I know that sprouts have been mentioned before in food storage but here we are in the winter and our family is having wonderful (if not quite voluntary) meals from our self-sufficiency plans and one thing becomes obvious to me:we still crave fresh vegies. We have some lettuce growing and that is good the once a week that it produces, but what we realize is how a sprouting set-up can be really vital to self-sufficiency.
One can sprout a wide variety of nutritious seeds (dozens of varieties!), the seeds will store well, you don't need a garden, and they require next to no special equipment to sprout. You do need to have gathered the necessary materials however and not be sprouting your garden seeds.
We're not that crazy about sprouts so I didn't pay too much attention to storing sprouts before but now. I have in the past tried to add alfalfa sprouts to our diet (probably when I was pregnant) and one of the problems was that there were so many of them and then they went bad all at once. I can still remember the smell. But here in mid-winter with only canned vegies, they are sounding quite appealing. Also, the chickens are stuck inside their coop because they refuse to set foot in the snow (there's nothing out there for them anyway) and since they are producing nearly a dozen eggs a day, I'd like to give them some greens. That solves that waste problem.
BTW, We had a lovely savory quiche last night for dinner with leftovers to go for lunch today yummmmm.
So, I'm beating the drum of adding a sprouting kit and seeds to your food stores!
this post was edited for grammar
10 comments:
I love sprouts! Growing them for the chickens is a good idea too. Mine have plenty of grass to eat, but if they didn't growing sprouts for them would be good. I've been meaning to start some more sprouts for about a week, I think you finally motivated me.
I know what you mean about sprouts! I don't love them, but when you're eating seasonally they become more appealing as a bit of green in your day.
I've never been wild about alfalfa sprouts, but once I started sprouting other things, I started liking sprouts as a whole much better. I love spicy sprouts (radish, cress) and lentil sprouts, and sprouted sunflower seeds are great in a salad. I also find that the bigger, sturdier sprouts seem to last longer. They also seem to keep longer in the fridge if I store them in a snapware box and NOT a plastic bag. Now I want to go home and grow some sprouts!
OK, I'll try it. I hate alfalfa sprouts, and bean sprouts even more, but I never thought of using them in soups or sprouting anything else.
We are craving veggies too, the stores from the garden are nearly gone.
thetinfoilhatsociety: (do you have a shorter name?;-). I do think the larger sprouts are good in stir-fry and with cabbage in a wrap or an eggroll.
Radish sprouts are great added to miso soup (when I have whole radishes I add those to the soup). And, yes, egg rolls and stir-fries take my bean sprouts. Wheat sprouts I only add to breads, tho, don't use as a veggie.
I took a calss on growing sprouts last summer- it is so easy- my favorate is radish sprouts. I just use 1/2 pint mason jars, cut some netting the size of the lid, put it on the jar and screw down the lid! Instant sprouting jar!
ANd thank you for editing for grandma!
We sprout too...for the greens to add to salads and sandwiches, as well as grains to add to bread. So yummy. To supplement our winter foods we are also growing micro greens and herbs in pots in the windowsill and on the kitchen counter. Have been able to grow quite a lot! :)
I've never liked sprouts, but I bought a sprouting lid for a quart canning jar, just in case, and some mung beans. I should probably get more kinds of sprouting seeds. I hear the sprouted wheat is good in bread-baking, and I have a small jar of wheat berries.
I keep meaning to do some sprouting but I also keep forgetting. I've got a stash of various seeds and also like to do wheat berries. (Sprouted 1 day, they cook far faster!)
Thanks for the reminder, Verde.
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