Survival Gardening: Sprouts!

What do you do when you want to grow nutrient dense food with little or no space?  Is time a factor?  Sprout it!  I've talked about sprouts before and I've shared my own experiences.  In "To Sprout or not to Sprout"  I shared the health benefits of sprouts.  There is so much more to sprouts!

Mary's Sprout Sampler

What are the benefits of sprouting?

No Dirt?  No problem!
No yard? No problem!
You can sprout in little to no space.  All you need is a jar, a screen, water and seeds.

Sprouting is cheap!  Once you purchase the essentials you're ready to go.  All you will need to replace are the seeds.

It doesn't take a lot of time.  Many nuts and grains can be sprouted in as little as 24 hours and then used in just about any recipe.  Broccoli, Fenugreek, Alfalfa , Hard Red Wheat and Mung Beans are ready in 1-6 days depending on personal preference. 

Mung Bean Sprouts

Sprouts use very little water compared to growing a full-sized veggie such as a radish which takes 29 days to grow.  Sprouting water can be re-used in a shake, soup or to water other plants.

I think of sprouting as a nutrient dense mini-garden.

From The Nourishing Gourmet:
"The process of germination not only produces vitamin C, but also changes the composition of grains and seeds in numerous beneficial ways. Sprouting increases vitamin B content, especially B2, B5, and B6. Carotene increases dramatically-sometimes even eightfold.” Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, pg 112
Sally also mentions how the Chinese used to carry mung beans when on long journeys at sea. They would sprout and eat the mung beans as they contained sufficient amount of vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Who doesn’t need a little extra vitamin C in it’s natural absorb-able form?  This is a great benefit for all of us."

Broccoli Sprouts day4

The shelf life of most sprout seeds is 5 years.  However, you may extend the possible shelf life by keeping them in a cool, dry and dark place (not a freezer).  As far as a long-term food storage item, I recommend sprout seeds!

If you're interested in purchasing Sprout Seeds, please consider Mary's Heirloom Seeds.  We are a small "mom and pop" online store.  If you leave me a comment that you found me from my blog I'll throw in an extra 2 ounces with your purchase of seeds.