Sprouting Supplies
Sprouting Equipment to Get You Started

Photo courtesy of niels roza

How many sprouts?

This will be determined by a number of things. How many people are in your family? Do you already use sprouts in recipes? What kinds? Do you intend to use sprouts as a garnish in soups, breads, sandwiches, or as a salad (instead of lettuce)? Deciding exactly HOW you will use the sprouts and how many people will be eating them will help you know how many to make.

If your family already likes sprouts, you should plan to make them on a regular basis. If your family hasn't eaten them before or they don't like them that well, keep your investment in sprouting supplies small and your system simple.

What kind of sprouts?

Do you cook with bean sprouts? Does your family only like to eat a few sprouts sprinkled on a soup or salad? Maybe they just like to add the zip of radish sprouts to enhance the flavor of a dish. Or some alfalfa sprouts in your favorite homemade bread? Or do they like to use many different kinds of sprouts. You can make different kinds of sprouts at the same time. You just need to get the right kind of sprouting supplies.

How much time will you spend sprouting?

Sprouting doesn't take much time, but some methods are even easier and less time consuming than others.

If you work outside the home and only have a few moments a day to devote to sprouting, you may want to invest in different sprouting supplies than you would if you could rinse and nurture your sprouts several times a day.

Sprouting Equipment

There are several kinds of sprouters available. The sprouting equipment that I'll list below is all manual. The sprouters don't require electricity and they are easy to clean. They also cost a whole lot LESS than the electrical sprouting machines.

You can use these manual seed sprouters anytime—not just in an emergency! Look them over and then decide which one will work best for you.

• Sprouting Trays - Stacked trays allow you to stagger your sprout harvest, grow several different kinds of sprouts at once, and the footprint of the unit is fairly compact. If you get the kind that requires that you rinse the sprouts manually, you can purchase one of these units for around $20. It will last for years.
  
  

  

  The Kitchen Crop Tray Sprouter is an example of a manual tray sprouter.

  Another type of sprouting tray unit is for family size sprout crops. The Sprout Garden Kitchen Garden Sprouter has a 9” diameter base and is a nice size for families. It's just a little over $20, and you can do the same things with it as the Kitchen Crop Tray Sprouter.
  
  

  

  The Sprout Garden kitchen garden sprouter is a nice size
  for growing sprouts for a family or group of people.
  
  

• Hemp Bag - This is great for larger seeds like beans and grains. Using a hemp bag gives you excellent drainage and air circulation for your growing sprouts. A hemp bag is portable, too. You can easily take it with you when you travel – use it while backpacking or in a hotel.

• Jars and Lids - This is the least expensive sprouting equipment of all – and the most basic. Jars have less air circulation and drainage is not as good as a tray sprouter, but, if you have the time to fuss with them a bit, they work just fine. You can buy special lids for quart jars (buy one or just use a mayonaise jar), or you can use netting or a piece of screen. Hold the screen in place with a canning jar ring or a heavy duty rubber band.

• Sprouting Kit - This just combines the sprouter, some seeds and a booklet with directions, and, probably some recipes. This might be the simplest way for you to get started learning how to grow sprouts . All the sprouting supplies that you need will be included.

  Getting your sprouting suppliestogether requires a little time to decide exactly what you intend to do and which equipment will work best for you. But, once you make a decision, the rest will be easy.

  The next thing you need to do is get a supply of seeds. When you know how you will use the sprouts, you can decide on the kinds of sprouting seeds to purchase and add to your emergency food storage . Keep in mind that you will be able to grow between 5 and 7 pounds of sprouts for every pound of sprouting seeds or beans that you purchase.

  And don't forget to buy some seeds to use right now. You'll have fun playing with your new sprouter, and your family will appreciate the addition of sprouts to some of your recipes.
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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