THE HUNT: HOPE SPROUTS
In the 1970s, growing sprouts was an expression of authenticity. These days, the green shoots are prized more for their health properties.
In the 1970s, growing sprouts was an expression of authenticity. These days, the green shoots are prized more for their health properties.
as was the custom in the 1970s, I grew sprouts. Lots of them. I pretty much lived on cheese-and-sprout sandwiches for an impoverished year or two—usually alfalfa, and always using the dead-simple one-jar method. We didn’t know much more.
The weird thing is that I completely forgot about that culinary chapter of my life. I only recalled it upon attending last month’s Seedy Saturday event, the annual celebration of home agriculture that everybody ought to ink into their spring schedules. It was there, among the composting systems, mushroom kits and permaculture exhibits, that I ran into Teresa and Jamie Dahl, Calgary distributors for a $35, bowl-like device called the Sprout Grower (403-606-6814, sproutgrowers.com) which purports to be the final word in hygienic, fast-growing sprout technology. The Dahls, needless to say, are proselytic about the nutritional benefits of living food. A few years back, Jamie suffered terrible gut issues until he got on a daily regimen of sprouted mung beans, which he calls “my vitamin pills. And, boy, did they clear up my stomach problems.”
Of course, sprouts have always had a reputation for nutritional awesomeness. True or not, back in the day it was frequently cited that there is only one food known to contain everything a human requires: the sprouted sunflower seed. As Jamie puts it today, the lowly green mung bean boasts “3,000 different enzymes and 560 proteins.” No wonder sprouts like that feature so prominently in the contemporary raw food movement.
Unlike in the bell-bottom era, modern sprouters enjoy a vast array of seed options and consumption styles. For example, Jamie points out that his “pills” are at their peak when the tail is no more than two or three times the length of the bean. Letting them go longer just leads to a woody texture. Therefore, they are optimally blended into smoothies or sprinkled on salads.
This is not to say that you can’t still make a delicious sandwich with longstemmed, green-tipped versions of other sprouts. Places like Community Natural Foods sell bags of seeds specifically intended for sprouting, all of them organic and GMO-free, to be sure. Brassicas like radish, mustard and broccoli are prized for their spiciness. Some lentils fully sprout in a day or two rather than five. You can also use grains such as buckwheat and rye, pea shoots, nuts, and even alliums like leek and garlic. While many home sprouters combine seeds for flavour purposes, you can buy pre-mixed ones like the excellent Mumm’s Ancient Eastern blend of fenugreek, lentils, kamut and adzuki. And in case you want to try before you buy a sprouting set-up, Community sells a dozen or so varieties of fully-grown sprouts.
So what about that equipment? Well, with its stainless-steel screen and BPA-free plastic, the Sprout Grower claims it’s fast and virtually eliminates any problems with mould. There are also three-decker cylindrical trays ($32) that help you cycle through crops. But for cheapskates like me, the old ways are just fine: First, put on a Carly Simon album. Then get a Mason jar and fashion a lid with plastic screening (smaller than your intended seeds, of course) held by a rubber band. Soak your seeds in the jar on a kitchen counter in filtered or distilled water from four to 12 hours, depending on seed size. Drain, and then keep inverted in a bowl in a warm, dark closet. Rinse the sprouts a couple of times per day, ensuring full drainage. After three to five days they should be done. Some people then like to bring them to a sunny windowsill to green up the tops.
Their macramé vibe notwithstanding, sprouts remain one of the all-time greatest lettuce surrogates. Just remember that it’s not all about nutritional penance. Their subtle flavours needn’t be showcased in the bland ’70s style. Sprouts cry out for pairing with aggressive spices or salty, cured meats. Thanks for the reminder, Seedy Saturday; I’m back on the Peace Train.