sprouting lid

Fits on every mason jar old and new, 500ml and 1000ml

Price: $$3.99

nutrition

The tiny seeds are packed with stored nutrients just waiting for the moisture to start the germination process. Germination is simply the birth and growth of a baby plant and it is both fascinating and wonderful just like the birth of a child. A common sunflower seed, for example, is only 1/4 inch long, but it contains the blueprint necessary to provide for the development of a 6 foot plant. A grain of wheat, increases its vitamin E content 300% after only 2 days of growth and the B2 vitamin riboflavin jumps from 13 milligrams to 54 mg in the sprout. In general, b vitamins can increase 300% to 1400% depending on the variety. Enzymes that start the chemical process of a developing plant are abundant in sprouts and help with digestion. Protein production in sprouts is quite dramatic since it is needed for the growth and development of cells. Alfalfa sprouts contain 3.8% protein and sunflower sprouts contain 4.0% This compares with Boston and Bibb lettuce which contain 1.2%, New Zealand spinach 2.6%, and Iceberg lettuce less than 1% protein. Minerals also increase during germination. The potassium content of alfalfa sprouts is 870 mg (per 100g), while Boston lettuce has 264mg. Alfalfa has 210mg calcium and New Zealand spinach 2.6mg. The addition of liquid kelp to the soak and or rinse water increases mineral content to levels that are as much or more than growing the plants in soil.

value

Sprouts are excellent value. 400 - 500g  of alfalfa greens = only 5 tablespoons Where else can you get organically grown greens for a low  price! Even if you do get organic produce, it often comes from far away. Sprouts are alive and are growing till the time you put them on your plate. The nutrients are in their prime and the enzymes are abundant. The sprouts grow themselves. All you have to do is keep them warm and moist.  The sprouts grow themselves. All you have to do is keep them warm and moist. New techniques such as using a sprout bag (designed for sprouting) instead of a jar, make sprouting fast and simple. Just dip the bag in water twice per day. It literally takes seconds! You can grow bushels of fresh young sprouts in little space and little time. Green thumb not required!

sprouting

Wash seeds, pick out any foreign material and obviously blemished seeds. Soak seeds in luke warm water for 2 to 4 hours overnight. This is to bring all the seeds to a uniform moisture content, and to begin the germination processes. Drain and rinse. Place in sprouting jar.  provide a war environment during the entire sprouting period (about 5 days) for best quality sprouts. Temperatures of between 80 and 85 F result in slightly quicker growth but produce more elongated sprouts. wash  thoroughly with lukewarm water  every 4 to 6 hours, allowing the water to drain completely each time, for maximum flushing of accumulated carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes and to provide adequate aeration and oxygen flow. Watering frequency may be reduced to 6-8 hour intervals per day during the fourth and fifth days. Water temperature and frequency of watering are particularly important during the second day of sprouting to maintain the desired temperature, since this is the time that the greatest amount of heat is generated by the sprouting seeds. Sprouting seed must not be allowed to overheat or stand in water since anaerobic conditions will develop, the seed may die or decay, and bacterial contamination may result. Alfalfa seeds are the easiest to start off with. that is about  Put one tablespoon of alfalfa seeds in the bottom of the jar. Don't use too many seeds or you'll get clumps of seeds that do not sprout.  Pour water on the seeds to cover them plus a couple of inches and let the seeds soak overnight. After soaking, drain the water through the screening. Twice a day, pour water onto the seeds, swish it around and drain the water off. Keep the bottle of seeds in a dark place or keep it on the counter with a cloth covering it. Tilt the bottle on its side and let the seeds spread around on the sides of the jar to give them lots of room to expand. The sprouting process takes about 4-5 days. On the last day, when the sprouts are about 1 inch, put the jar in a sunny window for about 4 hours. The leaves will turn green during this time from the development of chlorophyll and then your sprouts will be ready to enjoy! This sprouting method can be used with a variety of different seeds, grains and beans. With soy bean and chick peas, rinse four times a day and make sure they are well drained or they'll rot. The following is a time table for sprouting with the desired length of each type of sprout and how long it should take.