Sprouting your own seeds are great fun when you have children in the house - even kids are amazed at how quickly they 'grow' ! During my recent trip to South Africa I became the proud owner of a Seed Sprouter. Yes, you read that correctly ! (Gosh, a Seed Sprouter and a Waffle Iron in quick succession – things in my rustic farm kitchen are looking up !) I might just add that my husband is more impressed with the Waffle Iron than with the Seed Sprouter though – he keeps muttering comments under his breath along the lines of “rabbit food” ……………. hah !
Anyway, back to the Seed Sprouter. I saw it in the health food section of a large pharmacy, so I bought it along with a selection of seeds. I think it’s really nice to be able to add bean/seed sprouts to salads, stir-fries & casseroles and I’ve also heard that you can add them to homemade hamburger patties, meatballs, bread and rolls (before baking), smoothies and even as a sandwich spread.
Apart from adding a nice crunch to whatever you happen to be eating them with, they are of course very healthy – especially when eaten in their ‘raw’ state (as a "living food") – as they are not only high in fibre but also a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins and antioxidants.
I bought a selection of seeds to go in the sprouter -: Mung beans, Soya beans, Fenugreek, Brown Lentils, Chick Peas, Japanese Radish and Alfalfa. So far I’ve only tried a few of them. (The Japanese Radish were delicious, with a sharp mustard like tang when sprinkled over a salad).
Anyway, back to the Seed Sprouter. I saw it in the health food section of a large pharmacy, so I bought it along with a selection of seeds. I think it’s really nice to be able to add bean/seed sprouts to salads, stir-fries & casseroles and I’ve also heard that you can add them to homemade hamburger patties, meatballs, bread and rolls (before baking), smoothies and even as a sandwich spread.
Apart from adding a nice crunch to whatever you happen to be eating them with, they are of course very healthy – especially when eaten in their ‘raw’ state (as a "living food") – as they are not only high in fibre but also a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins and antioxidants.
I bought a selection of seeds to go in the sprouter -: Mung beans, Soya beans, Fenugreek, Brown Lentils, Chick Peas, Japanese Radish and Alfalfa. So far I’ve only tried a few of them. (The Japanese Radish were delicious, with a sharp mustard like tang when sprinkled over a salad).
My daughter likes eating them by the handful as a snack, but my husband refuses to try them (although I slipped a few – unnoticed – into a stir-fry the other night !) and Justin just wrinkled his nose up when I offered some to him, and said no thanks Mama, I really don’t want to try them (and he is usually quite adventurous and willing to try new things).
The Seed Sprouter consists of 5 round plastic containers (pictured above) that lock into each other when stacked on top of one other . There are drainage holes at the bottom of each (except the last/bottom one) & you put 10 to 20 grams of seeds in each container & then every day, twice a day, you pour a cup of clean water into the top container & it filters down to the bottom container which you then empty. (You can keep this water to add to stocks, soups etc as it is very nutritious. I add mine to the dog’s food !)
The main thing is to make sure that the seeds don’t rot or become mouldy (some have very fine, furry roots that can be mistaken for mould though !) and to never use seeds intended for planting as they may have been chemically treated & will be poisonous to eat.
If you do a quick Google search, you can find out how to make your own simple Seed Sprouter at home out of an empty glass jar covered with fine mesh/netting. It’s a fun thing to do with kids too (even a few seeds in a saucer) as they germinate so quickly. (Usually within 2 – 3 days but some of mine germinated within 12 hours !) My daughter loves helping me with the daily ‘task’ of watering the seeds & emptying the bottom container, and marveling at how much they’ve ‘grown’ since the day before !
