Sprouting Seeds

Howdy! I thought I'd share this excerpt from a book I have because I am very interested in sprouting my own seeds:)


Taken from the book: Just in Case, How to be self sufficient when the unexpected happens. By Kathy Harrison

I consider sprouting seeds to be one of the cornerstones of the preparedness pantry. They are inexpensive, take up very little room, and do not need any fancy equipment to process. After a diet of canned and dried food, our bodies will crave something green and alive. Sprouts will fill the bill nicely. Sprouts add crunch to sandwiches and a vitamin boost to scrambled eggs and casseroles. They are tasty eaten right out of hand and make a terrific addition to a stir fry. I have even added a handful to bread batter with excellent results.

Sprouts contain vitamins,proteins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber. All of these may be in short supply if you are eating for any length of time out of storage(those who stockpile and there was a crisis for them to eat from their stockpile). If you have a bag of lentils in your pantry, you have what you need to get started.
Most although not all, seeds and beans are good for sprouting. The following list is of the best:

Alfalfa, Amaranth, Barley(hull-less), broccoli,
buckwheat, cabbage, clover, flax, lentils, oats(hull-less), peas, pumpkin, radish, rye, spelt, sunflower, & wheat.

Each sprout has a unique flavor. Lentils and alfalfa are mild, for example, while radish has a bite to it.

As is usually the case, you can purchase rather complicated equipment for sprouting. I have seen a couple of these, and while they look pretty impressive and do a fine job of sprouting seeds, I did not find that they did a better job than I was able to do with a few things I already had in my kitchen. I not only saved a bit of money, but also saved the space a sprouter would take up in my kitchen and that's just as important.

The equipment is as simple as a glass jar, a rubber band, a piece of cheesecloth, and some seeds.

Sort out any foreign matter from the seeds. Soak two tablespoons of seeds in warm water for an hour or two. Drain, then place in a quart jar. Secure piece of cheesecloth around the top with rubber band. Put the jar in a dark cabinet. Two or three times a day, rinse the seeds with warm water, and drain through cheese cloth. In two or three days you will have sprouts. If you leave them in the sun for a few hours, the sprouts will turn a lovely green and will increase their vitamin content. I have started to make my last rinse in very cold water, and the sprouts seem crisper. Harvest sprouts when they are about three times longer than the seed they came from.

There are a couple things to know. Tomato and potato seed sprouts should never be eaten, as they are poisonous. Do not use nay seeds that have been treated with fungicides or pesticides for agricultural use. Bean sprouts have the same protein-binding substance as beans, but they must be cooked for a couple of minutes to make it available.

The biggest challenge will be keeping your sprouts from going sour. You will know by the slimy texture and foul odor that a batch has gone bad and you will need to dispose of it. You really have to be diligent about rinsing you seeds. The problem is that the jar of seeds should be kept in a dark cabinet. I used to forget about them until it was too late I finally set up a system of rinsing my sprouts before each meal. After a few weeks it became a habit, and I rarely forget anymore.

I also had a problem of finding myself sprout deprived. Sometimes I wanted sprouts and they weren't quite ready. I solved that problem by staggering my sprouts, beginning a new batch every other day.

Sprouts will store in a perforated plastic bag in your refrigerator or any other very cool. dark spot for a few days. You shouldn't have to throw any out if you get into the habit of popping a few into whatever you are cooking.


Karla's note: they use sprouted seeds in Ezekiel bread. I was sent some Ezekiel bread recipes from my friend, Karen, so if any are interested in making your own let me know and I'd be happy to pass the recipes along:)


Videos on sprouting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoaIpZZfcFc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY2Ezu5GYMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CVJ9e4SzBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4n5p1rmTiw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udiZvl7tLt8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owPgJr3ESng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-1V4vtV8Yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqv65dhRgD4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUOu-3gsu6A

More videos on youtube.