Sprouting seeds

[Lovage]

Last year I was able to pick rocket, land cress and lambs lettuce right through winter with lettuce to follow early in spring.

This year the frost and snow has ruined them all so I was thinking of sprouting some seeds for winter salads and stir-fries.

We used to sprout Alfalfa seeds with some sucess years ago but now I see rocket, red cabbage, radish etc etc available for sprouting.

Does anyone sprout/grow these?

How about lentils, peas, aduki beans etc which can be bought much cheaper as food than 'sprouting seeds' anyone had success with these?

[sarraceniac]

I buy mung beans from the supermarket and sprout them for 5 days, keeping warm and washing twice a day. They are the things you buy as bean sprouts at 10 times the price pre-sprouted.

[stella]

I am growing some sprouting seeds at the moment. I have never done this before, can anyone tell me do you eat the seeds and the white shoot or do you have to detach them?

[Bren In Pots]

Stella you eat every bit, what seeds are you sprouting?

[stella]

Not sure it just says sprouting seeds on the packet??

[Bren In Pots]

So long as you follow the rinsing instructions they're bound to come out fine, you can't really go wrong.

[piskieinboots]

I'm a serious sprouter, have been for years - I always have four sprouting tubs and a jar on the go at any given time

This is my current batch, three of which are very nearly ready to munch

[Two_Sheds]

Piskie, you've just reminded me that I need to get one of those sprouter boxes. (I was meant to get one free from one of the gardening mags/catalogues last year, but it never arrived).

I've used the ordinary jam jar method in the past, but now I want a posh one

[piskieinboots]

I've used the ordinary jam jar method in the past, but now I want a posh one

The 'posh' jar is excellent, you rinse and stand it on the sticky out bit, drains well that way - I'm sure you can obtain the same with jam jars, but have never tried. I like posh stuff

The boxes are very good too, due to the stacking, you can have a good few on the go not taking up too much space

[Lovage]

Quite impressed P in B!
Do tell us what you sprout and what the results are like. Have you tried sunflowers? are the hulls a pain? what about peas, fenugreek etc etc?

I've got some blonde lentils just starting and dying to try other things

[piskieinboots]

The ones currently on the go that you can see in the picture are; mung beans in jar, onions, lentils, alfalfa, red clover in tubs.

There isn't much I don't sprout to be honest and I use them either in stir-fry, sandwiches, salad or just for munching on whilst passing

As for the hauls, they get munched up alongside the rest.

What do they taste like? Well, you know the long white bean sprouts in bags in the supermarkets? Nothing like those - thankfully Think more rustic, cheaper, much much more nutritious and always available

[Flummery]

The alfalfa (my favourites) taste like young peas. Really lovely in a sandwich. I sprout seeds when I can't get to the lottie because of the weather!

[WrexTheDragon]

I have Alfalfa growning in one of those sprouter trays with a Sandwich mix in another tray.
The Alfalfa is great, but it is taking 6 days at the moment to sprout. The Sandwich mix is not that good, some have sprouted but others have not.

I put it down to where you buy the seeds from in the first place..

[teakdesk]

Just a word of warning... although seeds are easy to sprout there is a risk of mould.

Make sure you rinse the seeds thoroughly twice a day (preferably in water that is not too cold) and then drain ALL the water off. If the seeds are left wet then they will go mouldy... just like seedlings in soil that succumb to damping off after too much watering.

The jar also needs to let air to circulate around the seeds.

I used to use a large jar with muslin on the top with reasonable success but when I tried this again last year I kept getting mould. After buying one of those square sprouters that PB uses I have had no problems.

Well worth the trouble to sprout seeds!!

[northmaid]

Got one of those seed sprouter boxes with a packet of snow peas and adzuki beans as a Christmas present. Started them off today; never tried sprouting before so will be interested in seeing the results.