Growing sprouts

“As I decided to eat more healthy foods I tried my hand at sprouting,” says graphic designer Kyle Shoesmith. “I used three different types: mung bean, chickpea and, my personal favourite, alfalfa seeds. The latter has a delicate yet crisp texture that complements salads very well.” Follow Kyle’s advice on growing your own sprouts

While quite easy to prepare, bean and pea sprouts take a few days to sprout. They’re packed with protein, vitamins, amino acids and minerals, so they’re well worth the wait.

The first step is to soak them in bowl. This should be done overnight or for eight to 12 hours.

I bought beans, peas and seeds from Dis-Chem, but they’re readily available at most health stores and some supermarkets. The kit used for sprouting them is from Dis-Chem as well.

Once the seeds have soaked rinse them well in the kit. Its designed so water flows through three different levels to a catch tray at the bottom. After that, rinse them at least twice a day until they germinate.

After three days the mung beans were ready but the other two needed another day or two.

Send us pics of your sprouts via Facebook or Twitter, we’d love to know how you’re getting on.