Sprouting seeds

There’s no need to stop harvesting home grown crops just because its winter. You can actually sprout many edible seeds all year round and over the winter these tiny sprouts are a vital and tasty source of essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

Unwins seeds sells a wide variety of specially prepared sprouting seeds for growing in this way. These seeds have not been treated with chemicals and are safe to sprout and eat. What’s more, sprouting seeds are easy to grow, you don’t need much room to grow them and even the kids can grow them. You don’t even need any special equipment, though a dedicated sprouter is a nice way to grow them, alternatively use a glass jar and cover the top with muslin held on with an elastic band.

	Step 1 Choose the seeds you plan to sprout and soak them overnight in slightly tepid water.
	Step 2 Pour the seeds into the separate layers of the special sprouter, or into your clean jam jar. Replace the lid or the muslin.
	Step 3 Rinse the seeds thoroughly with slightly tepid water twice or three times a day, pouring away the old water.
	Step 4 The seeds will start to sprout quite quickly, usually within 1-2 days. Continue to rinse them and when the sprouts are about 1cm long they can be added to salads, stir fries and sandwiches.
	Step 5 Sow fresh seed every 1-2 weeks to provide a constant supply of fresh sprouts. Experiment a little with the different sprouting seeds on offer from Unwins and try using them in imaginative ways. A handful use as a garnish to a meal will add important vitamins to the winter diet.

Go back to Easy Gardening Projects for Winter