Always a good strategy. Starting with too many at once could also overwhelm you.

You can even find massive (3-4 gallon or bigger) jars in some places, a single one full of green sprouts like alfalfa or clover would give you from 30 to 45 oz worth of sprout juice, depending on your juicer. That way you could have lots of fresh sprouts with only a few jars.

Ok, I want to get started on this, full time, so to speak. I've tried it, but I want to use a different process, using cheese cloth as a filter.

My mother has some extra spaghetti jars (glass). I need to pick up some cheese cloth somewhere and some seeds that are ready for sprouting. Gosh I don't even know where to start to find these (locally, that is - I prefer to buy local when I can). I'm new to the town I live in and I'm not sure if there is even a store that supplies these. Would it be in a whole foods co-op or something? I don't think we have one....

Any recommendations on where to get more seeds? A friend gave me the ones I used before. Admittedly she helped me with the whole thing and that's when I made the original post, but it's like an eraser went through my mind and I got to get back to how I did it.

Plastic or stainless steel mesh is best; you should be able to get some at your local hardware store. Cheesecloth can be used, but it's not ideal because it does keep more moisture in and increases the chances of your sprouts going bad.

A special trick: When you buy a bag of onions they come in a mesh bag; you can cut squares out of it and fasten them to jars with rubber bands. The holes are small enough to use with most sprouts.

You can also buy specially made plastic or stainless steel lids designed for sprouting jars, although those are much more expensive. You can also not have any mesh at all (if you're really strapped for funds), and just use a single fine sieve to drain the water from all of your sprouts. Some particularly small seeds may not work like this, but most will.

Absolute worst case scenario, you can fill a jar up with water, then empty all of the sprouts and water into a bowl. Put your hand on top of the sprouts, swish the water around, and drain the water, then put the sprouts back in the jar. No equipment needed other then jars + a bowl. If necessary, you could also soak + grow sprouts in bowls like that, if you didn't even have the money for jars. Sprouting can be very very cheap if you go about it right.

You can find sprouting seeds at healthfood stores; buy a little packet at first and if the seeds sprout well inquire about getting them in bulk for a discount. I order most of my seeds from Azure Standard now, because they have great prices and good quality. The only drawback is that it won't be local. You can also buy many sprouting seeds at your local supermarket - the dry lentils, whole (not split) peas and beans wil all sprout. If the store carries other seeds like quinoa or amaranth, buy a small bag and see if they sprout. A good way to get really cheap millet and/or sunflower seeds for sprouting is to buy organic bird food in big bags; just check to see that there are no other ingredients.

Always have the jars tilted at an angle so that the water can drain, like this:






Even better, once you get the hang of sprouting in jars start growing microgreens and grasses on soil, that really brings your diet to the highest level possible and makes you feel on top of the world. I drink about 5 trays of microgreen juice daily, although as it is getting colder here I'm going to cut that down and focus more on the jar sprouts.

My babies:






These aren't actually my pictures (I don't have a camera), but my setup is very similar.

Hi Living Food, do these need to be in direct sunlight? I currently live in the tropics and wish to grow my own greens purely to juice and to make smoothies with. I've been mulling over it for ages now. I would very much like to try and grow.

No, you actually don't want them to be in direct sunlight. Indirect is all you need.
You especially don't want them to be in direct light if you're living in the tropics because you'll already need to keep an eye on them and water frequently.

This post inspired me to start growing sprouts.
I found that my local co-op had everything I needed to get started: sprouting jars and the seeds. I bought two seed mixes: a salad mix and a sandwich mix. I also bought peas.
My first batch of the sandwich mix turned out great! The jars were big so I started with 4 tablespoons of the seeds and it filled up the jar nicely. The only problem is that we were not able to eat the whole jar before it started to dry out (once they reached the desired amount of days I put the jar in the refrigerator).
Is that standard protocol - to put them in the refrigerator after they are "done" sprouting?
Also, can you share a few recipes of your juices? Would it work to use a vitamix blender instead of a juicer?

I've never had that problem because I eat + juice MASSIVE amounts of sprouts, so they never last long enough to dry out. But I'd give em another rinse if they start to get too dry, just make sure the water drains well so they don't mold.

If you don't eat them all immediately, yes. Again, not really a problem for me.

I don't make nice-tasting juices; I make them for the sheer, mind blowing nutrition, not the taste. Sprout juice tastes bad at first (it's an acquired taste), but after a few weeks your taste buds adjust and you start craving it. So there's really no reason to hide the strong favors with weak veggies or fruits, much better to just drink it plain and treat it as medicine for the first few weeks (nasty tasting but good for you). You make your child take medicine when they need it even if they don't like the taste, do the same for yourself. Trust me - you need it.

I don't believe in mixing more then a few different types of food at one meal, the simpler the better. Too many types of food impairs digestion and leads to all kind of unpleasant consequences down the road. I especially don't put fruit in my smoothies or juices, fruit should never be mixed with any other type of food. But most people don't want to do that, they like their yummy, sugary juices. I always feel sorry for those people because they'll never know what true health is. So here are some of my "recipes":

* wheatgrass juice

Or

* pea shoot juice

Or

* sunflower green juice

Or

* chia green juice

Or

* fenugreek sprout/green juice

Or

* alfalfa green juice

Or

* red clover sprout juice

Etc. Sometimes I'll mix 2 (or very rarely three) different types of greens, but normally I only have one type in my juice.

