Seed sprouting is a fun and easy way to get wholesome nutrients during the time when the weather is too cold for growing outdoors or really, anytime. It’s simple to do and doesn’t require any special equipment. You can use what you have around the house already.

One of the easiest things to use is a clean jar with cheesecloth or an old clean towel to go over it. Many seeds will stain the cloth so don’t use anything you value. Make sure everything you use is really clean.

Buying seeds for sprouting is the simplest way but you can experiment with many different seeds. Some of the kinds that you can use are mung beans, barley, corn, oat groats, wheatgrass and lentils. Larger health food stores carry the packets, which give instructions on how to sprout them. Make sure they are organic!

There are three general varieties of sprouts: grain sprouts, green leaf sprouts and bean sprouts. They can be sprouted using many methods but this method is the easiest for small seed sprouts. You can search the internet for other methods or consult your local library for books on the subject of seed sprouting.

Put one to four tablespoons of seeds in a wide mouth jar like a mayonnaise jar.Add water, swirl, and drain. Add 1 cup cool water and soak for 4 - 8 hrs.

In general, soak small seeds for 5 hours, larger ones for 8 hours and beans and grains for 10 hours. Put them in a quart jar, cover with the towel or cheesecloth, secure with a rubber band and soak for the proper amount of time.

Rinse them with fresh water (filtered or well) twice a day. Just pour the water out through the cheesecloth or towel and refill it. After the allotted time, pour out the water and set the jar on its side in a dish rack or bowl to let all the water drain out.

Then leave your seeds alone and monitor them until they get to the size you want. Within 3-6 days, the sprouts should be one to two inches long.

After that you can eat them raw on salads or alone. You can eat them at any time once they start to sprout. If you wait until they have green leaves, you get the added benefit of chlorophyll.

Once they are ready, you can put a regular lid on them and refrigerate them, but always remember fresh is best. The sooner you eat them the better.

Benefits of Sprouting

Soaked and sprouted seeds can be real nutritional powerhouses. The sprouting process helps develop healthy nutrients in the seeds including vitamin C, carotenoids, and B vitamins, especially B2, B5, and B6. If you think about it, that little seed has everything it needs to make a mature plant if you add water, soil and sunlight.

Even more importantly, sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all seeds that inhibits the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Sprouting also neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors that are naturally found in all seeds and nuts.

This is important, because these inhibitors can destroy the enzymes in our own digestive tracts. This is one reason why many people seem to develop a stomachache or excess gas after consuming large amounts of seeds.

Seed Sprouting at Home - One Method

You can try this simple technique for raw nuts and seeds: Place nuts or seeds in a bowl, add one tablespoon of sea salt, and cover with water. Leave at room temperature for six to eight hours. Drain the water. The sea salt helps to get rid of the enzyme inhibitors.

I prefer to eat them raw, but if you would like you can try this method also. Place nuts on a cookie sheet, and dry on low heat in the oven. You can also air-dry the nuts on a towel, but it takes much longer to dry them this way. Using a dehydrator would be the most efficient and cost-effective way to do this.