Sprouting!

[MysticTree]

The girls would be anxiously awaiting each news try of soil! I do however suspect it would not be so good to be a worm at your place. Or mine for that matter.

the girls are not so very fond of worms. They prefer bugs and greens but would eat a worm if there was nothing else.

[PansyLo]

Have so many sprouts now that I'm not sure what to do with them all. They're really quite filling and I can't handle too much of them to be honest.

I got a jar of azuki, a jar of black eyed beans and a huge jar of alfalfa.

Mostly I'm just happy that I'm having success with sprouts for once but unsure of meals using them that I would actually enjoy. I struggle to eat them by themselves, even with dressing. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it... Wish I did!

[SunshineMN]

We almost always mix our sprouts in a leafy green salad. It really adds nice bulk to the salad and makes the sprouts less intense. I'm thinking about making some wraps out of romaine with ground sprouted sunflower seeds, sesame oil, and spices then add sprouts and roll them up. You could use some kind of dipping sauce when eating them. I think alfalfa sprouts would be good on a raw veggie pizza too.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

Have so many sprouts now that I'm not sure what to do with them all. They're really quite filling and I can't handle too much of them to be honest.

I got a jar of azuki, a jar of black eyed beans and a huge jar of alfalfa.

Mostly I'm just happy that I'm having success with sprouts for once but unsure of meals using them that I would actually enjoy. I struggle to eat them by themselves, even with dressing. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it... Wish I did!

Alright....if you don't like `em then buy a cheap manual juicer (plastic models for $50 or a steal one for $225) and just juice them and drink the juice. lt is much easier if you drink them, and if it still tastes bad, just hold your nose...only 2 - 3 minutes of pain max *smile*

lf you are more game, start eating the alfalfa only everyday for two weeks. lt will change your taste buds to more hardcore foods and you will be able to eat them much much easier after a very short time. The first week is the hardest, but it gets easier and easier as time goes on. l did it, and l know you can do it too. Stay strong, you can do this.

[MysticTree]

I struggle to eat them by themselves, even with dressing. I certainly wouldn't enjoy it... Wish I did!

This problem occurs a lot and is due, mostly, to the way the sprouts grow as well as the type of sprouts you are growing. It is always a good idea to float off the hulls after sprouting as these don't taste particularly nice and they add a not very nice texture (and get stuck in the teeth!).

If you post a picture of your sprouts and compare them to say Mr Raw's sprouts I think you would see a difference in quality which makes his sprouts nicer and yours not so much so.

De-hulling is time consuming and boring but well worth the effort and concentrating on getting the sprouts to grow in an eating-friendly way would help. Some of the things you sprout you could grow in soil and allow to grow into micro greens and add to salads and or juice them.

Also, I think from what I have read that you are sprouting a lot of pulses, correct me if I am wrong - these are very heavy sprouts (imo). Be sure to de-hull these and also consider eating only the shoot part as the root parts can be tough and bitter. Sprouted foods should be tender morsels!

I'm growing my pea shoots in the veg beds at the moment because I am running out of trays and I have ramped up production so that bf can try increasing his sprout/greens juices. I have some good looking thistles too which I will put through the juicer soon.

[delmar]

Alright....if you don't like `em then buy a cheap manual juicer (plastic models for $50 or a steal one for $225) and just juice them and drink the juice. lt is much easier if you drink them, and if it still tastes bad, just hold your nose...only 2 - 3 minutes of pain max *smile*

I so agree with this! I used to hate most vegetables, but I have found that, for me, it was more about the texture than the taste.Now I can juice the strongest tasting grasses and weeds and drink them straight down, as long as I don't have to chew them first. I will admit that I blended the stronger juices with carrot or tomato juice, until I got used to it

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

This problem occurs a lot and is due, mostly, to the way the sprouts grow as well as the type of sprouts you are growing. It is always a good idea to float off the hulls after sprouting as these don't taste particularly nice and they add a not very nice texture (and get stuck in the teeth!).

Yes. Dehulling is a must if you want nice tasting sprouts.

If you post a picture of your sprouts and compare them to say Mr Raw's sprouts I think you would see a difference in quality which makes his sprouts nicer and yours not so much so.

Yes. Many people grow sprouts as tough as old boots so they taste pretty rough. Sprouts should melt in your mouth almost when done properly. All pulses should be sprouted in the dark and never see light if you want a true award winning sprout. Alfalfa becomes delicious when grown properly and after a few weeks of eating.

Definitely would love to see some pictures of these.

Also, I think from what I have read that you are sprouting a lot of pulses, correct me if I am wrong - these are very heavy sprouts (imo). Be sure to de-hull these and also consider eating only the shoot part as the root parts can be tough and bitter. Sprouted foods should be tender morsels!

