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Grow your own superfood

February 14, 2017
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By GradProSkills


Sprouts (left) and microgreens (right)

Is a healthier diet one of your New Year’s resolutions? Are you searching for a way to eat nutritious and tasty food on a budget? Look no further! We have a great solution for you – start growing your own sprouts. In this week’s blog post, we will guide you through the process of starting your own mini sprouts garden – an endeavors that will boost not only your mental and physical health, but also your finances.

The benefits of growing sprouts

According to Andrew Alford, Four Seasons Growing coordinator at the Concordia Greenhouse and leader of our Grow your own superfood workshop, sprout growing offers many benefits for busy grad students.

Firstly, it can save you a lot of money; especially, if you are trying to eat more healthily. Sprouts are newly germinated seeds that can be grown without any soil. All you need to grow them are some seeds, a glass jar, and a piece of cheesecloth. You don’t even need to buy special seeds – just get some beans, peas, chickpeas, mung beans, and lentils from the grocery store. About 75% of them will sprout. A good place to get all necessary supplies is Le Frigo Vert near Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus.

Not only are sprouts cheap to grow, but they are also a very healthy treat. By eating sprouts, you can easily get a lot of vitamin A, E, and C; as well as other essential nutrients that are especially hard to obtain during the winter months.

Finally, growing sprouts benefits your mental health. By working with plants, you can de-stress after a long day of studying and lab work.

Growing your own sprouts

Growing sprouts is an easy and rewarding experience. Here is how to do it according to Andrew:

Step 1: Soak seeds

Soak the seeds for 3-5 hours in a jar filled with water. The seeds will absorb a lot of the fluid and will grow in size, so make sure your jar is large enough to accommodate them. After the soaking is over, cover the opening of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band; then, drain your seeds from the excess water. Place the jar in a cool, low-light location and make sure it is positioned at an angle to allow excess water to drain off.

Step 2: Rinse seeds

Keep rinsing your seeds for 2-3 times a day to provide continuous moisture to the young sprouts. Don’t forget to drain your sprouts well after each rinsing. Standing water may lead to rot or discoloration of your harvest.

Step 3: Watch your sprouts grow

In about 2-3 days, your sprouts will grow little white tails. When this happens, they are ready for eating. Stop them from growing further by placing them in the fridge.

Step 4: Store sprouts

Store the well-drained sprouts in a glass container or a plastic bag in the fridge to prevent the growth of bacteria. Properly stored, they can last for up to a few weeks.

Step 5: Eat your home-grown delicacy

You can eat sprouts in a variety of dishes. For example, they are very tasty as part of a fresh salad, in a soup or in a delicious sandwich. Check out this page for more health-boosting recipes using sprouts.

Additional resources

Sign up for our Grow your own superfood workshop to learn about growing another tasty delight – microgreens; and for our Balcony gardening in Montreal workshop to empower yourselves with some awesome gardening skills. Both these workshops are led by experts from Concordia Greenhouse – an all-organic space at Concordia geared towards community, education, and sustainable horticulture. Happy growing!

 

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