How To Grow Your Own Alfalfa Sprouts: Part Two

We feel like proud parents. We watered, swished, rinsed, and nurtured our little alfalfa seeds, and look how grown up they are! At only 6 days old, no less…

About a week ago, we decided to grow our own alfalfa sprouts, spurred on by a desire to get more in touch with our food as well as avoid hazards brought to our attention in an alfalfa recall.

We put organic alfalfa seeds (bought at a health food store) in a jar, covered the top with cheesecloth, and rinsed and drained our seeds twice a day. Read the full instructions in How To Grow Your Own Alfalfa Sprouts: Part One.

After three days, we could see white shoots coming out of the seeds. After four or five days, our swishing was no longer a big, loose swirl of seeds but a thumpity thump rolling of a tangle of growing sprouts. This morning, we saw the green tips of the fully grown sprouts, tasted a few, and decided our work was done. We replaced the cheese cloth with the jar top and put them in the refrigerator.

We did have several clumps of un-sprouted seeds left in the jar, as if they didn’t have room to grow. Maybe they were casualties of a survival-of-the-fittest environment? Or maybe we should have used fewer seeds. Next time we might try one tablespoon instead of two. As for now, we’re buying cream cheese and a good loaf of bread to make sprouts sandwiches.

Anyone else out there growing sprouts? How’s it going?

• Want to grow your own sprouts? Start here: How To Grow Your Own Alfalfa Sprouts: Part One
• Our favorite sprouts sandwich: Sprouts and Cream Cheese on Whole Grain Bread