digestion-adding enzymes. Alfalfa sprouts, for example, are a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F and K plus various minerals and digestion-aiding enzymes.
They are also a low-calorie food source. One cup of raw mung bean sprouts has just 48 calories and 6.5 grams of protein
Sources:
“Field Guide to Produce” by Aliza Green (Quirk, 2004); www.kitchengardenseeds.com; www.ianrpubs.unl.edu; www.waltonfeed.com; www.healthrecipes.com.
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