SPROUTS: Miracle Food for a Nickel a Pound

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> " Misty L. Trepke " <mistytrepke

> Tue, 27 Jul 2004 21:45:00 -0000

> [s-A] [soFlaVegan] SPROUTS: Miracle Food

> for a Nickel a Pound

>

> Comments?

> Misty L. Trepke

> http://www..com

>

> SPROUTS: miracle food for a nickel a pound THE

> MOTHER EARTH NEWS

> Issue # 12 - November 1971

>

> One of the basic tenets of the (Heaven forbid!)

> Protestant Ethic is

> you don't get something for nothing . . . and the

> way we've allowed

> the system to become organized, that's certainly

> true. In fact, you

> could say more than true.

>

> Consider the rather small pile of devitalized and

> fortified,

> homogenized and separated, treated, processed,

> preserved, bleached

> and embalmed plastic food the local supermarket just

> traded you for

> that rather large stack of hard-earned bills.

> Clearly a case, say the

> malcontents among us, of getting nothing for

> something . . . and they

> may be right.

>

> Well, there is a way out of this dilemma because you

> can grow your

> own completely natural, unprocessed and unpoisoned

> food at home . . .

> on pennies a day . . . fresh all year round. Yep.

> And unbelievable as

> it may sound, you can do it without a degree in

> agriculture,

> omplicated machinery, fourteen kinds of fertilizer

> or a single,

> solitary cubic inch of soil.

>

> What's more, you can raise this " garden " anytime and

> anywhere . . .

> in your own kitchen, crossing the country in a

> camper or sitting on a

> flagpole. And finally, the " vegetables " you produce

> will be many

> times tastier, much more nutritious and far less

> expensive than

> anything you can buy. If that's not something for

> nothing, it's an

> awful lot for mighty little.

>

> Naturally, since such a food is almost too good to

> be true, our

> Western heritage-famed for DDT, thermonuclear bombs

> and the pop-top

> beer can—has neglected to advise us about it. (Maybe

> because it's

> so hard to exploit commercially?) Yet almost every

> primitive tribe

> and the entire Eastern world—back to the dawn of

> recorded history—has

> made good use of . . . sprouted seeds, or sprouts.

>

> SPROUTS: MIRACLE FOOD

>

> Sprouts are truly a miracle food. You can grow them

> almost any time

> and any place on only water, air and—sometimes—a

> little sunlight. You

> can produce a new crop every two to six days with a

> total of, maybe,

> 10 minutes work. They're more nourishing than milk,

> fresh meat . . .

> or anything: you could live almost indefinitely on

> nothing but

> sprouts if you wanted. They store exceptionally well

> in a

> efrigerator and can even be dried. You can eat them

> thousands of ways

> . . . on breakfast cereal, in fresh salads, steamed,

> in scrambled

> eggs, sprinkled on soups, in meat loaf, as a major

> ingredient of the

> world's absolutely best tasting and most nutritious

> bread, fried, in

> stews, blended into health drinks, as a sandwich

> filling, in

> desserts, as a snack. And even at today's inflated

> prices, sprouts

> will cost you only moat about five cents a pound.

>

> Sprouts, in short, are so fantastically great that

> if General Mills

> or the President's Commission On Poverty had

> developed them—they

> would most certainly be ballyhooed as The Complete,

> Transcending

> Nutritional Miracle Of All Time. Neither God nor

> Mother Nature

> ever hired a press agent, however, so most residents

> of the United

> States eat sprouts only occasionally and only by

> accident when they

> happen to dine in a chinese restaurant.

>

> WE ARE WHAT WE EAT

>

> And more's the pity. Because a mere twenty or

> twenty-five million

> dollars (pin money in the current federal budget)

> well invested one

> time in sprouting containers and instructions

> distributed to the

> residents of tenant-farm shacks and crumbling

> tenements across this

> fair land . . . could conceivably wipe out

> malnutrition in the U.S....

> completely.

>

> That's a sweeping statement, but look at it this

> way: we think we're

> pretty smart here in the U.S. of A. because " with

> the world's most

> technically advanced agribusiness " , we successfully

> raise enough food

> (even though we don't distribute it) to feed our 200

> million people

> and have some left over to export. Of course we're

> rapidly poisoning

> all our potable water with nitrates and pesticides,

> we're " farming

> out " the top soil in the midwest and we're silting

> and salting away

> hundreds of thousands of acres in the irrigated

> southwest . . . but,

> as they say, " that's the price we have to pay " .

>

> Now consider creaky old, backward, underdeveloped

> China. With less

> really fertile farm land, almost no chemical

> fertilizers and hardly

> any modern farm machinery, China also exports grain

> . . . and feeds

> nearly one billion citizens. One billion! A thousand

> million. Have

> you any idea what a tremendous accomplishment that

> is . . . and how

> impossible it would be for our " modern " agricultural

> system? Pretty

> clever, these Chinese. How do they do it?

>

> Well one of China's secrets is sprouts. Matter of

> fact, the earliest

> recorded mention of the tremendous food value of

> germinated seeds

> occurs in a book attributed to the Emperor of China

> about 2939

> B.C. . . . and it probably wasn't a new idea even

> then. Now, five

> thousand years later, Chinese cuisine—among the most

> delicious and

> nutritious in the world—still puts special emphasis

> on sprouts. If

> that doesn't make the little beasties " time tested " ,

> nothing will!