It is far better to juice them because blending destroys many more nutrients due to oxidation. I do blend some sprouts, but never greens. It is a waste to put greens in the blender because you're throwing away a lot of good nutrients that would have been preserved had you juiced them. And juices are much more bioavailable then smoothies and take much less energy to digest (both very important factors). If it comes down to blending sprouts or not eating them at all, blend them. But if you have the opportunity to juice them, that's much better.

Thanks Living Food!

What juicer do you recommend?

For the green juices you just listed, I take it that you grew those out as micro greens, correct?

It's best to get a wheatgrass juicer, either a manual one or an automatic one. Manual juicers are very cheap and can cost around $50, but they're very slow juicers compared to automatic ones so they're not ideal if you drink a lot of sprout juice like I do. Automatic juicers are much faster but comparatively more expensive, but it will be one of the best investments you ever make and should last years or decades if you take proper care of it. I have both, because I like to have manual juicers if I'm going somewhere without electricity, and if the power goes down I'll still be able to have my juices.

Centrifugal juicers are virtually worthless when it comes to greens, and they oxidize the juice and cause a large loss of nutrients. You will want a masticating juicer; the one I have is the Greenstar, but there are many other good on out there too.

The first four I always grow as micro greens, the fenugreek you can grow either way (microgreen or green sprout), and the last two I just grow as green sprouts in jars. Remember, those are just a few I listed as examples; there are other green sprouts and microgreens that I regularly grow also.

They're all amazingly nutritious and each have their own unique benefits, some of which I listed on the first page of this thread.

Here's what Steve Meyerowitz ('Sproutman') has to say about some of these sprouts in his book Sprouts, The Miracle Food:

"Medicinally, clover is known as a tonic, a nutritive and a blood purifier. Jethro Kloss, the renowned herbalist and author of Back to Eden, called it "One of God's greatest blessings to man." Clover is a wonderful source of volatile oils, carbohydrates, amino acids, flavonoids, minerals, vitamins, and saponins. It's profuse and exceedingly absorbable calcium and magnesium relaxes the nervous system and settles the stomach. This accounts for its role as a sedative and an anti-spasmodic. A tea made from the blossoms is an expectorant and has been used in the treatment of whooping cough. In the medical books of the nineteenth century, clover was a popular ingredient in body plasters. Its lime, silica and other earthly salts make it an ideal plaster. Plasters were used for sores, boils, and cancers. The Shakers used it for cancerous ulcers and burns. Plasters and compresses were also used for childhood skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. The mineral salts also alkalinize the body and promote detoxification. It had a reputation as a remedy for cancerous growths including cancer of the throat and stomach and was also used for leprosy, pellagra and syphilis.

Red clover flowers are known to promote fertility probably due to its high mineral content. It includes virtually every trace mineral needed by the glands and and helps restore and balance hormonal functions. Its estrogenic activity has been linked to its isoflavone content. It may also balance the acid/alkaline environment of the uterus in favor of conception. The sprouts of red clover share many of the medicinal properties of the other leguminosae (alfalfa, pea, soy, lentil) with an emphasis on blood purification, increasing energy and improving weak nerves."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Fenugreek is actually a member of the legume (leguminosae) family. It is a cousin of clover and lucerne (alfalfa). Te Pharoahs of Egypt used it in religious ceremonies. The Monks of the Middle Ages grew it to treat blood poisoning, failing eyesight, fevers, palpitations and liver and kidney troubles. It is widely cultivated in Arab countries where it was traditionally used to stimulate appetite. Its chemical composition resembles that of cod liver oil and is considered a 'sister herb' to garlic, enhancing that herbs disinfectant properties. It is a tonic because it is so rich in many minerals including iron and sulfur, and vitamin E. It 'feeds' the blood and is recommended for ailments that are associated with weakness such as anemia and infections. Both the seed and the whole plant are used.

Fenugreek is a demulcent meaning it is soothing to the mucous membranes and reduces inflammations. A tea made form the seeds is used as a gargle and for sore throats. It also acts as an expectoration, clearing the mucosa of the chest and of the respiratory system. Byzantium mothers used it to increase their milk supply. Poultices made from the stalk and leaves have been used on wounds, boils, sores and tumors. The seed contains beneficial volatile oils and steroidal saponins which may be used to regulate blood cholesterol. Fenugreek sprouts have both the properties of the seed as well as the plant. This sprout should be used to stimulate and to fortify."

Remember..."Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food." There's no better medicine OR food then fresh green sprouts.

Wow, this is very helpful.

Can you recommend any books that can get me started on sprouting, micro greens, juicing? I saw you mentioned the book "sprouts" by Steve meyerowitz. Any others that can help?

Thank you for the mentions of juicing and the type of juicer to look for.

The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore will teach you all about sprouting, and also has lots of yummy sprout recipes if that's your thing. Sproutman's book that I mentioned, Sprouts, The Miracle Food, is also good, but focuses more on the hard data and nutrition information; if that's what you're looking for, I'd get Sprout For the Love of Everybody by Viktoras Kulvinskas.

Lots of good sprouting books out there. Also get Survival in the 21st Century by Viktoras Kulvinskas, it covers sprouting but it's also the raw food lifestyle bible. The newer editions have a pretty lame cover, ignore that because the information is amazing.

I'd get at least The Sprouting Book and Survival in the 21st Century.

And my recommendation would be to start sprouting right now, even if you just grow a couple jars worth at a time. Then after you've read the books you can start kicking it into high gear and growing microgreens and many more sprouts, but the most valuable thing is hands-on experience. No amount of book learning can make up for it.

Good advice. I currently have two jars growing sprouts - a salad mix and a sandwich mix.

Hi can I ask what you spray on them? I saw somewhere something about a Kelp solution but I cannot find the link.