\r\n \r\n I have a Bio Snacky sprouter and feel it works well. The mason jar method is a excelent way to get sprouting, for sure!\r\n

\r\n __________________
\r\n I\'d rather meander for the prevention than race for the cure. \r\n

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\r\n \r\n Tell us more!! \r\n

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\r\n \r\n It seems my original (very long) post was accidentally deleted, I\'ll make another shorter one soon.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Alfalfa and clover should be sprouted for 5-6 days, and when you do that you\'ll only need to use 2 tablespoons for a quart mason jar - you end up with about 4 cups (half a pound) of sprouts. Immature alfalfa sprouts shouldn\'t be eaten, and only sprouting alfalfa and clover for 1 to 3 days means you won\'t get the maximum nutrition out of them.
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\nYou only need to soak alfalfa and clover for 4 hours, but there\'s no harm done if you soak them overnight unless they start to rot on you (very unlikely). Another very important thing to do is to rinse your sprouts every 8-12 hours (depends on the seed, and some need to be rinsed even more or even less) to keep them moist, prevent bacterial growth, and cool them down.
\n
\nWhen you grow green sprouts, leave them in the dark until the last 2 days of sprouting, then put them in indirect sunlight so they will green up and you can get the benefit of more nutrition + chlorophyll. Other sprouts should be grown in the dark until the last day. Sunlight draws the moisture away from sprouts and causes them to be tough and fibrous.
\n
\nThere\'s a very large variety of sprouts you can grow, this is just a partial list:
\n
\nGreen sprouts:
\n
\nAlfalfa, clover, fenugreek, radish, and broccoli are the most common, but you can eat the sprout of ANY plant which has edible leaves.
\n
\nMicrogreens:
\n
\nThese are sprouts you grow on soil until the cotyledon (seed leave) stage. These are the most nutritious sprouts there are, and include the amazing cereal grasses.
\n
\nWheatgrass, barleygrass, ryegrass, oatgrass, speltgrass, kamutgrass, sunflower greens, pea shoot greens, fenugreek greens, chia grass/greens, buckwheat greens (in moderation). ANY green sprout can be grown as a microgreen, but these are the most common.
\n
\nLegumes:
\n
\nLentil, mung bean, adzuki bean, chickpea.
\n
\nGrains:
\n
\nRice, millet, oats. Most other grain sprouts shouldn\'t be eaten in my opinion.
\n
\nI\'ve been considering trying teff sprouts if I can find a source for them, but the seeds are so tiny it would definitely be a pain.
\n
\nPseudograins:
\n
\nQuinoa, amaranth
\n
\nSeeds:
\n
\nSesame, poppy, hemp, sunflower, chia, flax, pumpkin (in moderation).
\n
\nNuts:
\n
\nNuts are tricky to sprout, and walnuts are even more so. I haven\'t sprouted walnuts myself, but I would if I could find a good source for them (amazing brain food).
\n
\nChestnut, walnut, almonds, hazelnuts. Any edible nut can be sprouted but it\'s difficult to find a good supplier for most of them.
\n
\n
\n
\n
\nSome of the benefits of specific sprouts:
\n
\n*Alfalfa: Very high in minerals and very alkalizing, high in chlorophyll.
\n
\n*Clover: Very good for cleansing the blood and supporting the liver.
\n
\n*Fenugreek: Great for improving digestion + good for detoxing the liver, and stabilizes blood sugar. Contains some vitamin D3.
\n
\n*Broccoli: One of the best anti-cancer foods ever discovered; John Hopkins University found that broccoli sprouts contain 20-50 times the amount of the very powerful anti-cancer nutrient sulforaphane as mature broccoli; that means that a tablespoon of broccoli sprouts contains the same amount of that nutrient as a pound of broccoli!!!
