Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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Here are some of the benefits of growing your own fresh sprouts:
High in beneficial nutrients:
Sprouts have a higher concentration of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, and they are easily digested and assimilated. Eating fresh sprouts strengthens the immune system like no other food or nutritional supplement can.
Organic and fresh:
When you produce your own sprouts, you can be sure that no chemicals in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, etc. were used, and they are always fresh when you cut them.
Easy, rapid and economical to cultivate:
Sprouts can be grown rapidly and easily from any type of seeds (see below for basic cultivation principle). There is practically no limit to the variety of seeds you can use. It is also very economical: not only seeds are not expensive to obtain, but you can generate large volumes of sprouts using small quantities of seeds, as the volume of sprouts generated after germination may be many times the volume of seeds used!
Beautiful and decorative to present:
By using sprouts of a varied colors and flavors, you can create attractive sandwiches or dishes that you will be proud to serve.
High in beneficial nutrients:
Sprouts have a higher concentration of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, and they are easily digested and assimilated. Eating fresh sprouts strengthens the immune system like no other food or nutritional supplement can.
Organic and fresh:
When you produce your own sprouts, you can be sure that no chemicals in the form of pesticides, fertilizers, etc. were used, and they are always fresh when you cut them.
Easy, rapid and economical to cultivate:
Sprouts can be grown rapidly and easily from any type of seeds (see below for basic cultivation principle). There is practically no limit to the variety of seeds you can use. It is also very economical: not only seeds are not expensive to obtain, but you can generate large volumes of sprouts using small quantities of seeds, as the volume of sprouts generated after germination may be many times the volume of seeds used!
Beautiful and decorative to present:
By using sprouts of a varied colors and flavors, you can create attractive sandwiches or dishes that you will be proud to serve.
Basic Sprouting Principle
Various types of Sprouts
As mentioned, cultivating sprouts is quite easy. In principle, all you need to do is soak the seeds for a period that depends on the type of seed used. You then rinse them and place them in a jar like vessel with the rim tightly covered with a piece of cloth to replicate the state of being under the earth. The jar is left at room temperature, 65°F to 85°F (18.3°C to 29.4°C), until full sprouts are obtained, but to provide them with the required moisture and prevent them from souring and rotting, the sprouting seeds need to be rinsed and drained a number of times per day, the number depending again on the type of seed used.
Though there is practically no limit to the variety of seeds that can be used for sprouting, care should be taken to get them from trusted sources to avoid inedible seeds and bacterial diseases that can be caused by contaminated seeds. Also, it is primordial that the sprouting (germination) method be strictly hygienic to avoid bacterial contamination of the sprouts at any stage of the process.
Finally, you should always obtain information on the watering and rinsing requirements of the type of seeds you will be using so that you can provide them with the right conditions for optimal sprouting.
Though there is practically no limit to the variety of seeds that can be used for sprouting, care should be taken to get them from trusted sources to avoid inedible seeds and bacterial diseases that can be caused by contaminated seeds. Also, it is primordial that the sprouting (germination) method be strictly hygienic to avoid bacterial contamination of the sprouts at any stage of the process.
Finally, you should always obtain information on the watering and rinsing requirements of the type of seeds you will be using so that you can provide them with the right conditions for optimal sprouting.
Comparing the Selected Sprouters
Victorio Tray Kitchen Seed Sprouter
Victorio Tray (Photo: Victorio Kitchen Products)
This is a very simple sprouter composed of 4 separable stacked seed growth trays. There is a top reservoir tray where the water is poured and a bottom basin tray where the water drained from the upper trays is collected. The reservoir lid will keep dust, insects, etc. from getting into the seed trays. Each of the four growth trays is designed to use water surface tension to keep the correct amount of water in the tray for all stages of the growing process.
Once the four middle trays are covered with pre-soaked seeds, water is poured into the top reservoir tray, The water gets siphoned down to the lower trays and ends up in the bottom basin tray. Remember to empty the basin tray when top trays are completely drained or before the next watering.
