A wide spread scare about eating sprouts has been publicized by the US FDA and other public health watchdogs in reaction to two incidents of contaminated seeds and the poor storage of commercially sprouted seeds in many grocery stores. The fear motivating these agencies is their responsibility to protect the general population who often purchase mindlessly and rely on such agencies to guard their safety and well-being. This awesome responsibility often leads these agency decision-makers to take a reactionary "better safe than sorry" position which limits the marketplace for intelligent and responsible consumers. In the US, this watchdog thinking is causing legislation to require irradiation of seeds ~ without disclosure of such on labeling! All I can say is ~ Please don’t help me anymore! |
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Canada has refused to do this. |
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A cup a day of fresh, live, carefully grown sprouts contributes the necessary life supporting enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and fibre as nature intended . . .as a whole and complete food. With sprouts supplying such a substantial nutritional content*, how should we respond to this concern for public safety? If your Inner Wisdom leads you to continue using sprouts, as mine does, here
are some thoughts. |
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1 ~ Consider sprouting at home in the controlled environment of your kitchen.
Follow sprouting instructions carefully and pay attention to the process daily.
Respect and have reverence for the miracle of these little living plants and you
will be on the right track.
2 ~ Purchase your seeds from reputable, certified producers. . . who will
tell you if their seeds are irradiated or not and where and how they are grown. |
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3~ Create a consistent routine for caring for your sprouts. . . their well-being will contribute to yours! Float off and discard hulls with each rinse. Watch for any mold forming. . . or any "off odor." If present . . . discard. Sprout only enough seed in one container to make a thin layer. *(See full sprouting instructions & nutritional chart)
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Use your Inner Wisdom |
Sprouting Seeds for Good Health 1. Care About It |
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Musings from a Snowy Day |
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The winter light has begun to
change and March is nearing. My husband is outside- sweeping
a path to Skittles' necessary ~ thoroughly The supply of tomatoes we put up last Fall is dwindling. Each jar I open is a reminder of the abundance in our lives: green, yellow, red peppers, curly green parsley, sweet onion, fresh picked oregano; garlic simmered with ripe plum tomatoes carefully packed in glass jars and stored for these winter days. Two quarts goes into the pot of home-made chili simmering on the stove. There will be enough tomatoes to get us into the new season when we once again do this early Fall ritual. Outside there is no sign of
greening things today. I give thanks for the beautiful
day, for being safe and warm inside, |
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How to Grow Sprouts on your Window Sill 2. Read the Instructions |
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Sprouts need: cleanliness,
moisture from pure water, temperature range of 70-80 degrees to sprout, darkness
or low light during sprouting, daily rinsing and proper storage. cleanliness means
the sprouts are organically grown, harvested with care by responsible people,
soaked and rinsed in pure water, grown in clean containers, and stored properly
in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pure water means
filtered or certified pure ~ Small seeds like
alfalfa need an overnight soaking to germinate. Place about 1 Tablespoon of
seeds in a clean quart jar with a screen mesh top. Use a canning lid and cut a
circle from a new piece of house screening (plastic type). Fill the jar with
tepid (not hot/not cold) water and set aside overnight. In the morning,
drain the jar and rinse gently to float off
any bubbles which may have formed on the seeds. Notice how the hulls are
starting to split open. After rinsing, turn the jar to spread the seeds as
evenly as possible around the sides. Make sure no seeds are immersed in water -
they will rot. Cover the jar with a clean dish towel and place on its side under
your sink or if you want to control the temperature in the wintertime. . . in
your microwave or oven with the light on. . . Rinse the seeds this way twice a day until they sprout and form two leaves. After the sprouts start to form, you may want to rinse off the loose hulls which start to decompose. Fill a clean bowl with fresh water and swirl the sprouts around allowing the un-sprouted seeds and the loose hulls to overflow with the water into the sink. You don’t have to get them all. . .replace the sprouts in the jar and allow them to "green up" in the sunlight - diffused sunlight. Then eat them or store them in a container which allows some air to circulate. Rinse them every couple of days and allow to dry before storing again in the refrigerator. Start a new batch
every couple of days! |
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To add mineral
content - soak seeds and spray developing sprouts with Store in
refrigerator in container that allows air circulation. |
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How to use your sprouts 3.
Enjoy!!! |
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Type |
seed size |
time to sprout |
Predominant Nutrients |
alfalfa | small |
2-3 days |
vitamins: A, B, C, E, & K |
lentils |
medium |
2-3 days |
minerals,
trace elements, enzymes |
mung |
medium |
2-3 days |
proteins, iron, potassium, Vit C |
radish |
medium | 4-5 days |
potassium, phosphorus, Vit A & C |
Sprouts are loaded with calcium and more elements than can be listed here.