Making Love in the Kitchen: The Blog

To celebrate Making Love In The Kitchen’s first birthday, the bestest posts of the last year are getting another turn in the spotlight. These were selected either because they had the most traffic or should have. Enjoy the stroll through memory lane! I will be away on a farm with no computer! We’ll chat when I get back.
Sprout Sprout, Let It All Out: First Published: January 9, 2009

I have some vague memories of learning how to sprout at a very early age at my montessori pre-school. My brother and I have often discussed what exactly our hippie teachers were teaching us to grow under those bright lights.

Sprouts are a great introduction for ourselves and our families into how easy it is to grow our own food. And this kind of home-grown goodness doesn’t require anything other than a mason jar and some water and can be the basis for a very local and very healthy diet. Getting your kids involved, or having them take charge of the sprouting is a fabulous way to teach them the basics of plants, living and whole foods. The best bit is that since they grew them, they will take huge pride when their sprouts become part of the family’s dinner.

Filled with nutrients needed by the growing plant, and dense with vital enzymes, seeds are the very core of life.  Seeds start it all! All the energy and life of a plant goes toward making seeds. Each seed holds vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in reserve, awaiting the suitable environment to begin growing.

Here is the science behind it… When air, water, and appropriate temperature are provided, the seeds get busy. They begin to sprout, and a super powered flow of energy is released.  Enzymes are produced to convert the concentrated nutrients into those needed by the growing plant.

A huge benefit for us is that as the sprouting process continues, carbohydrates are made easier to digest and absorb. Complex proteins are converted into more simple amino acids and fats are changed into fatty acids, which are easily digested. Vitamin C, along with some other vitamins found only in trace amounts in the seed, is produced in larger amounts during sprouting. The minerals in sprouts are chelated; meaning, they are  in their natural state, and bound to amino acids making them easily absorbable.

Sprouting Advantages

• Enzymes are activated- necessary for food digestion
• Proteins convert to free amino acids- building blocks of our bodies
• Starches change to simple sugars.
• Minerals combine to increase assimilation.
• Vitamin content increases from 3 to 12 or more times.
• Chlorophyll and carotene content increase dramatically when exposed to sunlight.
• Home-grown sprouts are cheap cheap cheap

What You Need

• Mason jar
• Cheese Cloth (available at health foods stores and hardware stores) or mesh screening
• Elastic band or metal ring from jar
• Drainage container (dish rack works well)
• Seed /Lentil of choice
• Food grade hydrogen peroxide (optional)

Sprouting 101

• Add 1-2 Tbs of seeds to the jar (more or less depending on the size of the jar- they will expand quite a bit
• Fill jar with water- making sure all beans/seeds are covered
• Stretch mesh or cheese cloth over the jar and secure with rubber band or ring from jar li
• Allow to sit like this for 12-24 hours
• After elapsed time, drain out the water and then rinse the seeds
• Turn jar upside down in dish/drain rack. Try and lean it at 45 degree angle so that water can drain but air still circulates.
• Rinse your sproutlings twice a day. Each time you rinse them, rinse several times, then leave to drain. If using food grade hydrogen peroxide- add 1/2 tsp to water and let sit for 5 minutes and then rinse several times. This helps prevent mould growth
• When ready, keep sprouts refrigerated & rinse daily

Note: Cooking time can be lessened & nutritional content increased by soaking buckwheat, rice, corn or wheat (12 to 24 hours should be enough time)

Tags: Health, whole foods