Raw Focus - Sprouting and How To Sprout - The Raw Food Store™

Spring is finally here! After a long, cold winter, one of my favourite things to do in the new season is sprouting. You can sprout almost anything – nuts, seeds, legumes and even grains. The process of sprouting is the natural activity or germination that typically happens in the springtime – the season of new, fresh beginnings.

Sprouting raw nuts, seeds, beans and grains is one of the quickest, easiest ways to pack a group of nutrients into your body in just one handful. Raw nuts and seeds especially already have so many good nutrients awaiting you, when you sprout them, the nutritional profile multiplies. The best way to treat yourself to sprouts is to sprout them yourself, this way they lose no nutrition on their short trip from the sprouting jar into the refrigerator.

Why we love to sprout.

Sprouting makes digestion a smoother experience. We all know how grains, nuts and legumes in particular can take a while to digest, create bloating and even a little embarrassing flatulence from time to time! When sprouting these foods, we break down the proteins into more digestible amino acids. Also, sprouting releases more vitamins and minerals from the food, killing off chemicals and toxins – including Phytic acid, which is naturally found in the fibre of legumes.

The heaviness we feel when eating grains and legumes is lightened by sprouting and the acid that legumes produces in the body is softer, making the food more alkalizing.

Probably one of the best reasons why sprouting is so good for us in spring time is because the tiny little sprouts act like a scrub on our intestines, which can clear away all the excess mucus we create in our body during winter. John Douillard, author of the ‘3 Season Diet’ says eating sprouts is ‘like a spring-cleaning for the gut!’

How to sprout.

Sprouting often takes a few days before they’re ready – click here to see the recipe. However, if you’d like to sprout the easy way, you can buy them fresh from your local market and health food store!

We like to sprinkle raw mung bean sprouts or a small handful of alfalfa sprouts on to our salads. You can also mix sprouts into stir-fries, soups and casseroles or eat them as a snack. Despite the lengthy sprouting process, they can be so easily enjoyed with almost every meal.

SO HOW DO YOUR SPROUT USING A GLASS JAR?

Using the Biosnacky – Glass Sprouter from the Raw Food Mum Store.

1. Soaking

Rinse glass jar, lid and desired seeds thoroughly under cold running water.
Place the required amount of seeds (different seeds require different quantities) in the glass sprouter and cover with cold water. See chart -
Allow seeds to soak for required time (Refer to the seed table below for details)

2. Rinsing

Turn the glass sprouter upside down emptying all water from the sprouter.
Rinse the seeds with fresh cold water and empty immediately.
Remove the lid and rinse separately with fresh cold water.
The more thoroughly you rinse the sprouter and seeds, the more you will improve conditions for growth of the shoots and sprouts.
After rinsing, replace the sieve lid and tilt the sprouter upside down using the stand to angle the sprouter to ensure that all the water can drain away (it is best to place the sprouter on a shallow bowl or similar object for this).

3. Placement

Place your Glass Sprouter in a warm (18-22° C), light position away from direct sunlight.

4. Growing

Rinse your seedlings 1-2 times per day (Refer to the seed table on seed packet)
Gently agitate the seedlings in the Glass Sprouter regularly in order to separate them. Avoid the build up of too much water or moisture.

5. Harvesting

Your live shoots and sprouts are ready for harvesting within 2-5 days; herbage plants (like Alfalfa) will be ready in 6-8 days. (Refer to the seed table below for details)

After harvesting, clean your Glass Sprouter thoroughly with a mixture of water and vinegar and allow to dry naturally. Both the jar and sieve lid are dishwasher safe (up to 85?C).

Check out the Biosnacky – Grass Sprouter and Hemp Sprout bags from our Storeand have fun watching the shoots grow in the comfort of your own kitchen!