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I'm up on my soapbox, and ready to expound about growing sprouts. Winter is upon us, and the quality of produce in the grocers has bottomed out, while the cost increases exponentially.
Tired of brown broccoli and limp lettuce at peak prices? What to do? GROW SPROUTS!!
Growing sprouts is a simple, easy way to increase the nutrition and digestibility of your food, for 5 - 10 minutes, and pennies a day. It's been around for thousands of years, but we've lost the tradition in our fast food culture.
Save yourself from scurvy this winter! Enjoy fresh organic vegetables daily. You can grow sprouts at home with a jar, a few seeds, the corner of an old dishtowel, and an elastic band.
Did you know? "Dried seeds, grains and legumes do not contain discernible traces of ascorbic acid, yet when sprouted, they reveal quite significant quantities which are important in the body’s ability to metabolise proteins. The infinite increase in ascorbic acid derives from their absorption of atmospheric elements during growth."
Here's a concise and complete article on methods and nutritional benefits of growing sprouts.
Protein, calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, Vit. A, B1, B2, B3 all increase exponentially.
Sprouts for Optimum Nutrition
Here's another excellent sprouting site: Mumm's Sprouting Seeds , with more detailed info about sprouting at home, and books about sprouting.
It works perfectly well, but if the idea of using a jar, a rag and an elastic band doesn't appeal to you, here's a site which supplies everything you need for growing sprouts, including organic seeds: The Sprout House
For an excellent sprouting primer, go to Sprouting 101 from sprouting veteran Dave at Vegan Cycling. He makes it simple and easy.
One important fact isn't mentioned in the above sites. I've read in a few places, and heard from raw foodists, that sprouts are at their best for nutrition and tastiness when they have just begun to sprout. That means that after soaking, rinsing, and putting your seeds in a dark warm corner to sprout, you only have to wait another twelve hours to start munching those vitamins and minerals.
And by the way, you can cook with sprouted things, adding them to veggie and grain dishes, or grinding and adding to breads, or whizzing into drinks, or soups, or spreads - but minimal cooking is of course advised.