It’ll be a few weeks yet, before planting season. But you can still eat fresh, homegrown food. Sprouting represents an ideal method for cultivating the freshness of garden greens.
Regardless of the weather, harvest time is only a few days away once water-soaked grains, legumes and seeds germinate and then begin to grow shoots. Their nutrient content multiplies as a combination of warmth, moisture, and ventilation of a sprouting apparatus creates a miniature hothouse atmosphere. No particular climate or terrain is necessary for this compact form of pest-free agriculture, which flourishes anywhere — from a space above, on, or below the kitchen counter to a desk drawer at the office.
By sprouting their food, people have weathered snowbound isolation, financial shortfalls, and a variety of other challenging situations. At a cost of pennies per serving, sprouts fueled a Utah family of seven through a long winter two decades ago; the family’s food bill for the six-month period totaled $52.50, while family members experienced freedom from the colds and illness usually associated with the season. Conceivably, in the event of a widespread food shortage, individuals with a small stockpile of grains, legumes and/or seeds in their pantry could survive for an extended period of time as long as water remains accessible for sprouting.
During centuries past on long sea voyages, when limes and citrus fruits were unavailable, sailors drank beer brewed from grain sprouts rich in vitamin C as a preventive measure against the dreaded deficiency disease of scurvy. For extended periods of travel in space or underwater as well, sprouts offer scientists a freshly cultivated source of vitamin C. Just one-half cup of the shoots that emerge from soybeans after three days of sprouting contains as much of this nutrient as six glasses of citrus juice. Similarly, whole oats increase their vitamin C content by 600 percent. Depending on the grain, legume, or seed sprouted, other vitamins — particularly those of the B complex — may double, triple or more than quadruple their potency.
While the levels of protein, minerals, and other nutritional factors such as enzymes remain high, sprouting reduces the starchy nature of many grains, legumes, and seeds. During the initial water soaking and subsequent rinsing, the conversion of the carbohydrate present to a simpler form of sugar makes the sprouts more digestible for individuals who react unfavorably to beans.
Another consideration in favor of sprouting is the negligible ecological impact of eating at such a low level on the food chain. An acre of land yields more edible vegetation if the grain, legume or seed harvest then is sprouted for consumption directly by people. Sprouting eliminates waste because the product consumed necessitates no coring or peeling in preparation. And unlike surpluses of many other foods, bumper crops of grains, legumes and seeds store indefinitely in dry, dark, and cool conditions to supply future sprouting needs. Reportedly, seeds discovered in Egyptian tombs sprouted following 5,000 years of dormancy.
Before alfalfa sprouts became a staple in the supermarket produce sections around the country during the last decade, most individuals associated the cultivational technique with the noodle-shaped mung bean shoots of Chinese cuisine. Sprouting, however, encompasses a world of gastronomical possibilities limited only by your appetite for experimentation.
When fresh, crispy vegetables are limited in selection — or outrageously expensive — the consumption of dried corn, lentils, rice and hulled pumpkin seeds in sprouted form adds novelty along with a crunchy texture to the eating experience. The leafy sprouts of clover substitute conveniently for out-of-season salad greens. Other small seeds, such as mustard and radish, impart a spicy flavor.
In contrast, sprouting sweetens grains such as wheat, which grows into a grass, while wispy tendrils add interest to millet. Sprouted barley and rye can solo as nut-like snacks besides blending into mealtime recipes. Quick-sprouting legumes such as garbanzo beans and green peas in combination, respectively, with chopped garlic and scallions serve as simple yet savory entrees.
Essentially, when sprouted, most chemically untreated raw seeds — other than those of the potentially poisonous potato and toxic tomato — are suitable for consumption. Whereas preservatives extend the shelf life of commercially available grains, legumes, and seeds, they can compromise their ability to sprout. But organically grown products achieve a high germination rate. Even untreated almonds and peanuts can sprout under favorable conditions when still viable in their raw state.
Any formula for sprouting success incorporates three critical factors that together create the optimum environment for germination and subsequent growth: temperature, hydration, and air circulation. While manipulation of these three variables can speed or slow the rate of sprouting, in most cases, adherence to the basic procedure as outlined yields a satisfactory outcome.
1. Rinse one-fourth cup of a selected grain or legume; one tablespoon of seed with lukewarm water — preferably free of sodium chloride and other treatment additives which may hamper the sprouting process.
2. Cover the rinsed grains, legumes, or seeds with at least double their volume of tepid water in a container always stored away from sunlight as well as cold. Allow them to soak overnight or at least three hours, until fully swollen.
3. Empty the soak fluid and then rinse the grains, legumes, or seeds with fresh lukewarm water. Follow with a second or third rinsing if necessary to remove the foamy residue that forms with the release of carbon dioxide and heat energy.
