Jason loves sprouts of almost all types. We decided to "make" our own and are really happy with the outcome. Having never sprouted for consumption on this level before, it was quite a thrilling process for me. I'm sure some of you expert sprouters will snicker at a newbie's enthusiasm over how simple, rewarding and truly amazing I have found the process, but what the heck. :) It is all part of the master plan to grow our own, and I'm ready to jump on the sprouting bandwagon in that endeavor.For whatever reason, sprouts have always seemed like a mystery to me in how they are produced. I'm no novice as to what happens when you couple a seed with water, but for some reason I never really thought about sprouting our own for sandwiches and the like. I saw the seeds at The Natural Gardener when we went to their seed sale, and was intrigued. Plus I couldn't beat the price, even without the sale. $2.69 got me a good size packet of alfalfa seeds. I had the jar and nylon for a lid already, so it was just a matter of soaking seeds and starting the process. For several days I kept my little seeds in the dark, rinsing them carefully twice a day out of the light. I was thrilled when the first sprouts started, and I don't even like sprouts...but I might have to start liking them. Especially after reading about all the benefits they have when consumed!
Nutritional info:
Not only that, but studies on canavanine, an amino acid found in alfalfa, has demonstrated benefit for pancreatic, colon and leukemia cancers. Plant estrogens are also abundant in sprouts. They increase bone formation and density and prevent bone breakdown or osteoporosis. They are also helpful in controlling hot flashes, menopause, PMS and fibrocystic breasts tumors. All that in these tiny little additions to a sandwich? How can I go wrong? Especially now that I'm sprouting my own.
Next up, wheatgrass! Oh yeah!