Growing your own RAW

[sport]

virginia -- raw buckwheat and sunflower seeds 'with the hulls on' but does that mean different ones from the type we normally use in cooking

The sunflower seeds with the hulls are black when you get them and they shed the black hull as they grow. Most of them do not fully shed and it is a fair bit of work to remove them. I sometimes look at the bowl after and think "is this all I get after all that work". I sprout them in water and I think that they may shed better if grown in soil.

[virginia]

Lily, Yes, they are different. For cooking and simple sprouting in water the outer hull has been removed. I get mine through the mail from Jaffe Brothers, they have an excellent assortment of seeds for sprouting and growing greens. If you are not sure, ask the operator and she will tell you which ones are for growing in soil. As for the sunflower, there are two kind, the gray and white striped and the black. The striped usually give bigger greens, the black are smaller but sometimes a better rate of viability. If you keep the trays reasonably warm and wait long enough, you can run your hands over the top and many of the remaining hulls will fall off. If it is cold and they are growing slower, yes, you will get a wider range of growth for the individual plants and may have a lot of hulls left. Do not let them grow four leaves or they will be a little too course and bitter. Good luck!

[virginia]

P.S. You can also get these in any garden supply or feedstore, but be sure they are untreated. I like mine organic and you want to be sure your sources have ones fresh enough to be viable. That's why I choose Jaffe.

[pinkyarrow77]

I feel for you. I live in northern MI and until the Meijer came to us I could'nt get nice produce either. If you still want lettuce or other greens with your sprouts, fill your largest pan or a dishpan 3/4 full with cold water and soak your lettuce until it is crisp. It will get crisp. I have to do this with swiss chard every time I buy it. With swiss chard I just put the stems into the water.

[lily]

Thank you all so much for the info about the seeds for growing. You've inspired me to have a try!

lily

[pinkyarrow77]

Something interesting about fenugreek, it is used to flavor butterscotch chips. It smells wonderful. I have a spicy seed mix for sprouting with fenugreek in it.