Hey Sproutpeople!

[NoGMO!]

I'm excited to try sprouting these new (to me) seeds I just received from sproutpeople.com. - this is my first time to special order seeds, I usually buy basic seeds at the healthfood store... lentils, garbanzo, sesame, wheatberries... and I do use an automatic sprouter.

any tips are welcome here- as I've ruined almost as many batches of sprouts as I've had success with! usually my fault though, as I am still learning... but I am determined to get the hang of sprouting! :D

my aim is to save a bit on produce while gaining the added nutrition of sprouts. Oh yeah- and having access to fresh greens year round.

I am trying these out- so wish me luck- I will need it :p >

French Garden Blend: Clover, Arugula, Cress, Radish, Dill, Fenugreek.

Nick's Hot Sprout Salad: Clover, Radish, Mustard, Dill, Cress, Fenugreek, Celery.

Brassica Sprout Sampler: Broccoli, Cabbage, Radish, Mustard.

[beauty4ashes]

I don't have any tips because I am by no means an expert sprouter. Like you, I have ruined a few too many batches of seeds. And I use an automatic sprouter too. The only thing I can think of is don't let them get to crowded in there. I just wanted to say I wish you success in your sprouting and let us know how they taste! I think I have that bassica sprout blend from sprout people here too. I'm not crazy about broccilli sprouts but they are so very nutritious! Do you think it's better to stick with sprouts for blending green smoothies since they are fresh. If I had a garden I could include all kinds of greens but since I don't have that, I always feel like the sprouts are a better way to go. I feel like I need to be doing the greens though from Whole Foods or central market. They are just so expensive to buy organic greens. Four dollars for six to eight little bitty leaves! That was the organic kale.

[sport]

I think that the most important tip is not to exceed the soaking time because if you do you risk rotting and mould. Once you get that right it is hard to go wrong even if you try. They are fairly ressilient and were built for survival.

[CAdreamer]

All of the sprout seeds you purchased are called 'micro greens'. The absolute
easiest way to guarantee no spoiled batches of sprouts, and complete success is this:

Buy some very thin batting (about 1/8 ") at Walmart or any fabric outlet. A yard will do dozens of trays. Cut 2 sheets of the fabric to fit in the bottom only of a drainable tray. DO NOT SOAK YOUR MICRO SEEDS.....

Soak the fabric, and sprinkle liberally with seeds...they can touch. Very lighty sprinkle them with water once a day....very lightly, because they aren't rooted yet and will wash away. In about 3 days, they will begin to root into the fabric. After that, you can just briefly immerse the tray into water, so that you water from the bottom. Your little sprouts will be ready in about a week. When you want to eat them, just cut them off at the bottom of the plant, and sprinkle over your salad....no rinsing necessary. They will grow straight up like grass. I do small trays about every 3 days so that we have a constant supply of sprouts to enjoy. You'll never find a simpler, better way to sprout your microgreens. They are fantastic, never smell moldy, and don't get all wet as they would in a jar. Best of luck...

[NoGMO!]

All of the sprout seeds you purchased are called 'micro greens'. The absolute
easiest way to guarantee no spoiled batches of sprouts, and complete success is this:

Buy some very thin batting (about 1/8 ") at Walmart or any fabric outlet. A yard will do dozens of trays. Cut 2 sheets of the fabric to fit in the bottom only of a drainable tray. DO NOT SOAK YOUR MICRO SEEDS.....

Soak the fabric, and sprinkle liberally with seeds...they can touch. Very lighty sprinkle them with water once a day....very lightly, because they aren't rooted yet and will wash away. In about 3 days, they will begin to root into the fabric. After that, you can just briefly immerse the tray into water, so that you water from the bottom. Your little sprouts will be ready in about a week. When you want to eat them, just cut them off at the bottom of the plant, and sprinkle over your salad....no rinsing necessary. They will grow straight up like grass. I do small trays about every 3 days so that we have a constant supply of sprouts to enjoy. You'll never find a simpler, better way to sprout your microgreens. They are fantastic, never smell moldy, and don't get all wet as they would in a jar. Best of luck...

WOW! what a help this info is! thanks! one thing though... I bought a Freshlife automatic sprouter, can I just use that for growing the micro greens. actually, I even invested in the second (additional) sprout barrel for doubling the quanity of sprouts.

I think you just remove the lid on the final days for greening.

The reason for the moldy batches - in my case - i believe is because at some point during the growing time - I would get side tracked and neglect to change the water on time. dang it! - I will learn sooner or later - as I am sick of cleaning out spoiled batches!!! silly me :p

[exurb]

I guess I'm a "sproutpeople".

I've been sprouting successfully for a few years, never had mold nor any slimeys/e.coli, etc.... My preferred method is actually not the sprouters, but the cheapo method of taking clean mason jars, the rings that come for the tops. Then I get plastic screening from the hardware store to make a lid that you put under the ring. (or you can use cheesecloth). You can buy sprouting mason jar lids, but that's not redneck enough for me.

The jars I trust to be relatively sterile when they come out of the dishwasher, but if I were to wash them by hand, I would probably rinse them out with 10% diluted bleach between batches. I clean the screen with 10% bleach before I use it.

Then I just soak the seeds overnight, rinse them really well, then just rinse any time I'm at the sink (aiming for 4x/day), shake them well with the water in there sort of trying to loosen them so each sprout gets a good rinse, then rest upside down on a 45ish degree angle on my dishrack. I really think they get a more vigorous cleaning this way versus any sprouter.

