Try sprouting for a low cost nutrition option

Image via WikipediaOne easy way to lower your food costs and up your intake of fresh food is to start sprouting in your kitchen. It's something you can do with no experience, it takes very little time to maintain, and you can get all you need to get started for free or at very little cost.

When a seed starts to sprout, the nutrient qualities begin to change, with complex compounds such as carbohydrates starting to break down into simple sugars, proteins into amino acids, and fats into fatty acids. The enzyme inhibitors that enable a seed to remain inert yet viable for years are neutralized, and enzyme and vitamin content is increased, especially the B vitamins. The seed is changing from a long-term storage unit for starches into a living plant, full of digestive enzymes, amino acids, and simple sugars. The nutrient content increases up to 1200% after sprouting, and your body readily assimilates organic compounds in the sprouts. As the sprouts green up, chlorophyll is developed in these baby plants, making them a superfood.

Ready to get started? Here's what you need:

• cheesecloth or screen
  
• mason jar
• some sort of tray to stand the jar in
• rubber bands or canning ring to hold cheesecloth in place
• seeds, beans, or grains of your choice
• a cupboard or corner of your counter out of direct sunlight
• 5 minutes a day to care for your sprouts

Fill a jar with water (filtered or spring water is preferable). For alfalfa, clover, or other small seeds, put two tablespoons in the jar and let soak for 8 hours. Starting the soaking at night develops an easy rhythm for daily maintenance, evening and morning.

After the soak time is up (in the morning, if started at night), empty the water and rinse with fresh water at least twice. Cover the mouth of the jar with cheesecloth and set upside down in a tray or bowl (to catch the drainage). I always lean the jar at an angle so that fresh air is available.

Rinse the sprouts every 8 to 12 hours by filling jars with water and then draining. The sprout water from soaking and rinsing is great for houseplants or gardens. When the sprouts have reached the size you prefer, rinse thoroughly and place in the refrigerator until you eat them. They will keep just fine for a couple of days (up to a week).

Most sprouts are edible as soon as you see a tail (the root) emerging, but you can let them grow as long as you want. Alfalfa and clover will fill the jar so completely that you'll have a hard time getting them out, so don't let them go too far.

This is a great learning activity for unschooling and homeschooling families. The amazing transformation that takes place to change those tiny seeds into living green food is inspiring. Nature's wisdom is contained in every one of them, yet the great god science can not make a single seed. Humbling...

See Sprouting, Part 2