I posted a thread in Food Talk with a similar topic, but then I thought that maybe it would be a better question here (admittedly a biased assumption, and don't mean to offend).
I've grown my own sprouts for many years, but I've been pretty limited in my choices (clover, alfalfa, mung beans, adzuki beans, fenugreek, radish, broccoli, lentils - and various mixes of these)
In doing a little research to show my TOPS group how to sprout, I ran across a couple of online sites that sell sprouters and sprouting seeds, and found a whole new world of sprouting options. One was sprouthouse and another sproutpeople. Both of these had huge varieties of sprouting seeds and mixes, and I really want to try some of these (the garlic and onion sprouts sound really good), but I'm a bit overwhelmed with all of the choices and I've never ordered sprouting seeds online before.
I'm wondering if anyone has some tips and suggestions. Also, many of these sites sell some pretty complicated looking sprouters. I've always just used a glass or plastic jar with either a screw on screen lid or just some cheesecloth and a rubber band. Until recently, I didn't even know to prop the jar in a bowl with a towel on the bottom for extra drainage. So, while I've been sprouting for years, I'm still pretty unsophisticated about it. Has anyone had experience with the fancier sprouters, and what are the benefits (if any) over the jar and mesh method?
I have nothing useful to add, lol, but would like to say you have me very interested in trying this! I recently tried red cabbage sprouts in a salad and really enjoyed them, but never thought about sprouting my own.
I'll look forward to hearing more about your experience
Both of the sites give really good directions, and I even learned a few things. You soak your seeds overnight. Some of the sprouting sites have charts with specific sprouting times and such, but I've always done fine just letting the seeds sit in the jar with water from the tap (I'm told 60 to 70 degrees, but I don't measure the temp, I just use my hand - not too warm, not too cold, estimating in my head whether it is a possible "rain" temperature) and letting sit overnight 8 to 12 hours.
In the morning I secure the netting on the jar lid with a rubber band, or use my sprouting lid (it's a jar lid with a screen instead of a solid top). You can use any sort of netting or fabric that water will drain through. For my little experiement to show my TOPS group, I used three different jars and sizes (one gallon glass jar, one 2 quart plastic jar, and one 28 oz plastic drinking glass), and three different lids, my sprouting lid that I bought as is, cheesecloth, and tulle netting from the fabric store.
In the moringing after you soaked your seeds, you just drain the water and rinse and drain again, then put your jar in a bowl large enough for the jar to sit at an angle to drain. I put a towel or wash cloth in the bottom of the bowl to catch any extra water (this is what I learned. I'd always left the jar on the counter horizontally on a towel). You keep the sprouts out of direct sunlight (after they're grown you can put them in sunlight if you want them green). Bean sprouts have to be grown entirely in the dark or they get bitter.
You rinse 2 to 4 times a day (I've only ever done twice, but if mold is very common in your area or the air is very dry you may have to rinse more often).
Within a few days you have sprouts. The sprouts I took to my TOPS group were started Thursday night (soaking), and by Monday night they were ate a great length for salads. I still have a lot of the salad mix in the fridge (8 days since the meeting, 12 days after starting them). Because refrigeration slows, but doesn't stop sprouts from growing, they don't go bad, they just get bigger. I didn't know this before either, and the salad sprouts in the fridge, I just rinse and drain every four or five days (I drain on the counter for about 3 hours, and then stick them back in the frigde, only upright).
Unlike sprouts in the package they aren't slimy within a couple days of buying. The salad sprouts have been in the fridge for a week. The only problem is that the salad sprouts were in the galllon jar, and the sprouts seem to be growing nearly as fast as I can eat them. 1/4 cup of seeds has made the equivalent of a couple heads of lettuce already.
Thanks for bringing this up. I wanted to grow wheatgrass in some extra pots just because I love the super springy green of it. Going online told be to pre-sprout. I found my sprouting jar (never used) from 20 years ago and went to town. I am now also eager to try various kinds. Seems pretty economical also.
I calculated the cost for the broccoli seeds (because they were the most experience). I bought mine at $16.00 a pound in IL when we were visiting my folks, but locally (northcentral WI) they're about $20 - $25 per pound (and pretty much the same online). But in sprouting them, 1 ounce of sprouts ($1.00 - $1.50) made a little more and cost about half as much as the plastic container of them in the grocery store (and they lasted a lot longer in the fridge).
With the cheap sprouts like clover, alfalfa, radish... the difference is tremendous. The cost to grow them yourself can be 1/10 or less that of the grocery store price.
Buying seeds for sprouting online
