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How to sprout seeds

publication date: May 17, 2011
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author/source: Fiona Beckett
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I don’t know if you ever grew seeds like cress when you were a kid but if you didn’t it’s never too late to start. Freshly sprouted seeds are a particularly good inexpensive source of nutrients and make a tasty additon to salads, stir-fries and even sandwiches.



You can buy packs of mixed seeds from a health food shop (a well-known brand is BioSnacky) or, more cheaply still, a pack of mung beans which you should be able to find in ethnic or health food shops. You’ll also need a couple of clean jam jars and either a J Cloth (available from traditional hardware shops) or a piece of muslin and some rubber bands.

Rinse about 1 1/2 tablespoons of seeds and put them in a jar. Pour some boiling water into a mug or jug and add cold water until you can comfortably dip your fingers in it. Pour it over the seeds, cover the jar with a piece of J cloth or muslin, secure with a rubber band and leave overnight. Drain away the water then rinse the seeds twice a day with fresh lukewarm water, shaking the jar then tipping it upside down and draining away the water so that the seeds don’t rot. After 4 days you should be able to eat them and they’ll keep in the fridge for another 4 days. Start another batch of seeds so you have a constant supply.

If you can’t face (or remember) all the watering you can find ready-sprouted seeds widely available in health food shops and organic food shops. Aconbury (whose sprouts are pictured above) is a well known brand with a useful website www.aconbury.co.uk. Slightly more expensive than growing your own but a good deal better than not eating sprouts at all. Check the sell-by date carefully though. Sprouts should be super-fresh.


 

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