In addition to seeds for a garden, anyone can produce fresh healthy and extremely nutritious sprouts on a kitchen counter with nothing more than a couple of plastic ice-cream containers. They can provide a real respite from canned veggies while you're waiting for the crops to mature and year-round fresh greens. I sprout the common mung beans (think Chinese cooking) but I also do lentils, various peas and beans and (if I could get it) I would do alfalfa and clover. You can also make a respectable salad in your kitchen with a tray of mesclun seeds, grown to a few inches high. Peas, any variety, will produce a delicious green in a few days in a sprout tray. You can get a lot of information and supplies from Sprout People or you can just buy regular seeds and beans from the supermarket or seed supply store. I did 'em years before I even considered how they might supplement a 'survival kitchen' for the fun and goodness of it! - Lisa in Panama.
JWR Replies: Sprouting is indeed a great way to provide essential vitamins. Ounce for ounce, sprouting seeds are the most nutritious and space and weight efficient form of storage food! Sprouting seeds and sprouting kits (with trays) are available from a variety of Internet vendors, including some SurvivalBlog advertisers such as Ready Made Resources, Nitro-Pak, and Lehman's. Also, don't miss this letter on sprouting wheat grass, in the SurvivalBlog archives.
Wheat Sprouts and Wheatgrass as Survival Foods, by SF in Hawaii
One of the problems with stored food is the inevitable deterioration of the vitamin content. You don't have to worry about the mineral content going anywhere but vitamins are notoriously fragile. While many have asked for the best kind of multi-vitamin supplement for long term storage, the answer for the survival community is simpler. Many of us have buckets of wheat stored. So make wheat sprouts and wheatgrass juice.
Vitamins increase substantially during the sprouting process. In regards to wheat, vitamin B-12 quadruples, other B vitamins increase from 3 to 12 times and the vitamin E content triples. Vitamins A, K and others also increase. Amino acid levels (the building blocks of proteins) similarly increase and fiber content increases three to four times that of whole wheat bread.
Dry seeds, grains, and legumes are rich in protein and complex carbohydrates but contain no vitamin C. Fortunately, the sprouting process creates 20 milligrams of Vitamin C per 3.5 ounces of wheat.
Sprouts can be eaten in as little as 48 hours after soaking (and rinsing). No light is required for the first few days and at this stage, they are more grain than vegetable. Over time (and with light) chlorophyll begins to form and they transition from grain to vegetable. Eating them takes a bit of getting used to. Young sprouts can be eaten whole and are very chewy, and sweet. No cooking needed. They are an excellent G.O.O.D. food for your survival pack. All you need is a glass mason jar and a mesh cap. Go to your local health food store and ask for the plastic ventilated tops that fit over mason jars for sprouting. If you want to decrease the weight, put them in a stocking or plastic paint strainer mesh (available at your hardware store) and then into a plastic wide mouth bottle. As you travel, the wheat will convert into chewy nutritious little snacks. In terms of travel, if you think that you will have access to water (hiking near a river or other other water source) but no cooking fuel (wintertime and it's wet) then this is an excellent option. They sprout while you hike. If a member of the party has dental problems, make a mortar and pestle from two rocks and crush the sprouts before eating them. Remember, we don't manufacture cellulose, the enzyme that other animals have to break down plant fiber. If you don't cook or juice your vegetable, you must chew (or crush) them to get anything out of them.
Here is a list of other seeds/grains/beans you can sprout as well as how to sprout in a jar.
If you have the time and inclination, you can go from the sprout stage to the grass stage. Again, this shifts the wheat from grain to vegetable. This will change the relative protein, carbohydrate and vitamin composition so I suggest you use your powers of observation. If you crave the sprouts at one growing stage versus another, honor it. It's your body telling you that given your current state of malnutrition, that stage of the sprout you are craving contains the maximum amount of what you need. Wheatgrass juice is a little sweet and many will get nauseous even if they drink only an ounce at a time. It is very potent stuff, but not dangerous.
Here is a link for sprouting to the grass stage including techniques to sprout without soil or trays (you can even use a baby blanket):
Be mindful that when going for the grass stage, hygiene is everything. You must start with clean grain or mold will grow on them.
