Do you grow your own sprouts? My online boyfriend Ryan from Botanical Interests Seed Company asked me if I had tried fenugreek sprouts before {I hadn’t} so I decided to give them a try. The verdict? Delicious!
Have you tried them?
Brief description: Fenugreek is a legume typically used as a spice. When sprouted it provides high levels of vitamins, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
Where to Plant Fenugreek Sprouts: In glass jars or sprouters indoors. Keep out of direct sunlight, and make sure you keep them in a place with good air circulation.
Planting Seeds: Fenugreek seeds must be disinfected and soaked prior to sprouting in order to minimize potential E. Coli. To do this, simply soak in 1 tsp. bleach to 1 cup hot tap water for 15 minutes. Then, rinse thoroughly.
I use a Victorio 4 Tray Kitchen Sprouter, but you could also use a canning jar to sprout. Once you have disinfected seeds, soak them in plain old tap water for 6 hours. This softens the exterior of the fenugreek seed. Finally, spread your seeds out in the sprouter trays {or in the bottom of your jar}. Fill the top tray with 2 cups of water and wait for it to trickle through. Repeat the process every 12 hours using fresh water. For a jar, rinse seeds and drain completely every 3-4 hours.
Growing Tips: Once sprouts are ready to eat, you can slow down their growth by placing them in the fridge, giving you a longer time to enjoy them. Also, make sure during the rinsing process, you don’t let your seeds dry out completely–it will make them very angry.
How to Harvest: When sprouts are ready, you simply rinse and eat the whole thing. Fenugreek sprouts are best eaten before green leaves appear, though.
Cool Fact: Fenugreek is a widely used spice in India, especially in curries. Fenugreek sprouts have an equally desirable flavor, with all of the nutritional benefits.
Because I’m all pumped up about sprouts these days, I just ordered the new Botanical Interest Seed Sprouter. I like the design of this one a little better than the one I have right now, plus it has 4 see through compartments which I think is pretty cool as well.
I’ll let you know what I think about it once I get it and try it out.
Peace Out Girl Scouts.
~Mavis
Jenny says
This is probably just me, but I’ll always associate fenugreek with nursing a new baby and smelling like maple syrup! Never thought of them as sprouts.
Ashley says
Haha- that was my thought, too! I didn’t know it was a sprout. Will be very interested to see how they grow!
Tasha K. says
Besides helping nursing mothers with milk supply, it is also used as an artificial maple flavoring…. Which is why you smell like pancakes if you take it while you’re nursing 🙂
the real housewife of suburbia says
I love fenugreek sprouts!! I cook with fenugreek also, strangely, never used it for nursing.
Robin says
I like the new sprouter design. I might loosen the purse strings and buy it from Amazon.
Missy says
do you bleach all of your sprouts or just fenugreek? I haven’t tried fenugreek yet, though I have them, I’ve only been brave enough to do the alfalfa. I’m pregnant, and I know sprouting is already kind of borderline for us pregos because of contamination, so I’m wondering if I should be bleaching all of my sprouting seeds?
Mavis says
Bleaching seeds is recommend if you are growing sprouts.
Jenny says
Hmmm…wondering if fenugreek sprouts would work for nursing too???