Photo: stumptownpanda / Flickr

You can have your own vegetable garden even if you have the tiniest apartment and little time to spare.  That’s because sprouting seeds is the easiest form of gardening there is: no digging in the soil, no weeding and no worries about the lack of sunshine or what planting season it is.

Once you’ve started sprouting seeds, you’ll be amazed how quickly they grow and you’ll soon be spicing up your salads, stir-fries and sandwiches with your own homegrown produce.

Why sprouts are good for you

Sprouts are nature’s ‘wonderfood’, jam packed with nutrition and all that a plant needs to grow.  They contain chlorophyll, enzymes, amino acids and vitamins including Vitamins B, C and E.  Enzymes, for example, are lost during the cooking process and sprouts can be eaten raw so you get every bit of goodness out of them.

Besides the nutritional value and being able to grow sprouts wherever you are, you can rest assured that they are free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and artificial fertilizers.

How to go about sprouting

• Buy a sprouting container or use a large glass jar as a container – if you’re using your own jar, pierce the lid with small holes to enable water to flow out easily
• Soak a handful of seeds in warm water overnight- they’ll slowly absorb water so make sure that they are well covered
• Rinse the seeds in fresh water the next day and allow all the water to drain out
• Rest the jar in a comfortably warm place away from bright light
• Rinse twice a day ensuring no water is left in the container – this will prevent the seeds from rotting
• Some sprouts will be ready to eat within three days – look out for the shoots
• Store in a container in the fridge and rinse before eating

If you’re just starting out, you can’t go wrong with mung beans, lentils or sunflower seeds.   Chickpeas and alfalfa are also easy to sprout.  Visit a health store and experiment further with pumpkin seeds, peanuts, wheat and fenugreek or almonds.

Sprouting means fewer trips to the grocery store because you’ll have instant salads at hand.

Note:  Avoid using kidney beans, tomato or potato seeds for sprouting as they are poisonous.  Don’t use seed packets that have been designed for planting as they are often treated.

Tags: vegetable garden, vegetables