Friday, May 4, 2012

Fenugreek and red cabbage sprouts success


Maybe it's a little too soon to be doing the happy dance but for this second do-it-yourself attempt, growing sprouts (germogli/jehr-MOH-l'yee in italian), was ridiculously easy. So easy, in fact, that I've got it in mind to try whatever's out on the market, starting with the Geo brand by Bavicchi seeds.

The process for sprouting basically reads all the same from the internet to the back of the packaging itself, but I must make mention of the website Sprout People (http://sproutpeople.org) for going into such detail regarding text and images in coaching first-time growers. I only wish they could ship overseas (and pass through customs) because the prices on their website makes my seeds look like iranian caviar. Until I can source a bulk supplier, buying the packets is costing me approximately $31/lb for fenugreek seeds and a whopping $89/lb for red cabbage seeds.

On with the show... After soaking the seeds overnight, I drained them the next day and placed them in their respective containers: the box from the mushroom kit for the fenugreek and a 2 quart glass jar for the red cabbage. I rinsed and thoroughly drained them once in the morning and once in the evening, giving it a 3rd rinse only if I felt that the room was too warm.


Red cabbage seeds after soaking overnight.


Sprouts on the 4th day. Package directions state 4-6 days so I left them for 1 more day. A paper towel secured with a rubberband is used to close the mouth of the jar, allowing the sprouts to breathe.


Red cabbage sprouts - 5th day. Excess moisture needs to be removed in order for sprouts to keep well. A salad spinner does the job fast, but I also had to use a paper towel since the holes in my spinner bowl are biggish. Total weight of seeds pre-sprout: 12 grams. After sprouting: 82 grams or less than 3 ounces.



My mother used to make fenugreek tea and I remember that it had a really horrible off-putting, medicine-like smell. After an overnight soak, I noticed a gel-like substance after draining. Totally harmless.


Repurposing the mushroom kit.


Fenugreek sprouts on the 4th day. They taste like soy sprouts to me. Total weight of seeds pre-sprout: 35 grams. After sprouting: 146 grams/a little over 5 ounces.