\n
\n*Cereal grasses: Can pick up nearly every element from the soil if they are present (either 95 or 96 I think), great source of chlorophyll, contain the elusive "grass juice factor", best source of phytonutrients ever discovered, and kill EVERY cancer and bad bacteria they were tested against. Great liver detoxifiers and very alkalizing. There are so many other amazing things I could say about grass juice, everyone should drink 6-8 oz of it every day, minimum.
\n
\n*Sunflower greens: Most balanced source of land protein there is, amazing source of mood-enhancing chemicals, one of the few vegan sources of vitamin D3, a great source of photons (life energy). Everyone should be drinking 6-8 oz of sunflower green juice everyday as well.
\n
\n*Pea shoot greens: Great source of alkalizing minerals and other nutrients (vitamins, hormones, enzymes, other phytonutrients).
\n
\n*Buckwheat greens: Amazing liver detoxifier and also a great source of other nutrients, but it does contain a natural toxin called fagopyrin, which causes your skin to become very sensitive to sunlight; best used in moderation.
\n
\n*Chia greens: Somewhat tricky to grow but absolutely amazing, drinking a glass of chia green juice everyday will make you immune to the cold and send your mood through the roof and make you feel like your in paradise. An very good source of omega-3 fatty acids (36 times more absorbable then from the seed or oil).
\n
\n*Mung beans: Contain very high levels of extremely potent anti-aging enzymes called "auxinons". Capable of reversing gray hair + hair lose in most people and counteracting most effects of aging.
\n
\n*Oats: One of the best sources of choline and good for increasing testosterone in men.
\n
\n*Sesame: Very high levels of many minerals, loads of B vitamins, high levels of vitamin E. 5 tablespoons will almost give you the RDA for iron + calcium (not that the RDAs are accurate, but that\'s a lot of calcium + iron).
\n
\n*Poppy: These sprouts blow sesame seed sprouts out of the water. One of the most amazing sprouts there is, it\'s a huge disappointment that it\'s illegal to grow in the US.
\n
\n*Hemp: One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and the vitamin + mineral content blows both sesame AND poppy seeds out of the water. Also a huge disappointment that it\'s illegal to grow in the US.
\n
\n*Walnut: One of the best brain foods there is.
\n
\n
\nAll sprouts have loads of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones, oxygen + other phytonutrients, so I focused on the most unique characteristics of the above sprouts.
\n
\n^ I\'m sure I forgot to mention lots of things too (doing 4 things at once here), but that list is a good start anyway.
\n
\nNot only does sprouting drastically increase the amount of vitamins, enzymes, hormones, and other phytonutrients in the food, it also drastically increases the availability of many minerals. But the biggest mystery is that sprouts grown in controlled environments (no minerals) will actually have higher levels of minerals then the unsprouted seed which should be impossible according to modern science. I know how it happens, and I\'ll post the studies that show it soon.
\n
\nWow, I guess I got a little carried away. There\'s loads of other things I\'d like to mention about sprouts but I\'ll have to refrain from saying them all at once.
\n
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\nP.S - changed my mind about the "short post" \r\n

