Off and on for years we have grown alfalfa sprouts to eat. It's very simple, really. Take a quart jar, add some seeds, put on the lid, cover them with water to soak, drain off the water, rinse them a couple of times a day, and watch them grow. With very little effort, you have a fresh, nutritious addition to your diet any time of year. I could just end the post there, but it would be pretty short, huh? Okay, a few more details and some pictures.
We haven't grown sprouts for a number of years, but we used to regularly. I bought a batch of mixed sprouting seeds somewhere along the way that have been around for quite some time. I don't remember how long, but I figure it's long enough that some of them may no longer be viable. When I started growing sprouts again, I started off with one tablespoon of these seeds just to see if any of them would grow. They did okay, but one tablespoon of seeds didn't grow enough sprouts for the time and effort, so the next time, I mixed in two teaspoons of alfalfa. They are also a number of years old as well, but appear to remain viable for a long time. Once we have a jar sprouted and ready to eat it goes in the refrigerator, and we start another jar so it will be ready when we run out.
We bought these sprouting lids about 15 years ago, to use on wide mouth jars. We've also tried sprouting trays, but much prefer the jars. About 8 to 10 years ago I looked for more lids and couldn't find any, but now they appear to be readily available.
Fresh sprouts are a great, nutritious treat in the dark, dreary days of winter. Alfalfa sprouts are high in vitamins A, C, and K; phosphorus, potassium and calcium. And sometimes growing sprouts provides just a bit of gardening in the midst of the cold winter days, minus the dirt, of course. Growing the sprouts, plus all of the seed catalogs coming in the mail, have me thinking of starting garden seedlings. I know it's too early yet, so I'll see if I can hold off until at least the first of February.
The mixed batch of sprouts had some mung beans, but very few of them sprouted, which is good, since Frank doesn't like them anyway. Sometimes it's very difficult to get Frank the Carnivore to eat anything green, but he will eat alfalfa sprouts if I put them on something like a salad. The cold winter winds are upon us, but spring is just around the corner. In the meantime, while we wait for the warm spring breezes, we'll be growing and enjoying the sprouts on the kitchen sink.
Until next time - Fern
P.S. About the "I am Charlie" picture on the header. We are saddened and very disturbed about the turn many events in our country and world are taking. There is a great evil abounding in our midst that if left unchecked will soon devour everything in it's path. The question is, who and how will it be checked? Or will it? It appears that many different groups of people have had enough, and are willing to speak out against some of the atrocities of our times, like these folks in the picture. The clock is ticking ever louder. People are getting more restless and desperate every day, and whether it is by chance or by design, it doesn't matter. There will come a day when the cup will overflow. What happens then is anyone's guess. Be ready.
The corn was ripe and ready to pick, so that was the chore for today. I have found it easier to pick the patch if I pull up or break off the stalks as I pick. It clears the ground and helps get it ready for the next crop.
I plan to use the corn stalks as a heavy mulch in a new area we want to turn into another herb bed. In years past, I have pulled up the corn stalks and piled them right outside the garden. This time, instead of stacking them on the ground, then loading them up to go somewhere else, I decided to load them directly into the back of the pickup. When I finish mowing the grass and weeds down in the area for the new bed, I can just drive by and unload these directly onto the bed. Well, that is the plan anyway.
Here is our corn harvest for the year, minus the half dozen ears we have already eaten. There are quite a few small, irregular ears that I will give to the chickens. Our young hens that are about five weeks old, have really taken to eating the scraps and comfrey leaves I bring them, so I hope they enjoy these small ears of corn. My plan is to cut the corn from the cob and can it. We tend to eat more corn from the can than from the cob, and this will also give us another learning experience since we haven't canned corn before.
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I have almost finished digging the potatoes. Once the potatoes are out this area, I will till this space, along with the adjoining old beet and onion beds for some of our fall crops. The area the corn was growing in will be used as well. With that in mind, and the time growing short, at Frank's recommendation, I planted most of my fall crops in tubs on the porch a couple of days ago. The only thing I didn't plant like this are the turnips, which are Purple Top White Globes. I will direct seed them.
The things I have planted in the tubs are:
- Dr. Jaeger's Cantaloupe - 85 days
- Autumn King Carrots - 70 days
- Earliana Cabbage - 57 days
- Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach - 45-50 days
- Long Island Improved Brussel Sprouts - 100 days
- Cushaw Green Striped Winter Squash - 110 days
- Bucklunch Sugar Beet - 110 days
- Mammoth Long Red Mangel Beets - 110 days
Our first average frost date here is October 31st which is 102 days from the time I planted these seeds. The cantaloupe and winter squash vines cannot tolerate a frost.
If we have an early frost I may be able to save some of these plants with frost cloth, so I will plant them in the same area. The beets, carrots and spinach can tolerate a mild frost, so they should be fine.
The cabbage and brussel sprouts will be happier once it cools off and can take a hard frost, so I'm curious how they will do.
Gardening is an ever changing outdoor 'school house' where I never quit learning. The possibilities are endless and can reach as far as your knowledge and imagination can take you. Grow something. Anything. It never ceases to amaze me that I can take one small, tiny seed and watch it grow into something truly amazing. Something that can feed and sustain me. I am in awe.
Until next time - Fern
