Sprouting and Sprouters

Sprouting is a process of soaking, rinsing, harvesting and storing sprouted seeds. You need nothing more than the sprouting seeds and a glass jar or bag. Required raw ingredients are air, water, warmth and space, the nutrition is stored in the seeds.

Seeds are packed full or nutrients, sprouting seeds releases and enhances their nutritional value. A biological reaction takes place when a seed is activated by water. Stored fat is converted into essential fatty acids, proteins are broken down into amino acids, carbohydrates are converted into simple sugars and as a food sprouts are more easily digested than the seeds themselves. During sprouting toxins and enzyme inhibitors are reduced, increasing digestibility as well. The foregoing are a generalization as each seed type has different properties. I'm sure you can hunt up nutrient values for any seed you're interested in on the internet.

Many sprouted seeds have great nutritional value. However you should be careful, some seeds contain natural poisons, only sprout seeds sold for sprouting or listed below. Only sprout untreated seeds, seeds for planting are frequently coated with anti-fungal agents.

Sprouting on a budget

Sprouts you've grown yourself are extremely inexpensive and may be the freshest food you have during your meal. Try different varieties and mixes, you'll love the adventure!

You do not require extensive and expensive equipment to sprout seeds. Most can be sprouted in a glass jar which is less than ideal because of poor ventilation, loss of seeds during rinsing and bad drainage but may suit your budget. Sprouting trays are the best as they can control of of the items listed as deficiencies of the jar-sprouting me. Trays also have more surface area and can frequently be stacked saving space.

Sprouters

We carry the two-pack plastic sprouter trays we from Ready Reserve Foods, trays include a 50g packet of alfalfa seeds. These sprouting screens suit smaller seeds better as the holes in the screen are much smaller. Both these and Tony's sprouter can easily be cleaned with a stiff brush, left to dry and used again almost immediately.

Our Sprouting Kit#46 includes the above tray set pus 2 cans each of Alaska Peas (total 40 oz peas), Lentils ( total 40 oz lentils), Hard Red Wheat (total 44 oz wheat).

Our Bulk Grains and Seeds page lists more than 20 different grains, seeds and sprouting mixtures available from us in larger quantities. Why buy a few grams of product at the grocery store when you stock up and save when you purchase in bulk?

Our pricing spreadsheet can be requested from Linda.

Tony from Sprouts for Health at www.sproutgrowers.com came up with the design you see at left. We stock these sprouters at the same cost as Tony, should you want to purchase one from us. Tony's sprouting screen suits larger seeds, beans and kernels.

Most beans don't' need light, cloth bags can be used to sprout them. We also carry sprouting bags. Cleaning up can be as simple as throwing them in the washing machine. If roots are embedded in the cloth make sure to remove them as the will encourage fungal growth during the next sprouting cycle.

Trouble-Free Hemp Sprout Bag

Designed for sprouting. Saves time. Very convenient.
All sprouts get air. Good circulation prevents mould.
100% drainage without tilting or waiting. Water never collects.
Will sprout all varieties. All grains, all beans, even gelatinous seeds.
Convenient. 2 steps. Dip in water, hang on hook or knob. Or lay in dish rack.
Saves counter space. Saves refrigerator space. Bags expand and contract per volume.
Lightweight, unbreakable. Great for traveling, camping, boating.
Wide opening for easy handling. Holds equivalent to 3/4 gallon jar.
Fabric won't shrink or mould, like cotton, burlap or cheesecloth.
Made from durable flax (linen) and hemp fibers.

Sproutman's Basic Sprout Bread Recipe

Soak 1 cup of hard wheat in a jar for 8-10 hours. Sprout in your Sprout Bag for 2 days. Examine the seed for the shoot. The shoot be the length of the berry. Longer makes the bread too chewy. Now grind the sprouts in a food processor, a Champion juicer (homogenizer section), a wheatgrass juicer, or a cast iron meat grinder. Do not use a blender or Vita Mix. It is crucial that the resulting "sprout dough" is ground to a smooth paste. If necessary, reinsert the sprouts for a second grind. Form a 12 x 3 inch loaf by hand. Wet your hands constantly while shaping. Lay the loaf on a seeded cookie sheet. Sesame or poppy seeds keep the bread from sticking. Bake slowly at 250 degrees F. for approximately 2-4 hours. Lift the bread off the baking tray momentarily after 1-2 hours of baking. This avoids sticking. Bread is done when the underside is firm and no longer mushy. The inside will remain moist while the top of the bread may harden.

Our pricing can be requested from Linda.

We treat customers in the way we would like to be treated.

Contact Us: Telephone: toll free at 1-888-810-4709 Parry Sound,Northern Ontario,Muskoka and Georgian Bay
Send mail to: info@enviroharvest.ca with questions or comments about our product or web site.