Sprouts are delicious, extremely nutrient-dense, and add a great flavor and texture to many dishes. They are high in antioxidants, meaning they fight cancer-causing free radicals, and are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Sprouts are just what they sound like, the tiny version of the big plant. The sprouted seedling. They contain significantly more nutrients per lb than the full-grown counterpart.
Good quality sprouts in the grocery store can often be expensive, or hard to come by. So I just grow my own. I like to use organic seeds so I know there's likely to be less weird stuff in or on them, and you can get an entire pound of seeds for less than $20. It'll last you for months, depending on how many people you're feeding. Plus it's fun to watch them grow!
The 3 important things you'll need for making your own sprouts:
1. Seeds
2. A mesh top sprouting lid for a jar
3. A jar
The easiest way to go I think is to order the lids and seeds from Amazon, links to my personal choices below. Pretty much everyone has a mason jar already. If you don't, they're cheap, you could find one for $2 at a thrift store, or $3-5 at any other store with home goods.
Sprouting lids for a jar
Todd's Seeds Organic seed mix Broccoli, Clover, Radish, Alfalfa
Or The Sprout House Certified Organic Seeds Broccoli, Clover, Radish, Alfalfa
To make them, all you need to do is:
Soak seeds in water overnight, then empty the water (that's what the mesh jar top is for) and set it lid down on your countertop somewhere.
2x a day you will rinse the seeds, drain the water, and set it back upside down.
After 3 days of this, they will be ready to eat, but if you wait until day 4, and put them in a little bit of sun on that 4th day, the sprouts will mature more, the small leaves will turn more green, and they'll be perfect!
After that 4th day, put a paper towel in the bottom of the jar and then put the sprouts back in on top. Or if you don't have a paper towel, make sure they aren't too wet when you put them in the fridge. They will get slimy and go bad faster.
That's it! I usually start a batch every week because I love to put them on all sorts of things. Avocado toast, burritos, salads, sandwiches, sushi...
