Growing Sprouts

I’m growing sprouts. This winter is a tough one! Usually, it is the beginning of March before I am going stir crazy, not this year! There are only so many garden magazines and catalogs you can page through before to just need to grow something.

It was too early to start seeds, too boring to plan and re-plan my garden and there is only so much snowshoeing and skiing a person can take. 

I needed a growing fix. I came up with a solution to get me through the remainder of the winter and it proved to be a wise investment. A few times I had growing sprouts for my daughter using mason jars. For me, it was messy and cluttered up my kitchen space. On the other hand, she was happy to have the fresh sprouts daily.

What I Ordered:

Since I needed a growing fix and my daughter liked her fresh sprouts, I decided to look on Amazon for a possible solution for both of us. I found the Victorio VKP1014 4-Tray Kitchen Seed Sprouter, it was inexpensive (under $20.00) and the reviews were better than most, so I ordered it.

Finding My Seeds:

Then I was on to find seeds. I ended up settling on The Sprout House Dozen Organic Sprouting Seeds Mixes .  It was a small quantity of seed each of twelve different items we could sprout.  This way we could try a variety and later settle on what we truly enjoyed.

The Process:

Each type of seed is a little different.  Although, the process is pretty much the same.

1.) Soak the seeds for 8 hours. I used 3 Tablespoons (I’m growing brassica for this one) Then empty seeds into the sprouter.  Drain off water.

2.) Set sprouter in room that is around 70 degrees. It doesn’t have to be in window or anything.  A countertop is fine.

3.) Rinse and drain every 12 hours for 3 days. It is extremely important to drain thoroughly.

4.) On the 4th day, again rinse and drain the sprouts.  Move the sprouter to indirect sunlight if the sprouter has been out of light altogether. The sprouts begin to green. 

5.) Continue to rinse and drain the sprouts every day. When the majority of the leaves are open on the sprouts in about 5-6 days.

6.) Remove the seed hulls. They have a dehuller that is like a salad spinner. Rinse again.

7.) Return to sprouter for one more day.

8.) Rinse and let dry completely.  Refrigerate.

Things I Like About the Sprouter:

1.) The trays were translucent so we could see the growing process.  It took 3 days before we saw anything sprouting.  

2.) I really liked the simplicity of watering the trays over using mason jars.  You take about two cups of water and pour it into the top tray.  Within 10 minutes the water filters its way down to the last tray and then collects in a reservoir you can empty.

3.) The clean up of the trays is 100 times easier for me.

Few Small Quirks to Growing Sprouts in the Sprouter

1.) Sometimes the seeds get stuck in the drainage holes. It really doesn’t affect the performance that much. It does make drainage a little slower.

I took a toothpick and just pushed them out.

2.) The second small flaw was the root growth can also grow into drainage holes when the sprouts become thicker. Just pull them out and you are back in business.

If You Enjoy Growing

After we experimented with seeds we ended up purchasing organic seed in larger quantity off Amazon. The seeds come in a nice plastic jar resembling a large spice jar.

They are much cheaper to purchase in bulk. My suggestion if you like growing sprouts.  Buy bulk seed.

Alfalfa was hands down a family favorite.  We add them to sandwiches and have them in salads.  They have a mild flavor. The Sprout House Organic Sprouting Seeds Alfalfa 1 pound

If you have ever thought about growing sprouts, there is a wide variety to choose from.  The process is simple!