Sprouting

In hard times you won't be able to have fresh fruits and vegetables-you need to learn to sprout seeds. Seeds are high in protein and vitamins, especially B complex vitamins. They are low in calories and low in cost.

Sprouts can be eaten fresh, stored in a refrigerator or frozen. They can be eaten now or put in foods, such as soups stews, vegetables and meats. They give flavor and nutrition. Sprouted mung beans and Alaska peas taste like raw fresh peas. Sprouted bean cook faster and can be prepared without cooking.

The most successful and easy seed to sprout:

• Seeds. Alfalfa, unhulled sesame, unhulled sunflowers, mustard, radishes and red clover, etc.
• Whole Grains. Wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley. Get them from the current year's crop and of the highest quality.
• Whole Dried Beans and Peas. Soybeans (most difficult to sprout), lentils, peas, lima beans, mung beans, chick peas. Kidney beans, pinto beans.
• Corn. Easy to sprout and very good to eat.
• Mung Beans. Used by the Chinese. Use raw or in Chinese dishes. Add while crunchy and before food value is lost.
• Lentils. Easy to sprout; a nutty taste; good in tossed salads.
• Soybeans. use tan variety. Excellent source of protein. Taste like nuts.

How to store seeds for sprouting:

1. Keep away from light
2. Keep in air-tight containers to keep out moisture, germs
3. Labeled glass jars are good

How to sprout:

Seeds need moisture, warmth and ventilation to sprout. If the seeds aren't sprouting, check four conditions:

Get healthy, unbroken seeds (broken seeds go moldy). Run beans through fingers to throw out the bad seeds.

1. Soak (cover completely with water) seeds for eight hours at least. over night is easiest. Wide mouth glass jars or salad dressing jars are excellent for sprouting. Allow 1/2 cup alfalfa seeds per gallon jar. Use 1/4 cup bean seeds per quart jar; 1/3 cup wheat per quart jar. The seed need room for expansion and ventilation.
2. After soaking, drain the seeds well. The jar opening should be covered with cheese cloth or nylon stocking material secured with rubber band.
3. Rinse seeds at least three times per day with warm water. Be sure to drain well after each rinsing.

The jar with sprouting seeds should be placed inside a dark and warm place. Light encourages chlorophyll which gives a strong tastes and decreases mineral vitamin content. Those that don't pick up a green color and retain the clear whitish color are better tasting and more nutritious.

Don't sprout tomato or potato seeds. They are poisonous to people. Don't sprout treated agricultural seeds. They have poisonous insecticides and aren't safe to eat.

If using sprouts in bread making, be careful because sprouts are rich in enzymes and have the ability to digest protein, so yeast action will be inhibited. If the yeast doesn't fully act in the dough, it will produce a heavy bread. In adding sprouts to yeast goods, add at the end of the mixing process. Make sure the dough is warm and working. Dough will sour if it sits too long with sprouts added.

Sprouts are ready to eat when:

• Wheat sprouts are the length of the seed
• Bean sprouts are 1 1/2-3 inches long
• Alfalfa sprouts are 1-2 inches long
• Lentil sprouts are 1 inch long
• Soybean or pea sprouts are 2 inches long

Seeds, sprouts, roots-eat them all! During the germination process, wastes in the form of gases and residues will accumulate. Ventilation and water are vital. All sprouts should be put in refrigerator to retard growth when at their peak for eating. They need to be eaten in a few days for best flavor and nutrition.

Hard wheat has more protein than any other cereal, except oats. Wheat is rich in vitamin E and has little fat in it. Vitamin C is greatly increased during sprouting.

Soybeans are the only beans with which you shouldn't save your soaking water for later use. It contains anti-digestive enzymes and must be discarded. Change and discard water three times daily. After twenty-four hours, continue to wash beans twice a day and drain each time for 1-2 days, until sprouts can be seen under the skin.

During the winter months, most fresh green vegetables go up in price. To have your green salads, so can do two things: Grow lettuce and leafy greens under growing lights and grow sprouts. Keep about twenty pounds of organic sprouting seeds which will make hundreds of pounds of green veggies packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

"Emergencies! and how to prepare for them" - Lana Richardson