The Complete Book of Raw Food (7 page)

Which should you choose? It’s all up to you. The following is an overview of some popular sprouts and their flavors, courtesy of Ken Kimes of the New Natives sprout farm:

Alfalfa
is native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region, but is a familiar feature on supermarket shelves here as well. It has a sweet, clean, and refreshing taste and is great on sandwiches and in salads.

Arugula
(“rocket” in UK and elsewhere) has long been popular in Italian cuisine. Though relatively new to the sprouting scene it has become popular for its spicy flavor and nutritional value. Arugula sprouts have been shown to be a very rich source of iron as well as vitamin A and C.

Broccoli
grows quickly and produces a sprout with a mildly spicy flavor and a fresh crisp texture. It is a member of the brassica family, which also includes brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard, rutabaga, and spinach, all of which can be sprouted. These have similar flavors, with a spicy mustard tone.

Fennel
sprouts provide the wonderful licorice flavor in mixes and have recently grown in popularity.

Fenugreek
is familiar in Middle Eastern cuisine. As a sprout, it adds significant nutrition as well as a pungent flavor.

Lentils
have an excellent flavor, and are fast and easy to sprout.

Mustard
sprouts have a spicy flavor and therefore have some warming qualities. Older roots will have a slightly blue hue; this is mustard, not mold.

Radish
sprouts are good and spicy, and are similar to mustard in their warming qualities.

Red clover
is native to Asia, Europe, and North America. Subtle differences distinguish clover from alfalfa. Red clover is not as sweet as alfalfa and grows in a lighter shade of green.

There are several ways to sprout seeds and each method uses a different tool. The most common tools are bags, jars, trays, and tubes. Here’s a brief description of each method.

Bags
. Sprouting bags are made from hemp or nylon mesh. The fine weave of the fabric means that you can use the bag to sprout seeds of any size; the bag’s porous nature makes drainage easy as well—in fact, all you have to do is hang the bag over the sink after rinsing, and the fabric does the rest. However, since the fabric dries out easily, you may find that you have to rinse more often. Sprouting bags fold up easily and are great for travel, and you can also use them to grow micro-greens and make seed and nut cheeses, making this one of the most versatile pieces of sprouting equipment available.

Jars
. If you want to sprout seeds without buying a lot of equipment up front, we suggest you use the jar method. When we say jar, we mean just that—any glass Mason or Ball jar you have around the house. To keep the seeds in the jar as you rinse and drain, secure a fine mesh screen (nylon screen works best and is easiest to clean, but cheesecloth works well, too) over the opening, either with the screw-on ring that comes with most jars or with a thick rubber band. Some sprout seed purveyors also sell ready-made mesh lids that screw on to the large glass jars. Old pantyhose serve well, too!

Jar Lids
. Canning jars usually come with flat metal lids and screw rings. Ball, a common manufacturer of canning supplies, also makes 2 sizes of white plastic lids which are easier to use and won’t rust. One or other size fits virtually all makes of canning jars.

Trays
. Tray sprouters are made of plastic, with plastic mesh bottoms and covers. All that mesh makes draining with a tray sprouter fairly easy, although not as low maintenance as a sprouting bag. Because tray sprouters are stackable, they are great if you want to grow a lot of sprouts, or a few different crops at once. You can also use this type of sprouter to experiment with growing greens and grasses without soil.

Tubes
. The tube method allows for air circulation and easy draining because there is a screened lid on either end. Most tube sets come in kits with a
clear plastic tube and screw-on lids with mesh in three different sizes. These allow you to choose the largest mesh possible without letting your seeds slip out.

    We recommend the jar method if you’re just starting out, because it is the simplest. We provide directions for that method below; however, the rinsing and draining cycle is the same for all types of sprouters.

No matter what type of seed you decide to sprout, it’s a good idea to rinse them before soaking. Because we recommend purchasing organic seeds, rinsing simply washes off any dust that may have collected on them.

Next, cull your seeds before continuing with the sprouting process. Culling seeds is easy: Sort through them to remove foreign objects such as pebbles, plant parts, or weed seeds. If you spread your seeds out on your table or countertop, it is quick and easy to see what doesn’t belong.

