GROW YOUR OWN SPROUTS

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This weekend, I hosted a bit of a sprouting odyssey in my kitchen. There were radish sprouts in a peanut butter jar. Broccoli sprouts in a mason jar. Lacking adequate glassware, I even resorted to growing sunflower sprouts in a reused Chinese take-out container. All experiments were a go: sprouts are so quick and easy to grow, they'd probably sprout on the moon. (Don't hold me to that.) Delicious and far fresher than what you'd find at the grocery store, homegrown sprouts are a more eco-friendly option than storebought. Instead of plastic clamshells shipped in refrigerated trucks, all you need to grow sprouts is seeds.

Well, a little more than just seeds. But everything else you need is probably lurking somewhere in your house, just waiting for a starring role in your home sprout-growing project. You'll need:

One clean, empty glass jar per type of sprout you're growing

Something porous to cover the jar. Burlap, cheesecloth, even nylon stockings work!

Rubber bands, to hold on the something porous

A table or countertop out of direct sunlight, optimally between 70 and 80 degrees in temperature.

Seeds produced especially for sprouting. Do not substitute seeds sold for vegetable gardening; they may be coated with fungicides that aren't intended to be eaten!

On the first day, add a small quantity of seeds to your jar, and fill about halfway with lukewarm water. Leave to sit overnight. The quantity of seeds you use depends on the size of your jar. In my quart-size mason jar, I used a tablespoon of seed, and that seemed to work well. You want the sprouts to have adequate space and air circulation as they grow, so don't crowd 'em. Attach a piece of porous material to the top of the jar with a rubber band, and go to bed.

Day 2:

In the morning, drain the water off through the cloth covering the jar. Rinse and drain again. Set the jar on its side. You might notice some of the seeds showing a little bit of white or green at the edges (see photo). This means they're starting to grow!

In the evening, rinse and drain again. Continue rinsing and draining twice a day for as long as it takes your sprouts to grow.

As you can see, it doesn't take long.

Day Three:

Day Four. Broccoli sprouts ready to harvest.

Give your sprouts a final rinse and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. They will keep for two or three days.

Using Sprouts

In my kitchen this week, there was the happy addition of radish sprouts to our salad Saturday night. Sunday night featured broccoli sprouts as an addition to the baba ganouj-and-chickpea pitas we had for dinner. Last night, an enormous bowl of slaw, enlivened with sunflower sprouts and dressed with a tangy lime-cumin sauce stole the show.

Sunflower Sprout Slaw

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 1/2 cups fresh sunflower sprouts

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

For the dressing:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp grated lime zest

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, and pour over the mixed vegetables in a bowl. Chill, and enjoy!

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If you want to purchase a kit with everything you need Growandmake.com carries the Biosta Sprouting Kit with Organic Broccoli Seeds for $29.