Sprouting
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"What does Sprouting have to do with longevity", you may ask? Growing your own nutritious food at home and cheaply, gives you control over your food supply and peace of mind. You know exactly how it was grown and stored, what it isn't sprayed or contaminated with (think pesticides, glyphosate, or heavy metals), and how to easily make more, regardless of what else may be going on in the world.
There are many fantastic YouTube videos and sites available online that will walk you through the steps of growing your own sprouts. My method may be a bit more relaxed than others, but it works just great for me! 😄
Unlike microgreens, you'll find that sprouting is crazy-easy and very difficult to screw-up! And if somehow you do, you can just toss them out and start over again! It's super cheap, super easy, super fun, and super delicious!
If you've got kids, they'll find this to be a blast! It's a great way to get them to start eating salads and vegetables.
You'll be asking yourself "Why haven't I been doing this all along?" I know that I did.
Here's all that you'll need:
1) Mason Jars
2) Sprouting lids: They come in plastic or stainless steel. I actually like the plastic better because they're easier to clean and they don't oxidize.
3) Seeds! There are so many great sizes and flavors to choose from. Here are just a few ideas:
4) Tilting stands - these were originally marketed as cellphone stands but they work terrifically for this purpose!
5) Water
6) Very little sunlight
7) A place to keep them where they can drain upside-down. I keep mine next to my washtubs in my basement laundry room, where they can drain right out onto the floor. If you shake them sufficiently, we're talking about only a small bit of water that will remain to drip out.
8) Maybe a flat serving tray to place under them, for them to drain onto.
9) A bottle brush to clean the jars and a stiff dish brush to clean the screen lids.
Step 1: Drop a few tablespoons of seeds into a Mason jar, fill it part-way with water (you just need the seeds to be submerged), and allow the seeds to soak overnight.
Step 2: The next morning, drain all of the water out of the jar, by turning it upside-down and tilted, shaking the jar until no more water-droplets come flying out. Now store the jar upside-down and on an angle to continue to allow the seeds to drain & breathe. In a few days, magic will start to happen.
This picture was taken several days later. You will not likely see sprouting right away.
Step 3 (which is really just repeating Step 2): "Water" them every morning when you wake up and every evening before bed, by rinsing the seeds through the screen lid under your water tap, then shake them dry again, and store them upside-down so that they can fully drain & breathe. Repeat this every day until they look ready to eat!
Different types of seeds will mature at different rates. You can really eat them at any stage you like though!
Wet seeds can turn nasty, so don't let them become that way. If you occasionally screw up by forgetting to rinse them, it's okay! Just rinse them as soon as you remember. Most sprouting seeds are resilient enough to survive occasional mistakes.
Different types of seeds are going to grow at different rates & sizes. If you put too many seeds in the jar initially and the sprouts begin to get over-crowded, use a fork to take half of them out and transfer them to a second or third jar. Just a little bit of seeds can grow into a LOT of sprouts. Pictured above, I sprouted WAY more seeds than I could possibly eat, and some will likely get too woody or go bad before I can consume them all, so they'll get tossed out. Oh well...you'll just learn to use less seed the next time.
Be forewarned that some seeds are stinky as they grow, like broccoli seeds. They get even more stinky if they go bad!
When I empty a jar, I'll scrub the jar & lid with a bottle brush & dish brush using a solution of dishwashing detergent and bleach, and then I soak them for a few hours (or overnight, because I'm lazy) in that same soap & bleach solution. Then I'll rinse them thoroughly before reusing. I'll often also run them through a dishwasher.
Once you experiment around and find the type of sprouts you like best, you'll learn to keep a rotation going, with a jar (or two) of more mature sprouts that you are currently eating from and another jar (or two) of a newer generation that will be ready to use next. That way, you'll never run out.