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\n
\n
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\nI, for one, am very glad you DID change your mind about the "short post."
\nGreat info, I\'m really enjoying reading about this!\r\n

\r\n __________________
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\r\n \r\n I second that! I am just getting into sprouting and I still have a lot to learn apparently!\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Thanks for sharing LivingFood, I have a question about sprouting poppy... What is the difference between the poppy grown to produce opiates and the poppies that are legal to grow as flowers in our gardens?\r\n

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\r\n \r\n The funny thing is, they\'re the exact same plant (papaver somniferum). It\'s just going to be a lot harder to buy the seeds in bulk (I buy most sprouting seeds in 25 or 50 pound bags) because the flower shops will probably only sell you overpriced little packets. And it\'s OK to have a few poppy flowers as ornamentals, but if I was caught with 50 pounds of poppy seed in my house I could get in trouble...\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Forgot the plain old pea sprout (soak 8-12 hours and sprout for about 3 days). But it\'s much better to sprout them on soil for about 10-14 days and juice them instead for super nutrition.
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\r\nSome people try to talk down on sprouts by saying that they have low levels of certain vitamins and some minerals like calcium, and some sprouts do. What these people are missing is that many sprouts have loads of trace minerals you can\'t find in most other foods (algae and sea veggies have even more), and the nutrients that sprouts do have are FAR more absorbable then those in vegetables or other foods; if you juice the sprouts then you\'ll absorb almost 100% of the nutrients they have. And sprouts are full to bursting with less well-known nutrients that are equally or even more important then vitamins and minerals, things like hormones, enzymes, oxygen, and rare phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are being called "the vitamins of the future".
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\r\nGreen sprouts + sprouted seeds are the best sources of trace minerals; green sprouts are also the best source of chlorophyll and many phytonutrients. Grasses are even better sources of trace minerals + chlorophyll and the highest source of phytonutrients known to man. Sprouted seeds are the best source of other minerals like calcium and iron, a good source of certain vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin E, and provide important pre-digested fats and calories. Sprouted legumes are a good source of pre-digested carbohydrates and calories, and sprouted grains/pseudograins provide important calories + pre-digested carbs but also B vitamins.
\r\n
\r\nSo you should drink lots of fresh grass juice and green sprout juice everyday, and if you really want to bring your diet to the highest level possible have sprouted legume/grain smoothies and eat sprouted sesame seeds for your main meals. If you want to feel like you\'re in heaven and be happy + joyful no matter what happens, drink 8 oz of chia grass juice most days and also include AFA and chlorella in your diet, and drink as much fresh weed (wild greens) juice as you can. Also include raw sea veggies like kelp and dulse in your smoothies.
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\r\nThis is the best diet humanely possible, nothing else can touch it. You\'ll be on cloud 10 all day every day and experience levels of well-being and bliss you could never imagine.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Hormones in sprouts:
\r\n
\r\n"Beneficial Effects of Plant Hormones to Human Health
\r\n
\r\nBy: Heda Belle Decrito, RN
\r\n
\r\nPlant hormones or Phytohormones are organic compounds that are synthesized in a particular part of a plant and then conveyed to other parts. Even in low concentration, phytohormones are able to regulate the growth and development of plants, as well as affect their ability to differentiate cells and tissues. Phytohormones affect the plants\' ability to respond to environmental stimuli. They are also responsible for the plants\' longevity and death, time of flowering, as well as in the development and ripening of fruit. Plant hormones are abundant in embryonic plant tissues and not in mature plant cells.
\r\n
\r\nLike plants, the human body also produces hormones and enzymes. In people and vertebrate animals, hormones act as chemical messengers that are utilized by the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems to convey unseen electrical impulses and chemical signals that would facilitate communication within a cell or between cell and/or among system organs. Hormones and enzymes also regulate body functions, control human behavior and integrate systemic functions � nervous, immune and endocrine systems, etc.
\r\n
\r\nPlants cannot benefit from human hormones; however, plant hormones can do wondrous health effects to human health. Laboratory findings show that plant hormones can stimulate human immune cells that boost the body\'s natural defense against stressors and diseases. There are three types of plant hormones that have shown promising benefits to us humans - Plant Growth Hormone (PGH), Plant Stress Hormone (PSH) and Plant Immune Hormone (PIH).
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\r\n
