Sprouting

It's wet and squally outside, it feels a very long time since Christmas but the days are just getting long enough and there are just enough patches of blue sky in the murk to make me want to start growing things.
Apart from some hyacinth bulbs on the window sill (that I'll plant in the garden for next year. They come up looking more like bluebells than full hyacinths but still smell beautiful) and the seeds in the propagator that need a long growing season- chillies, peppers, aubergine- there isn't much to do. The soil is much too cold to start anything. I was watching a Grown to Cook video which suggests sowing spinach under cover now to plant out in March, so that's on my to-do list for the weekend, but in the meantime seeds will sprout all year round and are great in salads, stir-fries and sandwiches.

Alfalfa and mung beans after a couple of days

You can sprout pretty much any seed of which you'd eat the mature stems and leaves. Mustard and cress are the classic childhood seeds to sprout. I used to sow them on blotting paper, sometimes in the shape of my initial, but I can't remember the last time I saw that for sale, so you can use a piece of kitchen towel (I use the takeaway paper napkins that end up in my bag after drinking in a cafe when you get given ones you don't use) or just sprout in a shallow tray, which is better as you can eat the whole thing and don't have to leave the seeds behind (though they can go in the compost) or just sprout as the other seeds. I also sprout red clover, mung beans (from a supermarket) and alfalfa and I've just bought some broccoli and sunflower seeds to try, though I might grow them as micro greens, in a little bit of compost and cut with scissors like pea shoots. Plastic mushroom trays work well for this. Any old dried peas can also be sprouted or grown as microgreens- the tendrils taste of fresh pea. Whole lentils and fenugreek seeds can also be sprouted.
You don't need to buy special seeds for sprouting but make sure the seed hasn't been treated with anti-fungals and is fit for human consumption- I'd be wary of your average packet of sunflower seeds, for instance.

Sprout these or grow as pea shoots

Sprouting seeds are more nutritious than unsprouted seeds and grains and are possibly more digestible. Nutrient values obviously vary according to the type of seed, but most contain vitamin C, traces of B vitamins, fibre, protein and trace minerals. Red clover is surprisingly high in calcium- 20mg in a cup sized serving. They're a refreshing addition to your diet when the only other green thing in season is kale or chard.

The simplest and cheapest way to sprout is to put a tablespoon or so of seeds in a jam jar, rinse with cool water and drain. This is easiest through a piece of muslin held on with an elastic band or kilner ring. Soaking first speeds up germination, especially with the larger seeds. Rinse and drain about twice a day. I keep mine on the windowsill by the kitchen sink so I remember to do it. If they begin to smell at all musty rinse more frequently.

Red clover in a kilner jar

I got a nice pottery stacking system for Mothering Sunday a few years ago, which I love but the drainage holes do get clogged by tiny seeds.

The tray underneath collects the rinsing water which is great for watering pot plants.

It's easy but do keep up the rinsing and make sure everything is clean as warm, moist conditions are also perfect for bacterial growth.

They're ready in a couple of days. I mostly eat them raw, but mung beans are an obvious candidate to add to stir fries. To grow beanshoots more like the ones you buy in the shops, keep them in the dark rather than on the windowsill.

Anybody else sprout seeds?