Sprouting with Joy

I was introduced into a simple and easy way to make your own sprouts at home by friends in my permaculture group in Sydney and now that it is getting more towards salad weather here in Australia I have gone and bought my supplies from the local health food store and started. I bought chickpeas and mung beans, you can buy these from your local supermarket if you prefer. I then soak them overnight in a bowl of water (lukewarm but not hot) Then they go into the salad spinner. If you don't have one of these I reccomend it, it's great for washing lettuce and fruit before putting it in the fridge as it removes all the water that helps grow mould so they last longer. This isn't the same as mine but it's a similar idea, you have a basket inside a bowl and the basket is spun around like a centrifuge or the spin cycle of a washing machine using a handle on the lid, a push button or a pull cord.

So place you soaked sprouting grains and beans in the lettuce spinner and give it a good spin. Then eery 24 hours minimum, wash the sprouts in fresh water and spin them again. They are ready to eat when you see them starting to....sprout! Sprouts are delicious in sandwiches, salads, blended up with some tahini for a delicious dip, you name it.

Sprouts are highly nutrition, they can be grown locally year round, which means less embodied energy, and they are a great source of protein and vitamin C. A sprout is a seed starting to grow into a vegetable and can be made from the seeds of vegetables, grains, legumes, buckwheat and beans. And they are delicious. I will try and post a photo of them once they are ready to eat in a few days.