You will need to rotate the bottom tray to the top of the stack before each watering and replace the reservoir lid on top. The seed trays need to be rotated because the lower trays get already used water from the upper trays, and if no rotation were done the results obtained from the lower trays would not be satisfactory. Fresh unused water always enhances the proper growth of the seeds.
Be sure to water your seeds 2-3 times each day. It is important not to spread too many seeds on a given tray so that there will be enough space for them to expand. It should normally take from 3 to 5 days to get your sprouts. Note that this system is expandable and additional growth trays can be bought separately and added to the basic configuration.
The Victorio sprouter is a compact unit that can be easily placed on the kitchen counter. It should ideally be placed at room temperature away from direct sun light. It is important to take apart the unit after each use and clean it thoroughly, including the siphon hoods, to avoid mildew formation and to free all parts from any stuck seeds or sprout bits. The sprouter can be hand washed, using a soft cloth and warm, soapy water. Make sure you dry it thoroughly before storing. If desired, it can be washed in the dishwasher, but on the top rack only. DO NOT use the drying cycle.
Pros: low cost, simple to operate, no soil required, small countertop footprint, no power required, stacked four trays can grow four crops at once, siphoning system prevents over watering, BPA free, 2-Year warranty.
Cons: seeds need to be pre-soaked, trays need to be rotated, siphons could get plugged, thorough cleaning required after each use, requires manual watering and manual draining of used water.
Sprout Garden Sprouter
Sprout Garden Sprouter (Photo: Handy Pantry)
This is one of the most basic sprouting systems you can get with surprisingly good results. It comes with three seed trays that are stacked. But contrary to the Victorio, it does not use a top-down siphoning system to water the seeds in the three trays. One has to take the trays individually under the faucet and rinse the seeds, drain the water, before they are stacked again. Even though the water is drained from the trays, the moisture left on the seeds is enough to activate the sprouting. Here is the procedure to follow with this device:
- First soak the seeds in jars for about 8 hours.
- Transfer the seeds from the jars into the trays and let the water drain.
- Rinse the seeds in each tray under cool water and make sure all the water is drained from the trays.
- Stack the trays, and place the cover on.
- Rinse the trays twice a day (morning and evening) for about 4 days. Each time make sure all the water is drained, and the sprouts get thoroughly washed. This will prevent them from molding,souring, or rotting.
- After 4 days, if you like your sprouts green, let them sit in indirect sunlight for a couple of hours
Pros: low cost, simple to operate, no soil required, small countertop footprint, no power required, stacked three trays can grow three crops at once, by buying multiple sets can stack even higher, BPA free. dishwasher safe, lifetime replacement warranty, comes with good instructions.
Cons: pre-soaking of seeds required, some drainage holes may get stuck, thorough cleaning required after each use, requires manual rinsing and draining.
FreshLife Sprouter
FreshLife Sprouter Parts (Photo: Tribest)
This is an automatic sprouter in the sense that it comes with a built-in special sprinkler system that is able to determine environmental conditions (such as humidity, dryness,etc) within the unit and automatically irrigates the sprouts when required.
It is composed of two barrels: the lower barrel is the reservoir filled with water, and the upper barrel is where the seeds are spread and the sprouts grow. A sprinkler tube goes through the middle of the barrels, from the bottom all the way to the top where the actual sprinkler is fitted (see picture on the right).
If desired, a second sprout cultivation barrel can be added by stacking it on top of the first one. This doubles up the volume of sprouts grown.
Each barrel can yield about 8-16oz sprouts, and each comes with two circular trays. The first tray goes on the bottom of the barrel and that is where the seeds are spread. The second tray is placed on top of the seeds to keep them in place until they start sprouting. Once they start sprouting the second tray can be removed. Each seed tray is divided into 4 quadrants and this allows the cultivation of 4 types of sprouts per barrel.