Yes, best to start with alfalfa and then try mung beans a month later. l would leave the adzuki to much later because they are a strong tasting bean sprout that requires good experience to enjoy, same goes with lentils. Sesame is a good sprout to eat, but it must only be sprouted 1 - 2 days or it gets bitter and loses it's nutty flavour. Sprouted sunflower seeds also take 1 day to sprout and are delicious.

I'm growing my pea shoots in the veg beds at the moment because I am running out of trays and I have ramped up production so that bf can try increasing his sprout/greens juices. I have some good looking thistles too which I will put through the juicer soon.

* smile*

[MysticTree]

* smile*

At what point do you juice your pea shoots? I am "dying" to try these ones but I don't think they are quite big enough at the moment and the drop in temperature means they are growing slightly slower now.

[MysticTree]

This is the picture I tried posting the other day but which various people could view. It's a bit late now really as everything in the shot has now been juiced/eaten - with the exception of the peas which are growing very slowly.



You can see some of the area beyond which is where we are starting to establish a fruit and veg plot.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

l'll get back to your post MT tomorrow hopefully.

Growing the best mung bean sprouts
Ultimately, if you want a perfect mung bean, you really have to go to great lengths to make it happen. Not only do you have to sprout completely in the dark, but you also have to use weights on the beans, and you also have to rinse 6 times a day. This will give a push plump sprout that will almost melt in your mouth. Never grow the mung until rabbit ear stage. But seriously...no-one is going to be washing their mung 6 times a day, that is not practical, but growing on a sprouting tray with weights is.

The bad sprouts
l strongly suspect that supermarket sprouts in Australia are irradiated, and hence not a health food at all...just a lifeless food, ie lacking a significant vibrational frequency for good health. l am going to do an experiment and mark some unrefrigerated supermarket newly cut pea shoot greens with a small texta mark under some packets and see how long they stay on the shelves for. lf they have been a day or more l will know they have been irradiating their food. lrradiation means a longer shelf life for fresh foods, and l have been told on good authority that some supermarkets (no names mentioned) in my country illegally irradiate their fruit and vegetables.

Supermarket mung beans are commonly known to be gassed so they get that plump quality. All supermarket and health food store sprouts taste bad. Best to grow them yourself.

Even conventional bananas are known to be commonly gassed. When the banana looks good but it has some small rotted areas, that is a sigh it has been gassed.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

This is the picture I tried posting the other day but which various people could view. It's a bit late now really as everything in the shot has now been juiced/eaten - with the exception of the peas which are growing very slowly.

Attachment 9181

You can see some of the area beyond which is where we are starting to establish a fruit and veg plot.

Corn grass? Why are you planting the seeds so far apart?

Those sunflowers look so strong and solid. Much better looking than the ones we get in Australia.

That is a great view in the background.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

sprouted beans need special attention and needs
it's best to do adzuki and mung beans on a sprouting tray. Sprouted beans always build up up bacteria easily (the rinse water can get quite cloudy), so they should be sprayed well on a tray so all the bacteria is sprayed off them. With seeds it is different, they don't need trays [with the exception of gell seeds], all they need is a jar. But sprouted nuts DO need a tray and to be looked after in the same way as the sprouted beans. Grains just need a simple jar also.

[MysticTree]

Corn grass? Why are you planting the seeds so far apart?

Those sunflowers look so strong and solid. Much better looking than the ones we get in Australia.

That is a great view in the background.

Ref corn: I was trying two versions. One version close together like I do the sunflower seeds and the other well spaced. I have been nibbling the well spaced ones so they became even more well spaced. The close spaced ones were better for juicing.

The sunflowers do very well here at the moment - I'm out of seed though so I must find more.

[The Sproutarian (Mr Raw)]

l have three sprouting units, but this is the main one for my microgreens. l also have another two full units that l use, but smaller versions. l also have about ten microgreen trays inside getting some warm, otherwise the chia has a hard time starting off, and the sunflower greens struggle from mid life to end.


Ryegrass, sunflower greens, fenugreek greens, pea shoot greens (LOTS) l also have a large collection of chia greens, about 14 trays. Chia grass grows best in fair weather, not hot or cold.



The pea shoots growing at the back are getting abit wild and wooley looking, so they are overdue. When the leaves open out and they aren't to wild and wooley, then they are ready. Try not to grow them too long, they grow FAST and they can get 1 foot very quickly, so we must keep them at slightly longer than sunflower green length.



Late edit:
actually, l have 5 sprouting units in total. l also have two in the shed that stay in the dark. Those are used to starting the sprouting period off. Rye, seeds, beans and nuts need darkness to start their lives.

[robh]

Mr Raw, how much of what we can see in these pics will you consume in a typical day?