Sprouting seeds Recipe: Low Fat, Low Sugar

You should not use seeds intended for use as garden or agricultural seed, as these have often been treated with fungicides.

Place the seeds to be sprouted in a large glass jar and soak the seeds in six times their volume of cold water overnight. Cover the top of the jar with a muslin cloth to act as a strainer and drain the seeds. Now rinse the seeds through the muslin several times and drain the seeds again.

Shake the seeds to spread them out and place the jar of seeds in a well ventilated warm dark place, still with the muslin cover in place. Rinse the seeds again in fresh water three times a day or more, leaving them drained each time.

It takes three to five days for the sprouts to grow to their best size, but this is a matter of taste.

If the seeds are grown for too long, or too much light is allowed, they may become bitter.

The well rinsed sprouts can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days if necessary.

Sprouted seeds can be used in salads, coleslaws, for sandwich filling, soups and stews.

Warning: Sorghum sprouts should not be used, they are very poisonous.
Soy sprouts should be cooked before eating and not used fresh in salads.
Alfalfa sprouts do not cook well.

Suitable seed for sprouting include mung beans, dried peas, whole lentils, brassica seed, raddish seed, wheat grain, fenugreek and alfalfa.

Copyright Peter Thomson 2012-May-19