\r\nPlant Growth Hormone
\r\n
\r\nAs the name suggests, plant growth hormone regulates plant growth and development. There are 4 plant growth hormones with known beneficial effects to humans � Gibberellins, Auxins, Brassinosteroids, and Cytokinins.
\r\n
\r\nGibberellins (GAs) are plant growth hormones that are found mainly in the buds and young shoots. When extracted from these embryonic plant parts and incorporated in PSC therapy, gibberellins are able to offer numerous health benefits. GAs stimulate RNA and Protein synthesis. Gibberellic acid also aids in drainage, a process characterized as detoxification by means of organ stimulation, tissue excitation and toxins elimination.
\r\n
\r\nAuxins are plant growth hormones that are involved plant-cell elongation. A well-known natural auxin extracted from plants is Indole Acetic Acid (IAA). Research shows that auxins have fetal hormonal action. They also stimulate cellular growth and provide better resistance to disease. The IAA in auxins acts as an antiinflammatory and helps tissue to regenerate. Also, when used in combination with the plant enzyme peroxidase, Indole Acetic Acid can produce byproducts that are toxic to cancer cells, yet harmless to healthy cells.
\r\n
\r\nAnother plant growth hormone is Cytokinin. Cytokinins provide protection to the cells as they undergo cell division (mitosis). DNA is constantly copied as the cells undergo division. Cytokinins prevent the mistranslation of the DNA molecules during the replication phase, making each cell a mirror image of the other divided cell. Cytokinins are also known to inhibit senescence. They can slow down the aging process by inhibiting the breakdown of proteins through the stimulation of RNA and protein synthesis.
\r\n
\r\nBrassinosteroids are similar to animal steroids in many respects. However, at the cellular level, they appear to function differently. The most abundant brassinosteroid found in plants is Brassinolide, which was first isolated from the pollen of Brassica Napus. Brassinolide can act synergistically with auxins gibberellins and other hormones. Brassinosteroids are used safely and successfully for lowering serum cholesterol levels.
\r\n
\r\nPlant Stress Hormone (PSH)
\r\n
\r\nPlant stress hormones are responsible for activating the plants cellular response to diverse stress situations, including cell death. They are made in the cells of the plants that are faced with a massive scarcity of nutrients. Abscisic acid, ethylene, Jasmonic acid and salicylates are the most common PSHs that have shown positive health effects to humans. Researchers have found that these plant stress hormones, like any other anticancer hormones, have the ability to adversely affect human cancer cells.
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\r\nJasmonic acid suppresses and destroys major types of human cancer cells. Jasmonic acid is helpful in preventing and treating vaginal and/or reproductive problems in mammalian females. Jasmonates facilitate the renewal of the regressing vaginal mucosa and prevent vaginal wall dryness.
\r\n
\r\nPlant Immune Hormone (PIH)
\r\n
\r\nPlant immune hormones are organic compounds that trigger the plant\'s immune response to bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Some of the most common PIHs are Salicylates, Auxins and Jasmonic acid. Salicylic acid is the primary immune hormone found in plants, which have antipyretic and antiinflammatory properties.
\r\n
\r\nAcceleration of wound healing and rehabilitation following injury and reversal of biological and physical effects of aging are just some of the numerous benefits that plant hormones have to give. Plant hormones also reverse muscle wasting, improve vision kidney, liver and other organ function, improve memory retention and other cognitive factors, reduces stress and enhances the immune system, as well as promote tighter, younger and more supple skin.
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\r\nContrary to Human Growth Hormones, which pose the risk of cancer, embryonic plant extracts do not pose such risk. Nor will it affect the function of the pituitary gland as in the use of human growth hormone."
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\r\nAll of these are present in abundant amounts in sprouts but very low levels in the mature plant.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n I was hesitant to mention this at first because many people are too close-minded to believe it, but the best part of sprouts isn\'t the vitamins, or the minerals, or the enzymes, oxygen, other phytonutrients, or chlorophyll. It\'s the electromagnetic vibration - the "life energy" present in the sprouts. A raw, mature plant has some life energy (cooking destroys it), but after it has been sitting in the store for weeks then most all of it is gone. But sprouts have massive amounts of life energy because they are growing rapidly, and they are still alive + growing right up to the point you bite into them or put them through the juicer. It is this high vibration that causes such amazing health and feelings of well-being in those that eat them. Green sprout juices are absolutely loaded with life energy and are he best source there is. The juice of freshly picked weeds is also loaded with this life energy, and weed juice has huge quantities of rare trace minerals and other nutrients, plus weeds have a special vibration that other foods don\'t.
