Thursday, June 3, 2010

Grow Your Own (Salmonella-free) Sprouts

I feel myself becoming a zealot about having everyone grow at least a little of your own food. It makes such a difference how you think about all of your food if you put a little effort into even one small plant. If you haven't bought your basil plant yet, now's the time!

Here's an idea for growing your own food that doesn't even involve dirt: sprouts! Growing sprouts recently got a whole lot easier because the Sprout People put videos on their website. I had an Easy Sprout (bought from another company) for a couple of years but the instructions that came with it were so bad that I wasn't using it. With the videos, though, I'm now completely confident.



I've been making sprouts for several months now. I switch between Mother's Mix (no, I'm not pregnant -- the nutrients match up with what I read about the needs of perimenopausal women) and Nick's Hot Sprout Salad. I keep them in the freezer and start two tablespoons every time the Easy Sprouter comes out of the dishwasher from the last batch. I'm growing enough sprouts for us to have some on every salad, sandwich, and pizza that we make. They are yummy, too -- I actually catch myself craving sprouts!