Sprouting Tutorial (with a bazillion pictures)

I came home from the health food store with one of these and some broccoli seeds.For broccoli and alfalfa seeds, you must add the second strainer attachment. They are so small, that the seeds will fall through the strainer unless this piece is there to hold them in.Simply drop it to the bottom and snap it in.This is what it will look like.If using the Easy Sprout, you'll need both cups in place. The top one strains, the bottom one is solid.Add your seeds. These are broccoli seeds. I used approximately 2 tablespoons.The seeds will fill most of the bottom, leaving a small amount uncovered.Add warm water. I used approximately a cup and a half.Some of the seeds will float to the top and then settle.Cover the container with a ventilated lid. This one came with the Easy Sprouter.Allow the seeds to soak overnight.The next morning, drain off the soak water and rinse the seeds thoroughly with water.By leaving the container in this position, any additional water can drain off.Continue to rinse the seeds twice a day. I shook the seeds around, sometimes rolling the container, so the seeds would cling to the sides. I had read that the seeds sprout better when they have more room to breathe.Here is the progress the second morning. I continued to rinse the seeds at least twice a day.

This is a shot from the second night before I rinsed. The seeds were beginning to shed the hard, outer coverings. This is a shot from the third morning. More of the outer coverings rinsed away. This made the white sprouts really show up!

I let mine sprout for one final day. Many websites I read mentioned leaving the sprouts in the sun for about 15 minutes to activate the chlorophyll. I didn't do that step this time, but plan to next time.

Sprouts are wonderful on salads and just eaten by themselves. I've also started adding them to our homemade bread while it's in the mixer. I also mix it into homemade pizza dough, and use it as a topping on the pizza.

Here are two websites I found useful:

Why Sprout?

Backyard Nature