Sprouting Instructions
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Instructions for Growing Seed, Grain, Alfalfa & Mung Sprouts
Sterols and sterolins may be grown at home – see our Sprouting Article, or purchased as a synergistic blend of young shoots of seeds and beans, freeze dried with all live enzymes intact - Natur-Leaf
Method 1
Soak seeds in pure water (not tap water, use bottled or filtered tap water) for about 8 hours, although 3 hours is enough for alfalfa. Then drain and rinse in pure water. Keep slightly moist and rise twice daily until ready for harvesting. This can be done in a jar with a piece of material such as net- curtain type material held to top of jar with an elastic band - after immersing the seeds for soak or wash, the jar may be inverted and all the water allowed to drain off.
Method 2
For the ‘professional’ sprout grower! This method is easier and more convenient. Using the hemp/flax bag (see below), simply fill it about one third full with the selected seed. Leave in a bowl of pure water (not tap water !!!) for the required time. Hang bag from its string over a bowl. Twice daily, or possibly more frequently in very hot conditions and especially with small seeds such as alfalfa, to avoid stagnation, drying out or mould, put the bag into a bowl of fresh pure water and leave for a minute or two, then re- hang. As the seeds grow the bag expands to accommodate the larger space required in the bag. The bag method is the best as it ensures an adequate air supply to all the seeds and avoids pooling of water. It is also far more convenient. The shoots may be stored in the bag, or a covered bowl in the refrigerator when grown and kept for up to 2 weeks.
Sunflower seeds should be purchased dehulled and sprouted for a maximum of 3 days/until a shoot appears about twice the size of each seed (otherwise if they are grown for longer they may spoil. Sunflower seeds are the most convenient, since the sprouting time is so short, they probably contain the highest sterol/sterolin content of any seed or legume. Alfalfa should be grown until the first leaves appear, generally around day 7. Allowing a little light for the last 2 to 3 days will help to form a healthy green leaf, if using a sprout bag, open the top to allow light in during this period. Mung beans should be grown also until their first leaves appear. Alfalfa sprouts are a wonderful, healthy, biogenic food, yet alfalfa sprouts, and possibly mung beans , eaten in excess and harvested before they are mature do contain a small percentage of an amino acid analog called canavanine. There have been some reports that this has aggravated symptoms of persons with Lupis.
Method of Consumption
The shoots may be eaten as they are (do not cook them this will destroy most of the goodness!). Also you can add what you like to them such as olive oil and lemon for a salad. You can also juice or liquidise them for a drink, adding liquid as required for the liquidising process. You may want to use this method just to obtain your daily dose of wonderful nutrients from them, especially the sterolins and sterols, if you have been unable to eat them for any reason.
Hemp Bags - Why a Bag?
People often assume sprouts are best grown in jars. Indeed, in the hands of a diligent gardener, jars can successfully grow several varieties of sprouts. But jars were never designed for sprouting. Their popularity has more to do with their wide availability and free cost than with their merits as a gardening tool. Any serious sprout grower will soon run into the many limitations of jars as sprouting devices. While there are other types of sprouters available with different features, the sprout bag is a perfect substitution for the jar, with several advantages.
Advantages Of Sprouting In The Hemp/Flax Bag