4. Continue the rinsing at least twice daily until harvest. Drain the receptacle thoroughly because grains, legumes, and seeds that remain submerged in water after the initial soaking can rot. Cull from the batch any nongerminators or damaged sprouts, which through their own fermentation eventually cause the rest to spoil.
Depending on the variety, sprouts are ready in two to six days. Sampling them daily at the different stages of growth determines the optimum harvest time for your taste. Some sprouters savor young, tender shoots only a day or two old. Others prefer a mature flavor in their sprouts. If "aged" more than three days, though, unhulled sesame along with fenugreek and shelled sunflower seeds all tend to develop a bitter tang.
Just prior to harvest, some growers like to enhance the taste of their sprouts by setting the containers in the sun for three to 12 hours. (Use of a clear glass cover or plastic wrap prevents dehydration.) As chlorophyll forms, the shoots turn green during their final hours of growth. Notably, exposure to sunlight at any other phase of the process toughens the sprouts.
If you suffer from crop failure, check the following critical factors in cultivation:
Moderate temperature. Sprouts grow best in a range between 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. When the indoor temperature is lower, germination and growth still occur with an increase in soak time, use of slightly warmer water and insulation of the sprouting receptacle with a towel. In any conditions, immersion in cold soak or rinse water exerts an inhibiting effect. Even the slight chill from a metal container can decelerate the sprouting process.
Adjust hydration. Some grains, legumes, and seeds require more frequent rinsings to keep the shoots from shriveling, especially during the dry winter months. Slipping the sprouting receptacle into a plastic bag left open at the end retains some but not too much moisture. Positioning a plate or a towel on the container achieves the same effect.
Sprouts need less — if any — covering for moisture retention during the summer months, but in summer, excessive humidity can cause fermentation, especially in temperamental varieties such as soy and garbanzo beans, also called chick peas. Because extremely warm weather accelerates growth, rinse your sprouts more frequently in summer, to keep them from souring in their own metabolic by-products.
Maintain air circulation. Sprouts suffocate when crowded. For the initial soaking, which doubles the volume of most varieties, a deep receptacle suffices but thereafter curtails ventilation. A transfer of the fully-swollen grains, legumes, or seeds to a colander facilitates subsequent rinsing while providing sufficient space for the emerging shoots.
Although commercially available, sprouting devices can be fashioned from various household items. Most grains, legumes, and seeds sprout easily in a wide-mouth jar. Stretch a clean nylon or cheese cloth over the opening, then secure it with a rubber band to create a strainer. Position the jar inverted with the bottom diagonally above the level of the mouth in a large bowl; that will insure that any excess water drains out between rinsings. The tilt also allows more sprouts to layer evenly along the base side of the jar.
Some containers are simply unsuitable for sprouting. Iron rusts, and aluminum and copper may generate a toxic effect. Cadmium and lead sulfate from low-fired earthenware pose a potential health hazard, too. If you have no objections to plastic, zipper-lock bags are especially convenient; a gallon-size plastic storage pouch holds two smaller bags. Soak the grains, legumes or seeds overnight in one bag, then transfer them to the other for rinsing.
Use of a shallow receptacle is particularly appropriate for sprouting mucilaginous seeds such as chia, cress, and flax. Because they become sticky in the presence of water, modification of the basic procedure yields best results.
1. Rinse, then sprinkle seeds in a saucer containing an equal measure of tepid water.
2. Allow them to remain undisturbed overnight for at least eight hours.
3. Drain carefully the soak water, then rinse the hydrated seeds, some of which may adhere to the saucer and/or form a gelatinous mass.
4. Sprinkle the sprouts with water once daily until harvesting — usually in three or four days.
Similarly, oats call for a variation in the sprouting method because a minimal amount of hydration stimulates their germination and growth.
1. Rinse the oats quickly to avoid oversaturating them with water.
2. Scatter the grains on a double layer of thoroughly dampened paper towels lining a shallow container.
3. Cover the arrangement at least partially if too much moisture evaporates.
4. Mist the oats and redampen the paper towels with water at least once daily until harvesting — usually in three or four days.
Like any other vegetable, sprouts are highest in flavor and food value immediately after harvesting. Grow small quantities in rotation so you can eat a fresh batch of sprouts each day. If an oversupply results despite attempts to stagger the sprouting schedule, remember that damp — but not wet — sprouts keep in the refrigerator for a week, as long as they drain adequately following the final rinsing. Sprouted grains store best in protective glass or plasticware, in the coldest compartment of the refrigerator. (Some varieties continue to grow in temperatures above 35 degrees Fahrenheit.)
In lieu of refrigerating extra sprouts, people can share their abundance with human and animal friends. Most dogs — and some cats — consume sprouts when mixed with their regular chow.
Finally, if the aforementioned methods seem too cumbersome and time-consuming, simply rinse fast-germinating garbanzo or mung beans after an overnight soak, then eat their harvest directly out of the same wide-mouth cup the very next day.
Sprouting ensures that you never have to go without fresh greens.