Homegrown Sprouts: A Fresh, Healthy, and Delicious Step-by-Step Guide to Sprouting Year Round

331 Pages·2013·32.14 MB·English

by  Rita Galchus

HOMEGROWN
SPROUTS
RITA GALCHUS
“SPROUT LADY RITA”
A FRESH, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO
SPROUTING YEAR ROUND
BEANS, GRAINS, LEAFY GREENS, WHEATGRASS,
AND MORE
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: THE BENEFITS OF SPROUTING
PART I: WHAT YOU NEED TO START SPROUTING
CHAPTER 2: CHOOSE YOUR SPROUTER
CHAPTER 3: SEEDS, BEANS, AND LEGUMES… OH, MY!
PART II: HOW TO SPROUT
CHAPTER 4: BEANS AND LEGUMES
CHAPTER 5: GRAINS
CHAPTER 6: LEAFY GREEN SEEDS
CHAPTER 7: GELATINOUS SEEDS
CHAPTER 8: SHOOTS
CHAPTER 9: GRASSES
CHAPTER 10: WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE SPROUTS
EASY GUIDE TO SPROUTING
RESOURCES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX
INTRODUCTION
I came to sprouting in April 1986 when my boyfriend, now my husband, took
me on a date to an apartment in New York City, where we learned to sprout
during a free class. I have been sprouting ever since. I remember so clearly today
the taste of those homegrown sprouts: how natural and fresh their flavor was,
how crunchy and crispy they felt on my tongue.
The demonstration showed the ease of the task–soak the seeds, rinse the seeds,
eat the sprouts–so clearly that I knew I would be able to do it myself at home.
We each purchased a starter kit and began to practice what we had learned right
away. I took to sprouting quickly and had great success with those seeds. Even
though I really had a black thumb when it came to caring for houseplants, my
sprouts thrived.
Years passed, and my boyfriend and I married and had a son. In June 2000, I saw
a classified ad: the sprouting business that held the free classes was for sale. I
officially became Sprout Lady Rita on October 1, 2000.
At the time, I knew only one way to sprout two types of seed–alfalfa and mung
beans in a small tray sprouter. But I was motivated to be successful at sprouting,
so I experimented with the seeds that the business stocked and sold, and I read
all I could. Little by little, seed by seed, sprout by sprout, I was able to learn
which methods worked best for which seed. Yes, I failed at some, and there have
been times that I have grown great and wonderful batches of mold and mildew
without any recognizable sprout anywhere to be seen. Perseverance has allowed
me to find the best and easiest methods to use to produce great sprouts time after
time.
Many people come to sprouting and learn one technique with one or two seeds
and one type of sprouter. I wrote this book to show that there are many different
tools to use for sprouting, and that there are more seeds available than just alfalfa
and mung bean. Sprouting at home can be a wonderful journey into tastes and
textures. The seeds are beautiful to look at and offer unique aromas when
inhaled. Additionally, sprouting can add great nutrition to our every meal.
Sprouters come in all ages and all sizes. They come to sprouting for a variety of
reasons that usually include getting better nutrition from food. Sprouts can fit
into any diet regardless of religious or political beliefs.
It does not take much time or effort to make a seed happy enough to sprout. We
are all capable of being Mother Nature to these little guys so that they will grow
into wonderful sprouts. The right amount of water at the right temperature and
enough light when necessary is all that is needed to complete the cycle.
When he was a young boy, my son once said to me after eating some fenugreek
sprouts, “Mom, this is what springtime tastes like.” If you could assign a flavor
to a season, I would match fresh sprouts to springtime, too. I invite you to take
the journey with me!
–Sprout Lady Rita

CHAPTER 1:
THE BENEFITS OF SPROUTING
MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TWO MOST COMMON SPROUTS: ALFALFA AND
MUNG BEAN. YOU MAY HAVE EATEN ALFALFA SPROUTS AT A RESTAURANT THAT
FEATURES THEM ATOP A SALAD OR IN A CONTAINER AT THE SALAD BAR. MUNG BEANS
ARE GROWN AS A COMPACT SHOOT, AND ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN CHINESE FOOD. BUT
THERE IS A LARGER VARIETY OF SPROUTS AVAILABLE THAN JUST ALFALFA AND MUNG
THAT CAN BE SPROUTED AT HOME. WITH A DIVERSITY OF WAYS TO SPROUT AND EAT
THOSE TASTY LITTLE VEGETABLES, HOMEGROWN SPROUTS CAN BE A PART OF EVERY
HOUSEHOLD KITCHEN.
WHY SPROUT?
Why choose to sprout at home? Here are some of the most popular reasons why
homegrown sprouts are a wonderful choice.
HOMEGROWN TASTES BETTER
Homegrown sprouts taste better than commercially grown sprouts. Why?
Because the sprouts you grow at home are fresh. They have not traveled from