Wheatgrass juice can be chewed but this is very labor intensive. Ann Wigmore who made wheatgrass juice famous ate grass from her lawn with her grandmother during the war in Germany and attributes it to her and her Grandmother not starving to death. I think that a wheatgrass juicer is a very sound investment, as important as any other in my survival kitchen. No, a regular juicer will not work. You will need a wheatgrass juicer. With it you can also juice other leafy greens if you like. Manual wheatgrass juicers are not overly expensive unless you want to go stainless steel but they all work pretty much the same way. [JWR Adds: Used wheatgrass juicers can sometimes be found on eBay for very reasonable prices.]
If you have wheat then you have bread and vegetables if you know how to juice. In the summer months, if you have grass growing nearby and it hasn't been sprayed with pesticides and other lawn chemicals you have a garden you may not have been aware of. While not all grasses are necessarily safe to eat, you can experiment with a drop at a time. As with all suspect plant life, first put a drop on your skin and see if it gets irritated over the next few hours. If that works, next put a drop under your tongue and spit it out. Was it bitter or soapy or was there a milky sap? (A survival botanist who wants to elucidate/correct this would be appreciated.) If not and if you feel okay after another few hours, next try to drink a drop. With some experimentation you may be able to determine if the grass varieties growing wild in your local meadow are safe for consumption.
While many other sprouts are also useful and certainly more tasty and easier to manage (mung, buckwheat, adzuki) wheat is something that anyone reading this blog is likely to have in abundance. You can, however, sprout any grain or bean too increase it's vitamin content. Also, sprouting does not mean you must eat it raw. You can sprout your beans and grains and then still cook with them. The chinese do this with mung beans in their cooking. You will lose some of the vitamin content by cooking them but you will still end up with a meal many times higher in vitamin content than otherwise. - SF in Hawaii
Growing Sprouts For Your Health
Deep inside a seed, there is hidden a blueprint, a genetic package sleeping, waiting to awaken. As water is introduced, enzyme inhibitors are disabled and the seed explodes to life. Germination unfolds, and enzymes trigger elaborate biochemical changes. Proteins break into amino acids. Water-soluble vitamins such as B complex and vitamin C are created. Fats and carbohydrates are converted into simple sugars. Then the seed expends all its energy to break through the soil. Weight increases as the seed absorbs water and minerals.
Through the miracle of germination, thiamin increases five-fold and niacin content doubles. Vitamin C, E and carotene increase. In fact, the vitamin C content becomes as rich as tomatoes. Sprouting is accompanied by an intense enzymatic hydrolysis of protein. Stored proteins are broken down into component amino acids. Because the protein is predigested, sprouts are more easily assimilated and less gas-forming than dried beans. Digestibility is vastly improved.
In 1940, the United States Army sponsored a full investigation on sprouted seeds, studying their usability as food during war. During World War 1, the British Army sprouted beans to ward off scurvy in the trenches. When building the trenches, they calculated the sprouting area needed to feed a battalion.
There is nothing like fresh bean sprouts in a salad. Sprouts can be cooked quickly with a dab of Soya sauce and a dash of fresh flax oil to make a delicious meal. Sprouts make a pleasant addition to soup as long as they are added a few minutes before turning off the heat. Just about any seed or bean can be sprouted for eating, and is great fun for the kids.
Make sure when you use seeds or beans for sprouting they are good-quality. Health food stores will have an abundance of beans and seeds for sprouting. If you find a problem in sprouting your beans and seeds, they are probably too old. Some beans available in stores have been treated with inhibitors to stop the sprouting process. Do not use seeds that are packaged for gardens because they may be treated.
Here are some examples of the most popular beans and seeds for sprouting.
WHAT CAN I SPROUT?
ALFALFA
This has only recently been discovered to be excellent for sprouting. Alfalfa comes from North Africa where it is used as a crop for animals and green manure. Some believe alfalfa sprouts to be the most nutritious food in the world. They are high in protein, chlorophyll, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin K. When the root is 1½ inches long, it will begin to develop tiny green leaves. At this stage it needs to be eaten immediately so the plant will not switch to photosynthesis that exhausts the stored food in the seed. Raw alfalfa is delicious in stuffing pitas, nori sheets or sandwiches, using an avocado dressing. It would seem a grievous act to cook these delicate threads of life.
BARLEY
Barley converts the largest amount of starch to sugar which is why it is widely used in producing beer. It has therefore been studied more thoroughly than any other seed. Again as with many grains, the roots should be no longer than the seed size itself.
