# An Overlooked Food Prep



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)




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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

I have limited bandwidth, but I'm gonna take a peek.... Thanks!


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Reminds me of something I read just the other day:

http://www.provident-living-today.com/Bulk-Food-Storage.html

Here, they describe a way to prep, quickly using long term bulk items. I've broke it down and figured just for my family for six months. And we have that. So I felt much better knowing we could live this way if we had to....


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Useful stuff U.J!


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks that was very informative!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I've read about sprouting but never tried it. I think it's time.


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## db2469 (Jun 11, 2012)

UncleJoe said:


> I've read about sprouting but never tried it. I think it's time.


I've done it many times and it works! I've grown alfalfa, radish, cabbage and onion sprouts (not as crazy about the alfalfa)...you can buy the growing containers and seeds online....


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

We keep a couple kinds of sprouts going (we have a vegetarian in the house). Great nutrients, lots of variety available, just be sure you know what sprouts you can and can't eat. Keep them rinsed, and throw them out if they get moldy. We use the canning jar method as well as sprouting bags that we just rinse and hang from the kitchen sink to drain. Those are also good camping and backpack trekking, just clip to your backpack for a hiking snack full of nutrients.


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## razorback (Jul 17, 2012)

Thank you!!! That looks like something I could make a meal out of now =) Of course I eat green beans straight out of the can for lunch =)


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Sprouted grain etc is also great as animal fodder. Reasearch 'Fodder farms' for more information, you can knock a system together pretty easily (I have a small one in my hothouse) and it can be part of an aquaponic system. Also look at 'micro greens', the next step on from sprouts. I use up any seed that is getting a bit old for sprouting and microgreens as well as growing some just for that use.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

Wellrounded said:


> Sprouted grain etc is also great as animal fodder. Reasearch 'Fodder farms' for more information, you can knock a system together pretty easily (I have a small one in my hothouse) and it can be part of an aquaponic system. Also look at 'micro greens', the next step on from sprouts. I use up any seed that is getting a bit old for sprouting and microgreens as well as growing some just for that use.


Was that what those folks were growing around their pool that was featured on doomsday preppers? They were in phoenix , subdivision, using their pool for fish, garden etc.


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## WWhermit (Mar 1, 2012)

I've been sprouting seeds for years. I love them. Some of my favorites are broccoli. Loaded, loaded with nutrients and vitamins. There is also a mix that I love to sprout for about 3 days and put on bagels in the morning, it contains wheat, barley, rye, oats, other grains.

That video didn't do a great job of demonstrating proper sprouting. He mentioned mold. That's because he doesn't drain properly. A great youtube channel that shows many demo videos (same company I buy sprout seeds from) is called Sproutpeople. You don't have to buy from them, but the way you sprout makes a huge difference in your yield.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

DJgang said:


> Was that what those folks were growing around their pool that was featured on doomsday preppers? They were in phoenix , subdivision, using their pool for fish, garden etc.


Pretty sure I've seen that Doomsday Preppers but I don't remember what their set up was like.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

OK I"m a dummy what nutrients will be in the sprouts that aren't already in the seeds before they sprout? It looks easy enough but other than a few bean sprouts I have not eaten sprouts. So please be patient with me and explain why i'm better off with them slimy sprouts instead of a slice of bread


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

jsriley5 said:


> what nutrients will be in the sprouts that aren't already in the seeds before they sprout?


Because sprouts are predigested food, they have a higher biological efficiency value then whole seeds, raw or cooked. Less food is required, yet more nutrients reach the blood and cells. The sprouting process under the action of light, creates chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been shown to be effective in overcoming protein deficiency anemia.

Sprouts also have a regenerating effect on the human body because of their high concentration of RNA, DNA, protein and essential nutrients which can be found only in living cells. (Synthetic supplements are not life food.)

The chemical changes that occur in the sprouting seed activate a powerful enzyme factory, never to be surpassed in later stage growth of any legumes.

Some vitamins increase during sprouting by 500%! In wheat, vitamin B-12 quadruples, other B vitamins increases 3 to 12 times, vitamin E content triples. Fibber content increases three to four times that of whole wheat bread.

To begin with, sprouts are the most reliable year-round source of vitamin C, carotenoid A, and many B vitamins (such as folacin), all of which are usually in short supply in our diet. Sprouting seeds, grains, and legumes greatly increases their content of those vitamins. For example, the vitamin A content (per calorie) of sprouted Mung beans is two-and-a-half times higher than the dry bean, and some beans have more than eight times more vitamin A after being sprouted.

Dry seeds, grains, and legumes, while rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, contain no vitamin C. But after sprouting, they contain around 20 milligrams per 3.5 ounces, a tremendous increase. Also, if grown in decent soil or taken from your own garden, seeds, grains, and legumes will be high in organic minerals - so your sprouts will be an excellent source of minerals as well as vitamins.

