Turn your windowsill into a mini farm of sprouts and microgreens. They’re fast, fun and easy to grow.
Sprouts, shoots, and microgreens have undergone a revival, appearing in chefs’ hatted restaurants and smoothie bars worldwide. Not only are they a decorative garnish, they are also a tasty and abundant crop suited to salads, Asian-inspired cuisine, kids’ lunchboxes and as a side to hearty winter casseroles.
Highly nutritious, the wheatgrass shots of the late 1990s highlighted the powerhouse of concentrated nutrients found in the seedlings of edible plants. These are best germinated without soil, such as growing sprouts in a jar, to avoid contaminating young seedlings, although carefully harvested soil grown shoots are just as nutritious, and highly decorative.
As a child, my mother grew alfalfa in a tiered tray system. Each tray had sprouts in different stages of growth, ready for a salad roll or snack, but, you don’t need a kit to grow these treats. A clean jar, a piece of cheesecloth and a rubber band will see you growing sprouts in no time, while microgreens can be germinated in seedling trays or any vessel you like, as long as they have at least 1cm of growing mix, water and light.
Perfect for windowsills and the side of your kitchen sink, these year-round greens are easy and fun for gardeners of any age to grow, and they suit all kitchens, regardless of size.
Cover the top of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band, then strain off water. Flush with water and drain two or three times a day, and then watch with delight as the seeds germinate and start developing into delicious sprouts. Once they are done, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.
This growing method is suited to alfalfa, mung beans, radish, cress, fenugreek, lentils and rocket seed. Only use seed that is specifically for sprouts because other seed may be treated with chemicals, as is often required by law due to import regulations. Buy organic seed, if available, so you know what you are germinating and eating.
Grown without soil, sprouts are short-lived but highly nutritious packed with vitamins, enzymes, essential fatty acids and fibre. In their infant ‘sprouting’ phase, plants have up to 20 times more vitamins, 100 times more enzymes and higher levels of calcium, magnesium and protein.
Pea shoots and sunflower shoots are the most nutritious, with 30 times more nutritional value than mature vegies, and they are also high in protein. Red radish is popular for its purple stems, or you could try coriander, basil, rocket, spinach or pak choy. Most annual herbs make tasty microgreens, offering a hint of their mature flavour, which is why they are so popular as a tasty garnish.
Soak seed overnight, then drain and apply to the soil surface. Sow seed thickly, but not overlapping. Place in a dark area for 2–3 days and cover with an inverted seed tray or similar dome. Wet dome twice a day and replace.
In a few days, your seed will have germinated and the tray of shoots or microgreens can be placed on a light windowsill to grow, but be careful to avoid direct sun. Rotate the tray and watch the seedlings bend towards the light. Use a spray bottle to mist twice a day. Harvest your microgreens within 1–2 weeks, using scissors to avoid contaminating the fresh shoots with soil, and add to smoothies, salads, stir-fries or rice paper rolls.
Sprouts, shoots, and microgreens have undergone a revival, appearing in chefs’ hatted restaurants and smoothie bars worldwide. Not only are they a decorative garnish, they are also a tasty and abundant crop suited to salads, Asian-inspired cuisine, kids’ lunchboxes and as a side to hearty winter casseroles.
Highly nutritious, the wheatgrass shots of the late 1990s highlighted the powerhouse of concentrated nutrients found in the seedlings of edible plants. These are best germinated without soil, such as growing sprouts in a jar, to avoid contaminating young seedlings, although carefully harvested soil grown shoots are just as nutritious, and highly decorative.
As a child, my mother grew alfalfa in a tiered tray system. Each tray had sprouts in different stages of growth, ready for a salad roll or snack, but, you don’t need a kit to grow these treats. A clean jar, a piece of cheesecloth and a rubber band will see you growing sprouts in no time, while microgreens can be germinated in seedling trays or any vessel you like, as long as they have at least 1cm of growing mix, water and light.
Perfect for windowsills and the side of your kitchen sink, these year-round greens are easy and fun for gardeners of any age to grow, and they suit all kitchens, regardless of size.
Growing sprouts
Sprouts are the ideal indoor crop, and once you start, you’ll never stop. In less than a week, you can turn a teaspoonful of seeds into a jar of fresh sprouts. Simply place your seed in the jars, cover with water and soak for 24 hours.Cover the top of the jar with a piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band, then strain off water. Flush with water and drain two or three times a day, and then watch with delight as the seeds germinate and start developing into delicious sprouts. Once they are done, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.
This growing method is suited to alfalfa, mung beans, radish, cress, fenugreek, lentils and rocket seed. Only use seed that is specifically for sprouts because other seed may be treated with chemicals, as is often required by law due to import regulations. Buy organic seed, if available, so you know what you are germinating and eating.
Grown without soil, sprouts are short-lived but highly nutritious packed with vitamins, enzymes, essential fatty acids and fibre. In their infant ‘sprouting’ phase, plants have up to 20 times more vitamins, 100 times more enzymes and higher levels of calcium, magnesium and protein.
Growing microgreens
Microgreens, or micro leaves, are decorative and delicious. Germinated in soil or organic potting mix, they are a little more difficult to grow than sprouts, but are the perfect crop for winter when it is too cold to garden outside.Pea shoots and sunflower shoots are the most nutritious, with 30 times more nutritional value than mature vegies, and they are also high in protein. Red radish is popular for its purple stems, or you could try coriander, basil, rocket, spinach or pak choy. Most annual herbs make tasty microgreens, offering a hint of their mature flavour, which is why they are so popular as a tasty garnish.
Soak seed overnight, then drain and apply to the soil surface. Sow seed thickly, but not overlapping. Place in a dark area for 2–3 days and cover with an inverted seed tray or similar dome. Wet dome twice a day and replace.
In a few days, your seed will have germinated and the tray of shoots or microgreens can be placed on a light windowsill to grow, but be careful to avoid direct sun. Rotate the tray and watch the seedlings bend towards the light. Use a spray bottle to mist twice a day. Harvest your microgreens within 1–2 weeks, using scissors to avoid contaminating the fresh shoots with soil, and add to smoothies, salads, stir-fries or rice paper rolls.
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