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\r\nMost powdered green foods that are sold as "superfoods" have essentially no life energy left, but powdered algae + sea veggies still have good amounts of it because they have a unique cell structure that preserves it for a long time. That\'s why they are the only wholefood supplements you should take.
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\r\nWhy bother buying powdered alfalfa sprouts or wheatgrass anyway? You can grow the real deal for a fraction of the cost and it will have many more nutrients then what you can buy at the store. Algae are different becuase they are nearly impossible to grow yourself (there are kits that let you do it, but it\'s too much of a hassle) and have important nutrients that land-based foods don\'t.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n How do you keep mold/fungus from growing on your sprouts. We are always keeping away from high fungal foods like peanuts and sprouts tend to be moldy too.
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\nI tried blended sprouted lentils but it tasted terrible. It caused bloating and gas so I didn\'t like it. Your body thrives on grain and bean sprouts blended? No gas?
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\nWill white rice sprout or does it have to be brown?
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\nWhere do you buy your seeds from?
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\nOk, one last question, what type of sprouting system do you use? It must be pretty elaborate. I have the Easy Green Sprouter and do love to make radish and fenugreek sprouts. Onions always mold though.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n You need to rinse most sprouts 2 or 3 times a day and not oversoak them. If necessary you can use a high-pressure water squirter to really blast all of the mold and bacteria of your sprouts, but I\'ve never had to do that.
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\nAlso try mixing hydrogen peroxide into the soak water of your sprouts (very effective). If you\'re growing microgreens then also use a teaspoon of H2O2 per 2 cups of water and spray them with that every other day. You can also water them with the mixture.
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\nSprouts are never moldy if grown right, but many automatic sprouters have design flaws (none are perfect) so your sprouts could get a little moldy because they don\'t drain well.
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\nYes, sprout smoothies are an acquired taste, but after a few weeks you\'ll get used to it and they\'ll start tasting good to you. Try eating huge bowls of a strong green sprout before dinner every night and pretty soon you\'ll lose taste for your main meal and start to like the taste of sprouts.
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\nHow long did you sprout the lentils for? You need to sprout them for at least 4-5 days to make them easy to digest and remove nutrient inhibitors. You can also take digestive enzymes with sprouted legumes to make them easier to digest if your digestive system is weaker.
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\nMost people have weak digestive systems today for various reasons (I was the same). You can fix that by:
\n
\n*eating lots of fermented foods
\n*drinking lots of fenugreek sprout juice
\n*taking good probiotics
\n*doing a good colon cleanse
\n*doing daily enemas + wheatgrass juice implants for a few weeks, then you can taper it down to every few days.
\n
\nProper food combining also makes digestion much easier.
\n
\nI used to have horrible digestion and even got pain + bloating from eating fruit, but by following the above program I can now digest anything with ease. As an added bonus you might be able to get all the b12 you need from your gut bacteria after doing this - it worked for me and it worked for Viktoras Kulvinskas (another sproutarian).
\n
\nNo.
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\nAzure Standard; they have some of the lowest prices I\'ve ever seen + very good quality, and if you live in certain states your shipping cost will only be 8.5% of your entire order. I used to buy from sproutpeople.org but their prices are insane compared to Azure Standard\'s.
\n
\nJust jars + trays. Lots and lots of \'em. There are lots of automatic sprouters out there, but I prefer not to use them for the reasons I mentioned above. I also like the feeling of growing all my sprouts by hand with tenderness + love - and it actually does make them more nutritious and taste better, too. It is time consuming, but it is absolutely worth it; after you\'ve been doing it for a while the boundless energy shows up and life becomes great + you\'d never imagine NOT doing it, and you actually get to enjoy it after a while.
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\nSome folks watch tv, I tend to my sprouts. I also only need 2-4 hours of sleep a night, so in the end I actually have more time by living this way then I otherwise would.
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\nMy sproutarian friend only sleeps 90 minutes a night, but that\'s because he meditates for hours every day; I\'m going to be like that too soon.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 90 min a night? I can\'t imagine....
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\nThank you SOOOO much for all the extra tips and information. I may have to look into an automatic sprouter, because I don\'t know if I will be able to find the room for mason jars.... well, I guess I could start with 1 and go from there \r\n

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\r\n \r\n Always a good strategy. Starting with too many at once could also overwhelm you.
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\nYou 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.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.
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\nMy 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....
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\nAny 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.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.
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\r\nA 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.
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\r\nYou 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.
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\r\nAbsolute 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.
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\r\nYou 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.
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\r\nAlways have the jars tilted at an angle so that the water can drain, like this:
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\r\nEven 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.
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\r\nMy babies:
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\r\nThese aren\'t actually my pictures (I don\'t have a camera), but my setup is very similar.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n No, you actually don\'t want them to be in direct sunlight. Indirect is all you need.
\r\nYou 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.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n This post inspired me to start growing sprouts.
\nI 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.
\nMy 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).
\nIs that standard protocol - to put them in the refrigerator after they are "done" sprouting?
\nAlso, can you share a few recipes of your juices? Would it work to use a vitamix blender instead of a juicer?\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.
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\r\nIf you don\'t eat them all immediately, yes. Again, not really a problem for me.
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\r\nI 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.
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\r\nI 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":
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\r\n* wheatgrass juice
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\r\nOr
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\r\n* pea shoot juice
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\r\nOr
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\r\n* sunflower green juice
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\r\nOr
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\r\n* chia green juice
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\r\nOr
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\r\n* fenugreek sprout/green juice
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\r\nOr
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\r\n* alfalfa green juice
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\r\n* red clover sprout juice
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\r\nEtc. Sometimes I\'ll mix 2 (or very rarely three) different types of greens, but normally I only have one type in my juice.
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\r\nIt 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.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Thanks Living Food!
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\nWhat juicer do you recommend?
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\nFor the green juices you just listed, I take it that you grew those out as micro greens, correct?\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.
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\nCentrifugal 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.
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\nThe 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.
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\nThey\'re all amazingly nutritious and each have their own unique benefits, some of which I listed on the first page of this thread.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Here\'s what Steve Meyerowitz (\'Sproutman\') has to say about some of these sprouts in his book Sprouts, The Miracle Food:
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\n"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.
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\nRed 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."
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\n"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.
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\nFenugreek 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."
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\nRemember..."Let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food." There\'s no better medicine OR food then fresh green sprouts.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Wow, this is very helpful.
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\nCan 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?
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\nThank you for the mentions of juicing and the type of juicer to look for.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.
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\r\nLots 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.
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\r\nI\'d get at least The Sprouting Book and Survival in the 21st Century.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n 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.\r\n

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

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

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\r\n \r\n Kelp solution or trace mineral drops in water, even diluted sea water (but don\'t use too much because of the high salinity). Kelp has the advantage of providing various plant hormones and other nutrients, but is high in nitrogen...a good thing for fertilizing full-grown plants, but too much nitrogen kills sprouts. As with everything, moderation is key.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n The sesame seed vitamin E misconception
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\nI was asked by someone recently why I say that sesame sprouts are a great source of vitamin E, when all of the available nutrition information on it says that they only have around 2% of the RDA per 100-150 grams. That\'s around .4 mg of vitamin E, virtually nothing.
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\nThe answer is that unsprouted sesame seed has virtually no alpha-tocopherol (which is the tocopherol that they count when measuring vitamin E content because it\'s allegedly the most bioactive), but sprouted sesame seeds have very high levels. The study "Effects of germination on chemical composition and functional properties of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds" proves this; ungerminated sesame seeds had no measurable vitamin E content, but after 4 days of germination they had 32 mg/100 g! That\'s over 200% of the RDA!
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\nNow, I don\'t recommend sprouting sesame for 4 days because it tends to get extremely bitter after around 2 days of germination, but the above study showed that even just 2 days of sprouting increased the vitamin E content to around 18 mg/100 g, which is still 120% of the RDA.
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\nThis example highlights the fact that you CANNOT compare the nutritional value of unsprouted seeds to that of sprouts, because there is such a huge increase in nutrients after sprouting. B vitamins will increase by a few hundred to multiple thousand percent, vitamin c increases exponentially, vitamin e can increase hundreds to thousands percent of the unsprouted seed, mineral content can increase, mineral bioavailability increases dramatically. That\'s why sprouting is so powerful.
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\nEven the media is catching on: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1846601.html
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\n*That\'s not to say that I think the RDAs are anywhere near accurate (I don\'t), I\'m just showing the huge increase in nutrients that occurs during the sprouting process.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Ugh, my broccoli sprouts smell bad and are fuzzy white. ewwww - trying again with LESS seeds.
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\nThe instructions state to keep the jar in the dark?!? I don\'t know....
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\nYou need to rinse most sprouts 2 or 3 times a day and not oversoak them. If necessary you can use a high-pressure water squirter to really blast all of the mold and bacteria of your sprouts, but I\'ve never had to do that.
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\nAlso try mixing hydrogen peroxide into the soak water of your sprouts (very effective). If you\'re growing microgreens then also use a teaspoon of H2O2 per 2 cups of water and spray them with that every other day. You can also water them with the mixture.
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\nSprouts are never moldy if grown right, but many automatic sprouters have design flaws (none are perfect) so your sprouts could get a little moldy because they don\'t drain well.
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\nI have been using my filtered water. I really don\'t want to use tap due to the high chlorine and fluoride and what else. I have been rinsing twice a day. Actually I just pour the water thru the screen, swish and dump. Then lay the jar on its side. Four days later, P. U. and all that fuzzy!!
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\nPeroxide for my brocc sprout seeds maybe?\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Try shorter soak times and soaking with diluted hydrogen peroxide. And how much did you put in the jar - and what size is the jar?
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\nYes, it is best to keep them in the dark because it makes for a much nicer sprout; plump and juicy vs tough and fibrous. But if you can\'t sprout it in the dark for some reason it\'s fine to sprout in the light, and there is evidence that certain nutrients increase when sprouts are exposed to light...but certain nutrients also decrease.
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\nIt\'s possible that you just bought a bad batch of seed; if the broccoli sprouts keep molding on you, get rid of the, and find another supplier.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Handy Pantry Organic, seeds.
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\nI see the jars in the pic upside down. There MUST be seeds on the screen. How -' + '- where is the air circulating? I am considering a slight fan but open the top of the jar? Until the next rinse?
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\nI think I missed something. A step somewhere.
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\r\n \r\n Broccoli sprouts are one of the most powerful anticancer foods ever discovered and have many other health benefits too, so don\'t give up on them.\r\n

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\r\n \r\n This is nice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iRQg2QabZs
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\nbut it doesn\'t show WHERE this guy is growing all those sprouts in bowls??!!
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\nBowls? Where does he put the bowls once they are soaked for 10-60 mins - and how is the timing of the soak determined? Is it the type of seed?
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\nI like this set-up. But again, how does air circulate thru a solid plastic bowl?
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\nHe has this to say: Normally you rinse twice a day, using this method it is a 1/day task, it involves soaking the sprouts in a Seaweed solution (which also contains Humate ie prehistoric compost & Magnesium Chloride), giving you a much more nutritious sprout, that tastes better & because of its extra vitality, it can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator where they will continue to grow but at a very slow rate, meaning you have your living food on tap, well in the fridge, with a little less effort from you.
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\nNo recipe for the seaweed solution. Hmmm...grrrrr.....uggghhhh....\r\n

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\r\n \r\n Hello living food et al, Can you let me know if all this lot is okay to sprout and eat?
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\nhttps://stores.ebay.co.uk/midland-see...sub=1256534013 (the seeds are to the left)
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\nI\'m really getting into this sprouting game now. What are your top 10 seeds for recommendation? Kind regards.\r\n

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