It’s easy to grow delicious, healthy sprouts. To be a good sprouter, just pay attention to four simple variables: the right amount of moisture, the correct temperature, the free circulation of air, and minimal contact with light. Rinse the sprouts several times a day to keep them moist and wash away carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes that could cause souring or spoiling. Use cool water when rinsing; this ventilates and cools the sprouts, and prevents overheating. Proper draining prevents excessive moisture that can cause mold and rot. The ideal sprouting temperature varies from seed to seed, but generally lies between 70 and 85 degrees. To protect your sprouts, keep them away from cold drafts, direct heat, and any light. To keep air circulating freely among the sprouts, keep at least one third of the container empty. Sprouts expand to six to ten times their original size over a few days, so leave plenty of room for them to grow. Sprouts are very light sensitive in the early stages of the growing cycle, and need to be covered.

For a quart jar, start with 1 ½ table- spoons of seed in the jar, put on the special sprouting lid, and partially fill the jar with warm (not hot) water. Swirl the water to cleanse the seeds, then pour it out. Refill the jar with warm water three times higher than the level of the seeds, and soak overnight in dark area.

Pour out the soak water. Place the jar at an angle to strain out any extra water in a location not exposed to direct sun- light. Turn the jar to spread the seed; cover with a towel and leave for three to four hours.

Rinse the sprouts with cool, fresh water two to three times a day until they are ready to eat. When the sprouts begin to cast off their seed hulls, let the jar overflow with water, and the hulls will float out the top of the jar through the screen. Turn the jar to spread out the seeds each time you rinse.

Pour the sprouts into a pan or sink of clean water. Skim off any remain- ing hulls that float to the surface. Other hulls will fall to the bottom of the container. Pull out the sprouts, gently shake off excess moisture and drain in a colander.

Clean the jar and lid. Place spouts back in the jar for greening. Place in indirect sunlight; near a kitchen window is fine. After the sprouts have greened with chlorophyll and carotenes for about a day, rinse, drain, and eat (or refrigerate) your sprouts!

If you rinse them every day or two, sprouts will stay fresh and hearty for a week or more when refrigerated. You can even give the green sprouts an extra hour of sunlight after rinsing to keep them at their nutritional peak.

***Caution: Since sprouts are frost sensitive, don’t place sprouts near the freezer compartment.