Sprouts

So besides the basics (Wheat, Rice & Beans) what is one of the best things you can store?

Sprouting seeds!!

Here are 10 Reasons why: Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods that exist. .Sprouts are rich with vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes. Numerous scientific studies have shown the importance of sprouts in a healthy diet. Sprouts are living food. they continue to gain vitamins after you harvest them. Even after harvesting them they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will increase. Store bought vegetables and fruit start loosing their vitamin content as soon as they're picked Economic, sprouts can muliply 8-15 x their weight. Easy to store and can last a long time if placed in the freezer. They don't take a lot of room to grow, they're compact and easy to grow. They are a great way to add fresh ingredients to your food storage and diet, growing to full maturity from 1 -8 days. They have high levels of disease preventing phytochemicals and can also help prevent cancer. What can you grow into sprouts? GRAINS: wheat, barley, rye, popcorn, quinoa, and others. LEGUMES: lentils, peas, adzuki beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, mung beans, soybeans, and others. GREENS: alfalfa, broccoli, clover, canola, radish, buckwheat, sunflower, and others. NUTS: almonds and peanuts, MICRO-GREENS: such as lettuce and arugula, PLANTS: fenugreek and onion. You can order seeds over the Internet from sprouting seed sources or can simply try your luck in the bulk section of your local health food store or grocery store. You can mix seeds, but it is usually better to start with separate amounts of each seed type you want to grow, because some take longer to mature than others. Make sure that the seeds are organic or at least untreated. If you are ordering seeds online, then look for ones that are specifically labeled as “sprouting seeds.” These should be fresh and have been tested for a high germination rate; they are not always the same seeds that would grow big plants in your garden. Several quality online retailers are the Sprout People, with a wealth of information on their Web site; Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds; Sunrise Seeds; and Wheatgrass Kits. Also, try your local health food store’s bulk section; you might get lucky and find some good, fresh seeds. **one thing to keep in mind, if you are going to use any bulk items for sprouting. DO NOT use oxygen packets in the container. Any item that has been packaged with an oxygen packet WILL NOT sprout, including wheat. Add to tossed salads Use in coleslaw (cabbage, clover, radish) Try in potato salad (mung bean, lentil) Try in wraps and roll-ups (alfalfa, sunflower, radish) Stir-fry with other vegetables (alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean, lentil) Blend into fruit shakes or juices (cabbage, mung bean, lentil) Blend with vegetable juices (cabbage, mung bean, lentil) Replace celery in sandwich spreads (lentil, radish) Mix with soft cheeses for a dip (mung bean, radish) Grind up and use in sandwich spreads (lentil, radish) Top grilled cheese sandwiches after grilling (alfalfa, clover) Stir into soups or stews when serving (mung bean, lentil) Mix into pancake or waffle batter (buckwheat) Eat them fresh and uncooked in a sprout salad (salad mixes) Top omelet or scrambled eggs (alfalfa, clover, radish) Combine in rice dishes (fenugreek, lentil, mung bean) Add to sushi (radish, sunflower) Saute with onions (mung bean, clover, radish) Puree with peas or beans (mung bean, lentil) Add to baked beans (lentil) Steam and serve with butter (mung bean, lentil) Use in sandwiches instead of lettuce (alfalfa, clover, radish) Sprouting seeds is as easy as 1-2-3: 1) Place your seeds into a container with an open top. Cover the top of the container with a piece of cheesecloth held on with a rubberband or other fastener. (If using a canning jar, you can hold the cheesecloth with the ring.) 2) Add warm, not hot, water to the container and swish the seeds around in it. Let them soak in the water for eight hours or more to get them off to a good start, then drain the water. 3) Three to five times per day, fill the container with water, swish the seeds around in it, then drain the water off immediately. The idea is to keep the seeds moist without keeping them soaking in water. That's all there is to it! How long you have to wait until you can eat the sprouts depends on the type of seed you choose to sprout, and how patient you are. For example, if you sprout alfalfa seeds, they take about 5 days, and can be eaten when they are about 1-2 inches long. When the sprouts are ready, however, just give them one last rinse, drain them in a colander or other strainer, then eat them (cooked or raw, of course). Enjoy!