Sprouting is a convenient way to prepare nuts, seeds and grains to become highly nutritious, digestible and delicious additions to your raw diet.
It is a very efficient way of utilizing the minimum amount of space in order to produce the maximum of nutrients all year round.

Most seeds, nuts or beans are suitable for indoor sprouting including alfalfa, mustard, green lentils, chickeas (garbanzos) and Hazel and almonds.

Mung beans can be bought in health food stores or grocery stores, although care should be taken that these are intended for sprouting or human consumption rather than sowing, as these may have been treated with chemical dressings. Several countries, for example New Zealand, also require that some varieties of edible seed be heat-treated, thus making them impossible to sprout.

The main requirements for successful sprouting are moisture, warmth, and (in most cases) some indirect sunlight. Provided a few guidelines are followed, it is remarkably easy to obtain good results requiring very little time, effort or space.
Initially a small handful of seeds should be run under a tap, then left at room temperature (between 13 and 21 degrees Celsius) in the sprouting vessel. Although a number of items can be utilized for this task (ranging from a jam jar with a piece of muslin or net curtain secured over its rim by an elastic band, to specially designed ‘tiered’ sprouters), it is important that the vessel is free draining, to keep the seeds moist rather than waterlogged.

The seeds will soon swell, and within a day or two begin germination. They should then be rinsed at least twice a day, possibly even three or four times in hot weather. After around two to three days on average they will have developed to be suitable for use. Sprouts are at their most nutritious, and most tasty(!) when sprouts have just started to show: the growth process can be halted by placing them in the fridge until needed.

Using Sprouts

They are a very nutritious source of protein and minerals, and are a good addition to salads or to food wraps . Also, seeds and legumes can be prepared through sprouting as an alterntive to cocoking, eg in preparation for adding to another dish, such as chickpeas for addition to hummus.