CHICKPEAS
Commonly known as garbanzo beans. Primarily a pulse crop grown in India. The sprout is tender and delicious and is ready to eat when the root is between 1 1/2 and 2 inches long. Cooking requires only 5 minutes.
CORN
Finding corn for sprouting is a real trick because the germ is rarely intact because of how the kernels are removed from the cob. The root should be allowed to grow for only 1 inch in length. Cooking time is approximately 8 minutes.
FENUGREEK
This legume is still used in medicine, food and teas. It is a spicy seed that is excellent for making curry. Use when the sprout has grown to 1 1/2 inches long. Fenugreek is often sold where the seeds are broken for making fenugreek tea. Make sure you buy whole fenugreek seed.
LENTILS
When lentils are sprouted, they become sweeter with a delicate flavor. They need only 5 minutes of cooking compared to 30 minutes for dried lentils. But we love them raw! Lentil sprouts are ready to be eaten when the root is 1 inch long.
MUNG BEANS
These are the easiest to sprout for beginners. Mung bean sprouts are common in Chinese restaurants and grocery stores. They have a delightful fresh raw flavor. When the bright white root grows from 1½ to 2 inches long, they are ready to eat. Cook no more than 3 minutes.
PEAS
Sprouting peas increase their sugar content, giving pea sprouts a sweet vegetable flavor. Wrinkled or smooth varieties work equally well. When root is 2 inches long, they are ready to eat raw, or need only 5 minutes for cooking.
SOYA BEANS
These are the most nutritious of all sprouts and are commonly used in China. The small soy bean that is yellow in color is excellent for sprouting. Soya beans are considered fairly difficult for the inexperienced sportiest because they are prone to fermentation, especially during the warm weather. To overcome this problem, rinse sprouts often and remove discolored and unsprouted seeds. They are ready to eat when the root is 2 inches long. Soya bean sprouts require approximately 10 minutes for cooking. These sprouts are higher in protein than any other bean.
SPROUTED BREAD
This delicious cake-like bread has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Sprouting grains and baking at low temperatures allows the wheat to be less mucus-forming and more digestible. This is a better quality bread because it is closer to a living food. Sprouted bread can be bought at your local health food store.
VARIOUS LEGUMES
Other legumes that can be sprouted successfully are lima, marrow, pinto, kidney, harlot, navy, adzuki and broad beans. You can also sprout black-eyed, cow gram, pigeon and red gram peas. Some of these may be difficult to find but are fast becoming more available.
WHEAT
A light delicious flavor resembling fresh, picked corn. The sprouts should not be longer than inch or less. Grain sprouts grow faster than legumes and refrigerating them does not seem to slow them down. Do not confuse wheat grass and wheat sprouts. As wheat sprouts become wheat grass, they take on completely different nutritional properties. Wheat sprouts cook within 8 minutes or less. Wheat can be bought in health food stores.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SPROUTING
Most people do not attempt to grow sprouts because they think it is too complicated. Yet we have very little to do with the process. The key is to keep them moist and rinse them a few times per day, and then simply stand back and watch.
You are going to need a big jar with a perforated lid. You can use an elastic band with cheesecloth to replace the metal lid. A cheesecloth cover rinses easily. Remove any broken or damaged seeds before you begin to sprout. These seeds can rot and cause sprouts to have an unpleasant smell. Damaged seeds are much easier to remove at this stage than trying to maneuver through the delicate roots that are forming during the sprouting process.
Keep in mind that sprouting increases the seed volume 6 to 8 times. Four tablespoons will be sufficient for a quart-sized container. Soak the seeds or legumes according to the time given in the chart provided.
Rinse seeds well and place inside the jar. Twice a day rinse the seeds delicately so as not to break the little shoots. Broken shoots will begin to rot or go moldy, causing an unpleasant smell. You may find a pungent smell to your sprouts. This is caused by byproducts being produced by the growing sprouts. Sprouts should be moist, but keeping them immersed in water will cause them to rot. Rinsing twice a day ensures that they will not dry out and die. As sprouts begin to develop, lightly shake to remove excess water.
Sprouts do not have to grow in darkness as they would in soil. Some introduce sunlight during the latter period of sprouting, allowing the sprouts to produce chlorophyll and vitamin C. This will compromise vitamin B2, a fair trade for chlorophyll. When sprouts have grown to size, they can be kept in a refrigerator, but will continue to grow.
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