disappointing radishes

A friend gave us a bunch of radish seeds for sprouts. I planted them in a container and here's what they grew into...not totally unexpected but pretty disappointing.

red clover sprouts

We are very lucky to have many small organic farms in Boulder. Some of these farms even have greenhouses. This means that during the warmer winter weeks we can ride our bikes out to the edge of town to buy local chard. But for those weeks that we are not so willing to make the journey for fresh greens, we grow red clover sprouts in our very own kitchen!

Ingredients:
1 T. red clover seeds (makes ~3 c. sprouts)
water

Soak 1 T. red clover seeds overnight in cool water in a glass jar covered with cheese cloth and a rubber band (or you could buy metal mesh or plastic lids sold specifically for this purpose). In the morning strain out the water and place the jar in a bowl open face down but at an angle so that air can still circulate in there. Store away from direct light and rinse 2 or 3 times a day for 3 days (or more in winter).

If you unfamiliar with sprouts, you can use them in things like sandwiches.

mung bean sprouts

Bean sprouts used in spring rolls and stir-fries are germinated from mung beans. And guess what, you can sprout them in your very own home! The home sprouting process is very rewarding. You can witness so much growth and change as these little guys pop out of their shells. It serves as a reminder that stagnant dried beans are actually bursting with life.

Yield: 4 cups (unpacked)

Ingredients:
2 margarine tubs
1/3 c. dry mung beans
cool water

I made a sprouting container by drilling many small drainage holes in the bottom of a margarine tub. I also drilled a few breathing holes on the side. A second margarine tub should be left as is so that you can stack the containers and hold water.

For the most part I followed the sprouting outline on Sprout People.

Soak the mung beans overnight in cool water in the margarine tub without holes. In the morning transfer them into the margarine tub with drainage. Rinse with cool water. Drain thoroughly. Store on a wire rack in a shady spot with plenty of air circulation. Place a weight (like a mason jar filled with water) on top of the beans. The weight makes the sprouts grow a little fatter.

For the next 3 days, rinse the beans/sprouts with cool water every 12 hours. You can remove the weight while you are rinsing but be sure that you do not disturb the order of the sprouts. Rinse with a trickle of water or a kitchen sprayer for a minute or so. Just try to be gentle. Undisturbed sprouts will create a net of pressure which will help them grow straighter and fatter.

On the 4th day, place the margarine tub with drainage inside the margarine tub without drainage. Gently fill the stacked containers with cool water. Allow the sprouts to soak for 15 minutes. Remove the margarine tub with drainage and allow the sprouts to thoroughly drain. Then let the sprouts grow for 24 hours without anymore rinses.

Finally, you can remove the tightly packed sprouts from the margarine tub. Eat them immediately or store them in the refrigerator.

Side Note:
I personally think that it is a good idea to use beans that sold are specifically for sprouting. Sprouting beans have fewer non-germinating duds. People say that non-germinating duds can be a problem because they can spoil while other beans are sprouting. Dud spoilage could potentially spoil your whole batch which, as a beginner, does not sound fun. You can usually buy sprouting beans from a health food store.