Combating the snow with alfalfa sprouts.
The winter continues to wrap its white quilt over Sweden. I am writing an article about urban food growing and doing my best to recall the budding summer feeling I had following a group of “guerilla gardeners” who planted a fruit tree in a centrally located park in Stockholm last June. But with snowflakes dancing around outside my window, digging and planting seems all too far away.
Easy food-growing
To drive that feeling off I have started growing sprouts in my kitchen cupboard. It’s a brilliant way of making your own fresh, delicious and enormously nutritious food. And far cheaper than the ready sprouts you can buy at the supermarket. There is a whole variety of seeds that can be used: alfalfa, mung beans or sunflower seeds just to mention a few. And – it’s easy.
DIY
If you haven’t tried yet, here is how to do it:
- Use a wide-mouth jar.
- Pour some seeds in it. Remember that the seeds will grow several times their own size, so don’t use too much. Normally I just cover the bottom of the jar.
- Place a fine-meshed net (a nylon stocking works very well too) over the opening of the jar and put a rubber band to hold it in place.
- Leave the seeds soaking in cold water for a night.
- Then rinse the seeds two-three times a day by pouring cold water into the jar and leaving it upside down for a while, so the water can drain off.
- After draining leave the jar in a dark kitchen cupboard until it’s time to rinse again.
- When the sprouts are the length that you want (for alfalfa or mung bean that takes around three or four days) they are ready to eat. To give them a greener colour you can leave them in the light for a day, but otherwise keep them in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