It is composed of two barrels: the lower barrel is the reservoir filled with water, and the upper barrel is where the seeds are spread and the sprouts grow. A sprinkler tube goes through the middle of the barrels, from the bottom all the way to the top where the actual sprinkler is fitted (see picture on the right).
If desired, a second sprout cultivation barrel can be added by stacking it on top of the first one. This doubles up the volume of sprouts grown.
Each barrel can yield about 8-16oz sprouts, and each comes with two circular trays. The first tray goes on the bottom of the barrel and that is where the seeds are spread. The second tray is placed on top of the seeds to keep them in place until they start sprouting. Once they start sprouting the second tray can be removed. Each seed tray is divided into 4 quadrants and this allows the cultivation of 4 types of sprouts per barrel.
Tribest FreshLife Sprouter (Photo: Tribest)
The unit does not take too much space and can be kept on the kitchen counter if desired. Just like the previous sprouters discussed here, this unit does not require any soil.
To start the sprouting process
That's it!
The sprinkler will be activated automatically as required. But the water in the reservoir will have to be changed daily (and even twice a day for better results) as recycled water full of toxins and other impurities hinders the growth of sprouts.
Also, the barrels and the trays should be wiped clean after each use to prevent contamination.
To start the sprouting process
- Fill the lower barrel with water to the fill-line adding a drop of human grade hydrogen peroxide to prevent molding issues.
- Place the seeds on the circular tray lying on the bottom of the sprouting barrel.
- Cover the seeds with the second circular tray.
- Cover the barrel with the lid.
- Plug the unit to the power outlet.
That's it!
The sprinkler will be activated automatically as required. But the water in the reservoir will have to be changed daily (and even twice a day for better results) as recycled water full of toxins and other impurities hinders the growth of sprouts.
Also, the barrels and the trays should be wiped clean after each use to prevent contamination.
Pros: simple to operate, no pre-soaking of seeds required, small countertop footprint, stackable: two barrels can grow 8 types of sprouts all at once, sophisticated sprinkler system prevents over watering, BPA free, 1-year manufacturer's warranty.
Cons: thorough cleaning required after each use, water is recycled and therefore the reservoir water needs to be changed as often as possible to prevent sprouting problems, all parts must be hand washed.
Summary Comparison of the Three Sprouters
The table notes are explained below:
Note 1: With FreshLife, the same water is reused to sprinkle the sprouts again and again until the water in the reservoir is changed.
With Victorio and Sprout Garden, water from the upper trays will trickle down to the lower trays.
Note 2:With Victorio, water is poured manually from the top and a siphoning process is used to provide just the amount of water needed by the seeds on the trays below. With Sprout Garden, the trays are manually rinsed under the faucet and left aside to drain well before they are stacked again. With FreshLife the built-in sprinkler detects when irrigation is needed and sprinkles the sprouts.
Note 3: In order to prevent contamination and ensure the equipments are working properly, regular cleanup and maintenance of all sprouting equipment is a must! Please read carefully the instructions provided with the product (in the user manual or other documentation) to make sure that you are following properly cleaning and maintenance instructions.
Note 1: With FreshLife, the same water is reused to sprinkle the sprouts again and again until the water in the reservoir is changed.
With Victorio and Sprout Garden, water from the upper trays will trickle down to the lower trays.
Note 2:With Victorio, water is poured manually from the top and a siphoning process is used to provide just the amount of water needed by the seeds on the trays below. With Sprout Garden, the trays are manually rinsed under the faucet and left aside to drain well before they are stacked again. With FreshLife the built-in sprinkler detects when irrigation is needed and sprinkles the sprouts.
Note 3: In order to prevent contamination and ensure the equipments are working properly, regular cleanup and maintenance of all sprouting equipment is a must! Please read carefully the instructions provided with the product (in the user manual or other documentation) to make sure that you are following properly cleaning and maintenance instructions.
The selected Sprouting Kits are all available below on Amazon:
Please click the sprouter images below to check their price or to purchase.
Victorio VKP1200
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Sprout Garden
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FreshLife
Automatic Sprouter
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