No space for a veggie garden?

Sprouting seeds may be just the antioxidant-rich, fresh fix you’ve been looking for

Here you’ll find information on the health benefits of sprouts, simple sprouting directions and one of our favorite sprouted lentil salads! Sprouts are incredibly simple and fast to grow.

They will grow:

• in any climate, at any time of year

• without soil and in low sunlight

• indoors with a minimum amount of space

• to 400% their size or more in 5 days

• to maturity in 3-5 days!

Sprouting lentils for health is a fantastic way to receive optimal nutrition. Lentils have been commonly known for centuries as a superfood. Unsprouted lentils contain 23.8 % protein, and 100g supply about two thirds of an active person’s daily protein needs. They are also rich in iron including 7.7 mg per 100g - and you should eat foods that contain Vitamin C at the same meal to improve the absorption. This could be something like tomatoes or capsicum. In addition sprouting lentils will provide more beneficial vitamins such as B complex, particularly nicotinic aid or B3, deficiency which can lead to poor memory, irritability, and also other signs of nervousness. Once sprouted lentils will triple their rate in nutrient content making them a very powerful superfood!

Growing lentil sprouts is similar to any other sprout. The tip here is to treat it as you would any other crop and have two to three sprouting in subsession. Lentils are extremely easy to sprout, so they are a great choice for first timers.

Directions for sprouting lentils

Basic directions:

Soak lentils for 8-12 hours in ample water. Rinse and drain thoroughly after the initial soaking period. Every 8-12 hours afterwards, rinse and drain until lentils sprout. Most people enjoy lentils sprouted small.

Detailed directions:

You can also start soaking in the morning, and then start the rinse and drain process that evening.

In the evening, put two cups of brown lentils in a half gallon mason jar. Fill completely with water, and screw on the screen insert. Leave out on the counter overnight.

In the morning, you will find that the lentils will have swollen considerably.

Drain through the screen into your sink.

Rinse very well with water (use purified water) once again through the screen. You want the water to drain clear. Drain well over the sink, and then put screen side down in a bowl, or other container which allows the glass jar to remain at an angle.

This allows the lentils to continue to drain with good air circulation. That evening rinse and drain again.

Remove the water and rinse two to three times a day. Repeat process for up to five days.

Once the lentils have grown to the required size, place them in the fridge. Lentils will stop to grow once chilled and will be available for you to eat up to 2 weeks. Do not rinse again, as that will make them too wet to store well. Instead, simply make sure they are dry to the touch and take out the screen and replaced it with the normal jar lid. This was then placed in the fridge. Feel free to experiment, if you like, by sprouting even longer. You can even eventually get your lentils to grow tiny leaves (this takes about a week). Though you will probably be happiest with a very small sprout, about 1/4 inch long. These can now be steamed and enjoyed on salads, cooked in soups or casseroles etc.

All sprouts are nutritious! Lentils sprouts are fabulous in a wide range of dishes. They are good mixed into salads, sandwiches and on crackers. Lentils taste absolutely delicious with fresh lettuce and tomatoes grown fresh from the garden. What can be better than eating fresh food from your very own garden, and sprouting lentils is so easy that even a young child could do it. So, please encourage your children to get involved.

Want to impress guests with something “out of the ordinary”?

Behold…a uniquely, elegant, yet simple and tasty salad

Elegant sprout salad

• 6-8 sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 8 minutes, and roughly chopped

• 2 cups of loosely packed arugula

• 2 cups of sprouted lentils, kidney beans, pea shoots

• 1/8 cup, onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup, fennel, chopped

• 4 asparagus spears, chopped

• 2 tsp of cold-pressed flax oil to dress

• Sea salt to taste

The sprouts, and their sprouted beans, add a uniquely fresh texture and crunch. If you do not like beans, try the salad with just the sprouts, the sun dried tomatoes, a delightfully salty, chewy, “Italian” flair… the asparagus, is unique in itself - it has a potent zing. The raw asparagus may be too much for some - and then you may wish to lightly steam, or saute them, with garlic. Arugula adds a spicy bite, this is the base of your salad. The onion offers a sweet, Italian attitude, while the fennel, a bulb often used in Italian cuisine, has a fresh, bold, and clean, crunch!  The flax oil, softy melds the flavours together, with its pleasantly light, nutty flavour. You may use olive oil, of course.