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Sprout your seeds

26.5.2020

Translation: machine translated

Sprouts from the supermarket are good. But they're even better when they're ours. If I'd known it was that easy, I'd have started years ago.

We'll do anything to keep sprouted seeds alive: soak them, watch them grow and even take them with us on an extended weekend to the future in-laws. For the last ten days or so, I've been sprouting my sprouts at home. I decided the time had come to stop wasting money in a shop on something I can easily do myself. It also means I don't have to use plastic packaging from the supermarket. And even though I don't have a green thumb, it seems like a step towards self-sufficiency that I'm willing to take without hesitation.

Homegrown

For my growing, I ordered the double germoir system from Eschenfelder.

Delivery contents:

two 750ml glasses each,
two anodised aluminium screw caps,
two nickel-free stainless steel sieves,
a stainless steel drainer,
a ceramic draining tray,
20 g organic alfalfa seeds for sprouting, in sample form and
instructions

How to do it:

I put a tablespoon of alfalfa seeds in the glass container. I then fill it about a quarter full with water and leave the seeds to soak in it for eight hours. Then I remove the water through the sieve lid, shake the seeds briefly so they don't stick to the sieve and place the jar in the drainer, lid down. This way, the moist seeds can breathe and the excess water drips into the ceramic tray. During the germination period, which lasts seven to ten days, discipline is the order of the day: every morning and evening, I briefly rinse the glasses with water to keep the seeds moist, then put them back in place. So as not to compromise my first harvest, I even take the germinator with me when I spend the weekend away from home.

On the back of the instructions, there's a table showing how long to soak and germinate different seeds. Sprouters are not suitable for sticky seeds such as rocket, watercress or flax. It's best to look for a cress strainer.

They grow so fast...

My alfalfa seeds germinated on the second day. By the end of the seventh, I can already harvest them. The glass is full to the brim. In terms of capacity, the 750 millilitres is therefore enough for one tablespoon of sprouted seeds. Next time, I'll only use half of it so that the sprouts have more room. I put my harvest in a Tupperware, which I've covered with kitchen paper to absorb the moisture, and put it in the fridge.

The Eschenfelder signature sprouter system does its job and is easy to clean, as you can take the sieve out. But what bothers me is that the glasses don't stay in place on the stand if I don't put both on. If I remove one germinator to rinse the seeds in it with water, the other glass falls out. So I advise you to leave out the fancy stand and buy just the germinators. You can also place them at a slight angle in a Tupperware container, which serves as a dish for the water. It works just as well and costs a lot less. Now it's time for me to move on to the next stage with my beetroot sprouts. Let's see if they're as easy to handle as the alfalfa seeds. [[productlist:10410735]]

By the way, my sprouted seeds are not only fresher than the ones I buy in the supermarket, they taste better too. Or am I being a bit biased, as they are my little proteges?

I'm not sure.

Alfalfa sprouts land straight in my Poke Bowl.

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Natalie Hemengül

Senior Editor

Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.

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