For small seeds I do clover, mustard, alfalfa, rapini, broccoli, arugula, fenugreek, radish, and blends, and some "sylvetta" from our garden, which is a wild arugula. For big seeds my favorites are mung beans and adzuki beans.

For lettuces and microsprouts, I do buckwheat "lettuce", sunflower seeds, pea shoots, wheat and barley grass, and fennel. I mostly do those out in the garden. soak first, then densely cover surface of soil with seed, and clip when they're ready.

I love sprouting, it's a good cheap way to get through the winter months.

[tvillemom]

EXURB...I wanna come to your house!!! I'm so scared of things getting moldy in mason jars. Maybe I'm just putting too many seeds in at once. Like how much (1 cup, 2, or more like HALF A CUP?) I would love to be able to sprout more now that winter is here, and I know this is the cheapest way to get fresh greens! Thanks,
Wendi

[exurb]

tville, maybe you are putting too much. I have a text somewhere that says how much to put, with small seeds you put a little, with bigger seeds like mung beans or adzukis you put more. I think it was something like 2 T of the tiny seeds, and for the mung beans more like a cup (though I think I put a little less than that). The mung sprouts come out a little different than those at the store, because store ones are sprouted under pressure to get that softer texture, but I still think they're great.

About controlling mold, I have read it and seen it at a demonstration to use some dilute bleach or peroxide, but I haven't found that necessary (and prefer not to add that stuff. If you're concerned, before you start sprouting you could rinse the seeds in the jar with some really dilute bleach for like 10 minutes then rinse them off and proceed, to kill any organisms that might linger on the seeds. I've been ok just keeping the jars really clean and sort of half-ass sterile, and rinsing regularly.

I really find the jars the best because you get a good rinse, can shake them around, and also they drain nice and dry upside down on a 45 degree. They're also storage containers if you want to put the sprouts in the fridge when they're done.

I think mold might be more of a problem if your seeds are dead or broken and aren't living, just sitting there damp in the mix. When I used to sprout the wheatgrass indoors I would pick out any broken groats.

When I sprout just sprouted grains like buckwheat, rye, kamut, etc for making "breads" not "greens" I put 1 cup in the mason jar. I'm talking one quart jars.

[TA]

exurb,

Do you still sprout wheatgrass, inside or out? Ours did fine last year but this year mold has been a consistent problem to the point where we stopped growing it (we were growing it outside). Its been a very wet year in SoCal so that in itself may be the problem.

Thanks for the suggestions on sprouting, I love the mason jar idea.

Tricia

[exurb]

yeah, I've got a nice patch outside I'm clipping from. I also have barley grass out there and pea and sunflower shoots.

If it's too wet, that is probably the main source of your mold problem. Some other things you can do is to try to locate the patch where it will have the most wind, which will help inhibit molds. Then also if you have a compost, put that in the soil because the organisms will compete and that will inhibit the mold in a major way. If you need to make better drainage in your soil, you could dig some sand or something into it, or try to plant on higher ground versus a low spot where moisture builds up. You can sort of rotate where you put it each time, and also maybe if you spread the wheat with more space that would help too. Is your wheat getting old (as in more than a couple years old), so less of it is germinating and more of it is just sitting there? You could also try really diluted bleach on it first if you want, or pick out any broken bits.

I do wheatgrass inside too (when it's deeper into winter), but got tired of dealing with soil trays and all that crap, so what I do is soak the seeds, then put it into this thing I bought at a kitchen store that looks like a round "springform" pan but has a bottom of screen. the roots end up growing down through the screen, and the grass upwards. Maybe you can't get it as long as with soil, maybe it's not as nutritious, but it works.

You might want to try the barley, it's supposed to be even more nutritious than the wheat, it grows sort of taller and thicker and more robustly. I buy my seed at a place that supplies organic farmers with planting seed, so it's dirt cheap, you need the stuff that still has the hull on it.

I live in the boonies now but if I still lived in the city I'd probably just stop by a juice bar for a shot of wheatgrass and save the bother.

[TA]

exurb,

Thanks for the great suggestions. I live in a condo in southern Cal, so all of our wheatgrass and other sprouts have to be grown in flats on our patio. If I grow it, its about about $ .25 an ounce...and $1.25 an ounce down at the local juice pub. Putting the trays into the wind is a great idea, I'll move the sprout shelf unit out into the open tomororw. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.

Tricia

[exurb]

Tricia, you also could try getting some natural dirt from outside into the soil you're using, but make sure it has good drainage. Sometimes the lack of soil organisms in purchased soil encourages mold. We are organic growers, and one of the ways you prevent mold in seedlings is by using your own soil (and compost) from outdoors instead of a sterile potting mix.

[dahgluvr]

With the wheatgrass flats....will they keep growing after you cut off what you need....and be reusable? I would think yes, but I'm a newbie with sprouts and wheatgrass.

NoGMO!: How do you like the freshlife sprouter? It looks a little bulky, but pretty self-sustaining ....

[NoGMO!]

NoGMO!: How do you like the freshlife sprouter? It looks a little bulky, but pretty self-sustaining ....

dahgluvr,
yes! I love this little freshlife sprouter thing... it takes less space than my excalibur dehydrator - it's more tallish than wide. it's very quick and easy to use. much simpler than using jars for me and it's fairly compact.

[NoGMO!]

ps> my roommate (who sadly eats mostly fast food) calls my auto sprouter, my "science project"... he thinks its pretty cool- for watching the sprouts grow that is --- NOT for eating- as he orders his usual take out! :rolleyes: