Sprouts on the hoof

[dreamshark]

I finally remembered to take a picture of a jar of alfalfa sprouts before decanting for a couple of folks who expressed a desire to know more. This is one Tablespoon of alfalfa seeds after 4 days. The first time I used 2 Tbsp and could barely get them out of the jar. One is plenty.

Comments

[quadong]

Nice.

[maruad]

Very cool. How much water ask an inquiring mind?

[dreamshark]

You don't have to measure anything really. The only reason to measure the seeds is so you don't put in too many. Soak the seeds overnight, then pour off the water the next day. Set the jar upside down at an angle in a dish so that air can come in and any excess water can drain out. Every 8 hours or so rinse the seeds thoroughly and put the jar back in the draining position. That's all there is to it.

The hardest part is finding somewhere to buy alfalfa seeds in small quantities. I got them at my neighborhood coop.

[laramie]

I find a heapin' tablespoon yields the right amount for me. I only rinse them once a day - every morning. Does rinsing more often make a big difference somehow?

I got mine at a coop until they had some problem selling them, then I ordered a whole pound of the alfalfa seed through a retailer I found by googling online.

[dreamshark]

I don't know - the instructions I found said rinse them 3 times a day. I don't know why you rinse them at all.

[laramie]

I did a quick google search and it said: "Washing your hands before and after handling alfalfa sprouts and rinsing the sprouts thoroughly will ensure that any if any bacteria is on your sprouts it won't be passed to other foods, according to Food Safety.gov."

so... to reduce risk of bacterial growth?

[dreamshark]

I suppose. I notice that when I rinse them the rinse water is very faintly brownish, which suggests to me that there might be some sort of waste product produced by the sprouting activity.

[laramie]

Yep. My rinse-water is brownish, too. The seed hulls are brown; maybe they are not color-fast. Maybe there's dirt. Anyhow, rinsing seems like a good idea.