Guest post for Brunette Gardens, cross-posted here
I'm allergic to pretty much anything that grows. Contact allergies give me hives when I touch most plants and hay fever makes me miserable in spring and fall. Needless to say, I never thought I could grow a garden. When Lisa told me that pea sprouts might help with allergies and they could be grown in a jar, I decided it was worth a shot. That conversation was last July (see it here) and two things have happened. I have a new friend and I can grow delicious and nutritious sprouts inside my house!
I started with pea sprouts. Seeds must be soaked overnight to germinate and then strained and rinsed a few times daily. I bought some mason jars with strainer lids to facilitate the process. The pea sprouts were ridiculously easy to grow in the summer and fall. They are less enthusiastic about winter (I am also less enthusiastic about winter, so I get it.) The pea sprouts take longer and produce less this time of year.
What DOES grow fabulously despite the gloom is mixed salad green sprouts. It takes about 5 days from germination to harvest, and they require nothing but a fresh-water rinse a few times a day and a little daylight. My husband puts them on eggs. I like them on hearty toast, especially if I can get a ripe avocado. Broccoli sprouts also thrive in winter. They are a little peppery, so I mix them with salad sprouts.
It's a challenge to harvest bigger sprouts (like peas and sunflowers) out of a jar, so I bought an inexpensive tray, a filter, and a lid. If I had better skills, I might have made something like it, but I wanted to see whether it made a difference. So, my current setup is little seeds in a jar and big seeds in the hydroponic box.
For the cold-weather-loathing pea sprouts, I experimented with different rooms. The kitchen where they had been gets chilly with letting the dogs in and out (Who knew standard poodles like sub-freezing temperatures?) So, I moved the most recent batch to my bedroom near one of the heater vents. Then I shifted to my husband's home office, the warmest and brightest room in the house. He started growing herbs there after Christmas under a small grow light. I called the experiment "searching for light."
In the same five days that the salad sprouts grew from seed to food, the pea sprouts barely sprouted roots and an anemic-looking leaf. Once I moved them near the grow light, they were much happier. I called them the hap-pea sprouts. Now I know they need warmth and light, just like I do to thrive.
So, why bother with growing sprouts besides their deliciousness? They're cheaper to grow than buy, they don't require much attention, and they offer significant health benefits:
Sprouts contain carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, supplying more Vitamin A than a similar weight in tomatoes.
Sprouts are a source of folate (vitamin B9), along with Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Niacin.
Sprouts are rich in Vitamin C
Sprouts also contain copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
Sprouts contain enzymes that help the body absorb minerals efficiently.
It only takes a cup of sprouts for maximum benefit. They're delicious in salads, sauces (like pesto and chimichurri), and smoothies.
They take up little room and, if left to grow a little longer, will develop into microgreens containing chlorophyll, polyphenols, and amino acids that may act as antioxidants.
There is something deliciously satisfying about consuming something you've grown. The first humans were gardeners, but the connection between ancient ancestry and modern food is lost in corporate food production. As a culture, we in the West rely on supermarkets as a primary food source. Farmer's markets are a step to reconnecting with our ancestral purpose, but growing at home can be a spiritual exercise. Instead of a chore, caring for these little seeds is an opportunity to remember that our bodies were made to thrive on the provisions of the land. That original garden was meant to be worked, but not toiled over. Growing sprouts reminds me that the Creator's plan was for us to be joyfully invested in our food supply, always aware that every plant and animal had a purpose. There's a reason that the Israelites grumbled about manna in the wilderness; it may have been perfectly nutritious, but it was boring. Astronauts experiment with growing plants in space because we humans love variety on our plates. We can live on a nutritionally balanced wafer or shake, but we thrive on the sensory elements of food: color, flavor, texture, and smell. Watching seeds sprout in a jar on my kitchen countertop reminds me of God's great grace, desiring that even in the act of sustenance, there can be delight.
DISCLAIMER: I may have a Ph.D., but I make no pretense of being a medical doctor or a medical professional of any kind. I do my research, but you must consider your own health and recommendations from your physician. There are no promises implied or guaranteed.
Resources:
Pea Shoots Nutrition: See All The Nutritional Facts & Health Benefits - Home Microgreens
Microgreens—A Comprehensive Review of Bioactive Molecules and Health Benefits - PMC
What Are the Health Benefits (and Risks) of Eating Raw Sprouts?
Amazing Benefits Of Sprouts | Netmeds
Tiny sprouts provide big nutrition | American Heart Association