Grow Your Own Sprouts

This time every year, I get the itch to start planting. 

It is too early to begin outdoor gardening, so this project buys time until the warm season.  Sprouts are so easy to grow and are loaded with nutrition.  The good thing is that they can be grown inside in the dark.  Don't have natural light?  No worries, sprouts grow quicker in the dark.  Within 3-4 days, you will have  sprouts.

Supplies: 

• mason jar

• seed (alfalfa, chick peas, oats, sunflower, etc.)  This time, I experimented with broccoli.

• gauze or netting 

To grow your own:

1. Put up to 1/4" layer of seeds on the bottom of a quart mason jar.
2. Cover seeds with 1" tepid water.
3. After standing overnight, during which time they will soak up much of the water and increase in size by 100 or even 200 percent, I drain away the remaining soaking water and rinse the seeds with fresh water.
4. During the next two days, rinse the seeds three times a day with tepid water.  It sounds like a lot, but the netting makes it easy.  Just run the water into the jar through the netting and let it run out.  Then place the jar upside down as shown so that the seeds don't sit in water.

Sprouts are yummy on a salad, stuffed in a pita, or added to a sandwich.  

I am sharing this with ASPTL and TCB.