If you are looking for a crunchy tasty vegetable you can grow indoors, Sprouts are the easiest thing to grow.
Sprouts are the young shoots of Mung Beans, Alfalfa, and a range of other vegetables that are germinated until they sprout and then used fresh in salad.
Although you can buy specialist sprout growing kits from good nurseries, many people simply grow them in flat trays or glass jars in the kitchen.
Sprouts fall into two categories.
It is the loose sprouts that are easiest to grow.
- Loose sprouts – Alfalfa, Lentils, Fenugreek, Chickpea, Clover, Broccoli and Radish
- Vertical sprouts – Wheat Grass, Snow Peas, Cress, Mustard, Radish and Sunflower.
How to grow Sprouts
The beauty of growing sprouts is that they are fast to produce, take up little space and can be grown indoors. Great is salads, excellent in sandwiches, and easy to grow.
Sprouts are grown without soil, they are simply the ‘new growth’ of a number of seeds.
Method for Loose Sprouts.
Follow a few basic steps when growing sprouts for best results.
- Most seeds are best soaked in warm water for 8 hours before placing in a jar.
- Seeds should be washed thoroughly after soaking.
- Spread the seed evenly over the base of the container or tray that you are growing them in.
- The jar or tray should be covered with a fine mesh, any breathable cloth will do, you can use cheesecloth, a piece of stocking works well.
- Avoid water pooling in the jar or tray as this can cause mould and bacteria to grow.
- Each day you need to rinse the sprouts with fresh cool water and drain.
Full instructions are available with the commercial sprout growing kits.
How long do sprouts take to grow?
Sprouts take different lengths of time to reach edible size.
- Lentils take around 4 days
- Mung beans take 4 -5 days
- Alfalfa can take 5 – 6 days.
Once ready to harvest, rinse well and drain well before eating or storing. Sprouts will store well in the refrigerator for a few days.