The Victory Garden Initiative

JANUARY:  WEEK FOUR

     In last week’s column we discussed seed catalogues.  I hope you found one or two of them that suited your gardening needs.  Unfortunately, it may take a week or two for them to arrive but now you have the urge to grow something and it’s single digits outside. 

     There is one way where you can grow something quick, green and edible this time of year.  Something grown indoors that is also very nutritious.  Plus it may be an enjoyable bit of time travel for some of you. 

     I am speaking of growing sprouts.  Now that you are done snickering, growing sprouts is much more these days than the old standards of alfalfa sprouts and wheat grass.  Today’s offerings can be sweet and nutty to exotic and spicy tasting.   Quite a bit different than the sprouts commonly grown in the 1960’s.

     I got the urge to revisit sprouting after a visit to Growing Power last summer.    I started out simple and small.  I took some empty canning jars with the open screw top rings and made them into my sprouting chambers.  Then I went to Michael’s craft store and purchased a plastic mesh screen made for embroidery.  Using an overturned jar, I cut out a round section from the mesh the size of the jar’s opening.  It would fit securely atop my jar with the assistance of the screw top ring.  I like this better than using a cheese cloth or wire screens since it is easily cleaned, will not rust and reusable.

     With the sprouting chamber in place, I wanted to test it out.  So I went to a few ethnic stores to purchase some mung beans and lentils.  It is important to note that these seeds are very acceptable because they are already ‘food grade’ seeds.  Do not try using seeds purchased for planting because they are not considered ‘food grade’ products.  The procedure is very simple.  Place three tablespoons of lentil seeds in your quart-sized jar and add enough water so  that all the seeds are covered.  After a 12 hour soak, rinse the seeds with fresh water and place the jar upside down in your dish drying rack to drain.  Rinse and repeat the draining every 12 hours.  Begin tasting your sprouts after three days to determine the stage of the sprout which is most enjoyable for you.  These sprouts will use the ambient daylight in your kitchen to develope chlorophyl and eventually leaf out if the process is maintained for period of time.  That’s it.  That simple.  Mountain Rose Herbs and  Kristen Raw  each have a very knowledgeable and clearly laid out video demonstrating the sprouting process.

     Since then, I have been researching new seeds and improved growing systems.  I decided to stay with my cheap, homemade growing chambers because they are versatile and can accommodate all of my sprouting needs.  One of the best sites I found on the internet is The Sprout People.  Only two of the eighty seed options they offer are not certified organic.  They do a great job describing each seed’s sprouting techniques, flavors, etc.  Locally, the selection is somewhat sparse.  Outpost Foods has the best selection, but they have just a few seed options located in their spice departments.  Below the spices and seeds you may find some manufactured sprouting chambers.

     Now in the middle of winter I can enjoy a harvest of freshly grown produce thanks to sprouting.  These sprouts are also amazingly more nutritious than their full grown counterparts.  For example, one ounce of broccoli sprouts has the same amount of antioxidants as three pounds of full grown broccoli.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with your sprouts.  Sure they are great in a stir fry, salads and sandwiches, but try some in a soup, on a pizza or as an omelette topping.

     Micro-greens are another form of sprouting.  Here the seeds are actually grown in a soil or soil-less medium.  After ten to fourteen days, the seeds will have grown to a stage where their first primary leaves will appear.  It is at this stage where the seedlings are cut just above the soil line and eaten like a sprout.   We will look into this procedure in greater detail in a future column when we discuss starting our vegetable seedlings.

     THIS WEEK’S TIP:  If you are planning to start your own seedlings with the aid of artificial lighting, you may want to determine the energy costs.  It is a simple calculation.  First take the total wattage of your light bulbs and multiply it by the number of hours the lights will be turned on each day by the number of days in the month.  Then divide this number by 1,000 for the total number of kilowatt hours your lights will have used.  My current electric bill was charging 11 cents per kilowatt hour.  In my setup I have twelve 40 watt bulbs running 12 hours per day for 30 days.  Thus, at 11 cents a kilowatt hour my set up will cost me $19.00 per month.

     DISCUSSION:  If there are any other sprouters out there please share with us your favorite seeds, sources for the seeds, sprouting techniques, recipes, etc.