The great advantage in getting vitamins from sprouts you grow yourself is that you get a consistently high vitamin content without losses. In the dead of winter, when you can't grow anything or get fresh produce anywhere, sprouts will provide a consistently reliable source of fresh, high-nutrient vegetables rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. This will keep your immune system strong and your health in top condition when almost everyone else is getting sick. Why do you think so many people come down with colds and flu in the winter more than any other time? Because they're not getting the vegetables and fruits that would keep their immune systems strong.

Have you ever heard of a vegetable that continues to gain vitamins after you harvest it? Sprouts do! Sprouts are living foods. Even after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly, and their vitamin content will actually increase. Contrast that with store-bought fruits and vegetables, which start losing their vitamins as soon as they're picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/sprouts.html


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Awesome Thanks for the info!! Sounds like I have a new project to start trying. I just never thought that there could be somthing there, that wasn't there before, seems like magic. Maybe miracle is the better word for it, I'll definitely give it a try, be an excellent way to use SoyBeans which are common around here, only ways I see it used locally though is as stock feed and some parched ans somtimes flavored to use on salads or for snacking, Always wondered what to do with them in a survival scenario. 
Are there any seeds that are particularly BAD for sprouting as in bad tastes or even poisonous? 

Another thing I noted is I had some much more difficult and space consuming process in my head when I had heard of it before, I"d have never dreamed it could be done so efficiently. Guess I need to head over to the recipes section and see how to use em.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

We have a seed sprouter ,but have'nt used it yet.Got it from Gardens Alive.

We ned to try it out with some of the seeds we bought for it.Soon as things stop happenign that takes our time.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

UncleJoe, Thanks. Mrs. Horse and I have tinkered with spouting but the video makes it pretty simple. Thanks again!

How did your sprouting work out?


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

I recently picked up 5 lbs of organic crimson clover, alfalfa, and broccoli seeds from www.food-to-live.com Staged 3 jars.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Are there any seeds that are particularly BAD for sprouting as in bad tastes or even poisonous?


Kidney beans need to be cooked thoroughly, their sprouts are no exception. I am more partial to the larger sprouts myself like peas and beans so that is one I make sure to remember.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I used ta get a blt sammich at the college cafeteria what had sprouts on it. Always liked them.

Gonna have ta gather a few thins an try this. May not do this all the time, but can see where this would be great if it falls ta pieces. Good way round these parts ta get some greens in the winter.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

When I took a food storage class from the LDS decades ago, sprouts was the way to have something fresh, alive to eat. They used to do the wheat, milk, salt and oil food storage basics with a theory that you could live on these alone. The wheat can be sprouted.

I have the set-up to sprout, I have just not done much sprouting in my life. 

I have some mung beans for sprouting to make fried rice. It is an easy and inexpensive dish that can be dressed up or simplified.

And yes, I just read that red beans are somewhat toxic if they are not rinsed well after soaking. I had no idea they were a problem, but it occurred to me that they are the one type of bean which we bought canned when I was a kid.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Sprout People videos*






In the midst of this thread, I saw something about wheat grass. This is another excellent nutrient loaded way to use your wheat.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

10 reasons to eat sprouts:

1. Experts estimate that there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than uncooked fruits and vegetables. Enzymes are special types of proteins that act as catalysts for all your body's functions. Extracting more vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids from the foods you eat ensures that your body has the nutritional building blocks of life to ensure every process works more effectively.

2. The quality of the protein in the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains improves when it is sprouted. Proteins change during the soaking and sprouting process, improving its nutritional value. The amino acid lysine, for example, which is needed to prevent cold sores and to maintain a healthy immune system increases significantly during the sprouting process.

3. The fiber content of the beans, nuts, seeds, or grains increases substantially. Fiber is critical to weight loss. It not only binds to fats and toxins in our body to escort them out, it ensures that any fat our body breaks down is moved quickly out of the body before it can resorb through the walls of the intestines (which is the main place for nutrient absorption into the blood).

4. Vitamin content increases dramatically. This is especially true of vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E. The vitamin content of some seeds, grains, beans, or nuts increases by up to 20 times the original value within only a few days of sprouting. Research shows that during the sprouting process mung beansprouts (or just beansprouts, as they are often called) increase in vitamin B1 by up to 285 percent, vitamin B2 by up to 515 percent, and niacin by up to 256 percent.

5. Essential fatty acid content increases during the sprouting process. Most of us are deficient in these fat-burning essential fats because they are not common in our diet. Eating more sprouts is an excellent way to get more of these important nutrients.

6. During sprouting, minerals bind to protein in the seed, grain, nut, or bean, making them more useable in the body. This is true of alkaline minerals like calcium, magnesium, and others than help us to balance our body chemistry for weight loss and better health.

7. Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food. When you grow them yourself you are helping the environment and ensuring that you are not getting unwanted pesticides, food additives, and other harmful fat-bolstering chemicals that thwart your weight loss efforts.

8. The energy contained in the seed, grain, nut, or legume is ignited through soaking and sprouting.

9. Sprouts are alkalizing to your body. Many illnesses including cancer have been linked to excess acidity in the body.

10. Sprouts are inexpensive. People frequently use the cost of healthy foods as an excuse for not eating healthy. But, with sprouts being so cheap, there really is no excuse for not eating healthier.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-reasons-to-eat-sprouts.html#ixzz2pX3LrLuz


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I gotta jar a wheat sprouts doin there thin right now. Gonna try em on sammies an salads. Then I thin I'm gonna order some seeds, wanna try radish an a few others.