Dry seeds are dormant, so you must soak them to “wake them up.” You can never use too much water for soaking, but different varieties of seeds do absorb different amounts of water. As a rule, we suggest using 2 to 3 parts water to one part seeds. And keep in mind that raw fooders suggest using filtered or spring water. Make sure to mix your seeds around every once in a while, so that they all get enough water.

Though you can never use too much water when soaking your seeds, it is possible to soak them for too long. That’s why it’s important to follow the supplier’s instructions. Most seeds should be soaked for an average of 8 to 12 hours; some require more, others less. After your seeds have soaked, run your fingertips over any seeds floating on the surface to see if they will sink. If they don’t, skim them off and throw them away. Drain off the water. The rest of your crop is now ready for sprouting; just pour the seeds into your sprouting jar and cover it with the straining mesh.

Because growing sprouts is so easy, your sprouting jar will spend a lot of time just sitting around. Where should you put it? The most important factor to consider when choosing a sprouting location is air circulation. Sprouts need air circulation to grow. We suggest you keep your sprouter near the sink to facilitate draining.

A common misconception is that sprouts need to be kept out of light. In fact, incandescent light or diffuse sunlight will not hurt them. However, because sprouts do not have leaves, they do not undergo photosynthesis. So it is important not to put them in direct sunlight—sprouts generate heat as they grow, and the extra heat from the sun could contribute to spoiling. Light helps prevent mold as long as it is not direct light. The warmer your sprouts are kept, the faster they will grow—but must be rinsed more often to prevent spoilage.

Like any plant, sprouts need to be watered. Because they do not grow in soil, watering once a day isn’t enough—there’s nothing to hold the water in. So your sprouts need to be rinsed two or three times a day. This gives them the water they need to grow. Tap water is fine for this.

    Here are some suggestions for rinsing:

• Use cool water (60°F to 70°F).
  

• Use high pressure water whenever possible; this keeps the sprouts from clumping together and ensures that they all get a drink.
  

• Use a
  lot
  of water. Less water might make for easier draining, but it will result in a less healthy crop.
  

When using a sprouting jar, fill it with water, then turn it over and drain. That’s all you have to do. Easy as it is, however, you must be careful to drain off as much water as possible. This extra effort is important—if your sprouts sit in water, they could spoil. So, make sure to spend a little extra time shaking the water out of the jar and, between rinsings, store it at a 45-degree angle, screen side down. This will help any excess water drain out of the jar.

As your sprouts grow, they will begin to fill the jar and grow “tails.” How do you know when your sprouts are ready to harvest? The best advice is to follow the seed supplier’s instructions. Different types of sprouts take different amounts of time to grow, but if you have been following the instructions that came with your seeds, you can be confident that you’re harvesting them at the right time.

When harvesting your sprouts, you need to decide whether you want to de-hull them. Hulls (seed casings) are edible and are actually a good source of fiber, but some people choose to get rid of them for aesthetic or textural reasons. The only sprouts that it is essential to de-hull are those of brassicas, such as broccoli and radish, because they shed thick hulls that retain moisture, and moisture causes stored sprouts to spoil more quickly.

To de-hull your sprouts, pour them into a bowl of cool water and swirl them around with your fingers, breaking up any clumps. The hulls will begin to float to the surface. Keep moving them around for a minute or so, or until your sprouts are hull-free enough for you. Then simply reach into the bowl and pull out the sprouts, a handful at a time, leaving the hulls floating in the bowl (some people like to skim the hulls off the top of the water first, and you should try that if you like). Give the sprouts one last rinse and drain, and let them dry for 8 to 12 hours or run them through a salad spinner before storing.

Sprouts should be stored in the refrigerator. Airtight containers such as plastic bags or glass and plastic containers are ideal. It’s unnecessary to let your sprouts “breathe” at this point, as the air circulation will dry them out. However, if you are storing them slightly wet, poke some holes in the bag to let them dry a bit, then switch them to an airtight container later. Remember that you should let your sprouts dry as much as possible before storing. Sprouts stored wet will spoil more quickly. If properly stored, your sprouts should stay crisp and delicious for 7 to 10 days, depending on the type of sprouts you have.