sprouting

[leeleelocs]

I lost my radish and brocholi seeds I started using the bowl method alissa showed in her dvd. I placed them in am oven to stay warm. Was this the problem? I rinsed them every day.

Any help would be helpful.

[Sheryl]

What happened to them? If you can give us some more information we can probably help!

One book I had on sprouting (Ann Wigmore's) said not to put sprouts in closed cupboards (maybe lack of oxygen?). Maybe that would hold for the oven too?

Sheryl

[leeleelocs]

the seeds molded and started smelling bad. It must have been lack of oxygen??since i did have a lid on the bowl. I will try again. did not think about that. Thanks

[Essensual]

I don't sprout much for lack of time. But initially when i tried it, I was having problems with mold and smelliness too. Raw Medic told me that it was because my home is not well ventilated during the day (as I turn the A/C off to conserve energy). She suggested I store the sprouts in the fridge whenever I left the house. BINGO! Got my first sprouts also instantaneously. I was sprouting lentils, but it wouldn't hurt to try it w/ your sprouts as well....

[Sheryl]

Definitely get rid of the lid... sprouts need exactly what we need to live!

* Fresh air (with good circulation - after soaking the first 6-10 hours (depending on the type of seed ) make sure you drain really well each time you rinse).
* Good water (filtered or spring water is best)
* Good food (sun at the end of the growing period to green the leaves / increase chlorophyll)
* Waste removal (rinsing a couple of times a day)

With the lid on you probably had a build up of heat (sprouts can actually produce alot of heat), not enough air flow and too high humidity. No wonder they molded.

If you do the above you're likely to get delicious sprouts!

Happy sprouting!
Sheryl

[leeleelocs]

Thanks I will try again.

[exurb]

leelee, for radish and broccoli, the best way to sprout them IMO is in a glass mason jar, with a piece of plastic screen over the top and under the "ring". If you don't have mason jars, any old jar will do, just use an elastic to secure some sort of screening over the top (you can even use cheesecloth).

Then you have to rinse them well a few times a day (the more the merrier), and put them on a downward angle so the water drains out. I just put mine on the dish rack on a diagonal pointing down.

I have sprouted for many years, IMO this way will prevent the mold you experienced for those types of seeds because you can give it a really vigorous rinse, shake them around, etc., and they seem to have the right amount of moisture. Ventilation and air movement is important for other grasses like wheatgrass or microgreens where you want a little upward growing plant, but for these seeds you mentioned, the glass jar method is optimum IMO. They have air around them naturally when they're not sopping wet, upside down draining, the good rinsing is the key, and upside down draining in a jar makes sure they are not too wet which is the key. Soak for some hours first or overnight, then rinse and start the procedure.

If you work away from home during the day, give them a good double rinse just before you leave for work and as soon as you come back, then rinse a few more times over the evening, last thing before bed, etc., and you should have some really nice sprouts. If you feel the need, you could try the refrigerating during the day. You could also switch the radish to others like clover, alfalfa, fenugreek, etc, if you work a lot and aren't home much to rinse them.

Also, about the temperature, they're best in average room temperature IMO, not too warm.