I bought a cheap stainless steel strainer at the big box, took it apart an got 2 screens outa it fer my sprouting jars. Just used the ring what comes with the mason jar an cut the screen ta fit it. So, I had the jar an ring with the costa the screen I got like a buck in my sproutin jar. Online they wan't like 4 bucks just fer a plastic lid. I'm to cheap fer that.

So, as time goes by an we try different seeds, guess we'll have sumtin else ta store!


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Any yall ever sprout Kamut seeds? Spoused ta be some sorta wheat but bigger an they say ancient. Sounds interestin an the price be ok.

Just don't wanna buy a pound ifin they suck.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

OldCootHillbilly said:


> I gotta jar a wheat sprouts doin there thin right now. Gonna try em on sammies an salads. Then I thin I'm gonna order some seeds, wanna try radish an a few others.
> 
> I bought a cheap stainless steel strainer at the big box, took it apart an got 2 screens outa it fer my sprouting jars. Just used the ring what comes with the mason jar an cut the screen ta fit it. So, I had the jar an ring with the costa the screen I got like a buck in my sproutin jar. Online they wan't like 4 bucks just fer a plastic lid. I'm to cheap fer that.
> 
> So, as time goes by an we try different seeds, guess we'll have sumtin else ta store!


Good idea! I am using cheese cloth and hair bands!


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Been eatin wheat sprouts on my sammies fer lunch fer two days. Good stuff!

I'm gonna order some other seeds ta try, some radish, alfalfa an some kamut. Easy enough ta do, no sense in not doin it. Nice change fer the diet.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I love sprouts! I use old 'Fluval' aquarium filters for sprouting them. As far as growing my own to save, it takes a TON or a LOOOONG row of radishes to get a decent amount to store. Alfalfa, my favorite so far, I have not tried to grow and save but expect the same. It will take a LOT of area to grow enough seeds to sprout for a year. As well as the energy to harvest them.


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## boomer (Jul 13, 2011)

When growing my own sprouting seeds, getting them cleaned of dirt and is the difficult part.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*You can sprout in many places!*


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## NavaBoer (Dec 5, 2013)

I have about a ton of garbonzo beans that we feed to our goats. are they good for sprouting? I wonder if we could feed more to the goats after its been sprouted. We limit the amount of beans we give the goats because they will bloat if they eat too much at once. would sprouting be a safe way to feed more?


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

NavaBoer said:


> I have about a ton of garbonzo beans that we feed to our goats. are they good for sprouting? I wonder if we could feed more to the goats after its been sprouted. We limit the amount of beans we give the goats because they will bloat if they eat too much at once. would sprouting be a safe way to feed more?


If they are not from Hybrid plants, they should be viable seed, depending on how they were cleaned, stored, etc. Garbonzos are one of many used for sprouts. I can't say they would definitely be better for animal feed when sprouted, but with all I've read about the huge boost in nutrients when sprouted vs dormant, it would stand to reason that your animals would also benefit from this. Keep in mind that you have at least a 1.5:1 yield ratio from sprouting with small shoots, and quite a bit higher yield if allowed to develop long shoots, so you will use less seed than when feeding dormant seed, and lastly, you will need even less to meet the nutritional needs due to the increases in nutritional value when sprouted.

Whatever you do, don't eat raw sprouts from seeds that were not specifically intended for consumption by humans as raw sprouts. Seeds, in general, can be contaminated by bacterium, such as E-Coli, etc, and this can be transmitted to you if eaten raw (food poisoning)...that's where the big scare from raw sprouts came from years ago...FDA has worked with sprouting seed producers/suppliers to provide safer sprouting seeds. If you will cook them, (ALMOST) anything goes, barring chemically-treated seeds (pesticides), of course, and preferably not from chemically-treated plants (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers or other growth-enhancements). Check your supplier's product info before you buy...if it doesn't state "sprouting seeds", then it's not intended for eating as a raw sprout. Organic seems to be the best route, as methods used to "clean" non-organic sprouting seeds may include the use of toxic chemicals to destroy any biological contamination. Technically, you could grow your own sprouting seed plants _with heirloom seed_, provided you grow organic, and have the means to keep everything sanitary from start to finish.


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Love sprouts for flavor, texture, and nutrients. Have decided to not try brassicas anymore as they are too malodorous during the process to keep around and enjoy. Have saved garlic chive seeds which make delightful sprouts but I find them a bit difficult to separate from their chaff.


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Found myself repeating my opinion so removed my comment.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

gam46 said:


> Have saved garlic chive seeds which make delightful sprouts but I find them a bit difficult to separate from their chaff.


Have you considered trying to build a small fan-powered winnowing machine?

I have found several simple designs for them on the web.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

The original link on post 1 is broken, here it is:


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## gam46 (Jan 24, 2011)

Again, I repeat myself.


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