>

> Now, if you will, reflect a moment on the fantastic

> difference in

> life style that the lowly sprout can wield. Sprouts

> are home-grown by

> nearly every Chinese family, thus assuring each

> living unit of a

> steady supply of high-energy, low-cost food and

> automatically

> eliminating much of the wasteful transportation,

> processing,

> packaging and retailing costs of our " more highly

> developed " food

> production system. The Chinese thus wisely avoid the

> equivalent of

> giant trucks belching diesel fumes as they haul

> frozen lettuce from

> California to Chicago, vast networks of concrete

> creeping in upon the

> last open spaces and sprawling supermarkets selling

> plastic produce,

> which is to say that we are what we eat in far more

> ways than one.

>

> To make a long story medium-length, then, the

> Chinese have been

> relying heavily on sprouts ever since that ancient

> Emperor wrote his

> book on plants and foods . . . and so have a lot of

> other folks in

> the Eastern world and a number of underdeveloped

> nations. And well

> they might, because modern research is continually

> proving and

> reproving the nutritional qualities of sprouts.

>

> SPROUTING CONTAINERS AND HOW TO USE THEM

>

> You can successfully grow sprouts in any number of

> common kitchen

> containers if you adapt your technique to the

> equipment at hand. Just

> keep in mind that the ideal sprout " garden " provides

> a warm, dark,

> moist—not wet—environment for the developing seeds.

> It's also a

> good idea to use one jar, strainer, pan or whatever

> exclusively for

> raising shoots (to help prevent tainting them).

>

> Probably the simplest container of all is a

> largemouthed quart jar

> (use a smaller or bigger jar, depending on how many

> sprouts you want

> to grow at a time). Most folks who use such a jar

> simply dump in

> the seeds, stretch a piece of cheesecloth over the

> top and secure the

> cloth with a rubber band. Others prefer to cut a

> circle of wire mesh

> which is clamped to the jar top by a screw-on

> canning ring. Either

> cover allows convenient and thorough flushing of the

> shoots every

> four to six hours as they develop. Such a sprouting

> container is

> usually kept in a dark cupboard between rinsings. A

> large bowl makes

> an ideal holder for the jar during these growth

> periods since the

> container should be held top down at about a 45°

> angle to insure

> proper drainage of the sprouts.

>

> An earthenware flowerpot with its bottom drain hole

> partially blocked

> by cheesecloth or a wad of cotton also makes a good

> sprout garden.

> Unglazed pottery is best because it absorbs water

> and thus insures

> that the shoots will be kept moist but not wet.

> Cover the pot with a

> saucer and set it in a shallow pan of water.

> Remember, however, that

> even though moisture will " wick " through the bottom

> of an unglazed

> flowerpot, the sprouts will still need regular

> rinsings of clean

> water to retard the development of mold.

>

> Tea strainers, collanders and coffee percolators are

> excellent

> sprouting containers and—several years ago, while

> living in Seattle—I

> modified two plastic freezing cartons, a small

> square of screen wire

> and a piece of sponge into a " never fail " version of

> the tea strainer

> sprouter (see illustration). The large cans and

> metal mesh-covered

> trays used by commercial sprouters are another

> variation on the same

> idea.

>

> In a pinch, seeds can be sprouted between moist

> towels, sponges or

> layers of paper although lack of ventilation usually

> leads to souring

> and molds when using paper and the shoots have an

> annoying habit of

> growing through the towels.

>

> Small sprouters are also sold by a few mail order

> companies but are

> usually overpriced and work no better than the quart

> jar described

> here. As a matter of fact, few expensive

> store-bought sprouters work

> as well as the freezer carton-screen wiresponge

> combination

> llustrated with this piece.—JS.

>

> MODERN SCIENCE DISCOVERS SPROUTS

>

> Dr. Pauline Berry Mack, at the University of

> Pennsylvania, has tested

> sprouted soybeans for VitaminC (the ungerminated

> seed contains none)

> and found that—when sprouted 72 hours—one-half cup

> of the shoots

> contained as much Vitamin C as six glasses of orange

> juice.

>

> Similar incredible leaps in vitamin content have

> been recorded for

> other sprouts. Yale's Dr. Paul Burkholder, for

> instance, discovered

> that oats sprouted five days had 500% more B6, 600%

> more folic

> acid, 10% more B1 and 1350% more B2 than unsprouted

> oats.

>

> It should be noted, of course, that such vitamin

> increases are not

> always a straight-line thing. Vitamin B1—to cite one

> example—runs up

> and down like a yoyo in soybeans as they sprout . .

> . but the general

> trend is always spectacularly up and sprouted seeds

> are an excellent

> source of vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, G, K—even

> U—and minerals

> such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine,

> potassium, sodium

> and silicon. All in natural forms which the body can

> readily

> ssimilate.

>

> Furthermore, according to Dr. Francis Pottenger,

> Jr., sprouted grains

> and legumes supply all eight essential amino acids

> which make

> up " complete " protein. Other investigations have

> shown that many of

> the proteins in sprouts are already " predigested " ,

> or broken down into

> their constituent amino acids.

>

> Sprouts also just happen to be packed full of

> enzymes—the complex

> catalysts which initiate and control almost every

> chemical reaction

> that takes place in living organisms—too. Since the

> body

> gradually manufactures fewer and fewer enzymes as it

> ages, since

> enzymes are killed by temperatures greater than 140°

> (cooking) and

> since our stock of enzymes must be replenished by

> eating fresh

> produce . . . it seems that we've just discovered

> another dang good

> reason for consuming goodly quantities of raw,

> freshly-grown sprouts.

>

> Then too, it's interesting to note that Dr. Loa of

> Yenching

> University in Peking reports that the high level of

> simple sugars in

> sprouts puts the little shoots in the category of

> " quick energy "

> foods, since the monosaccarides they contain require

> little

> digestive breakdown and enter the bloodstream almost

> immediately.

>

> Perhaps most amazing of all—particularly in

> comparison with the

> chemically preserved but nutritionally

> next-to-worthless foods from

> the supermarket—all the body builders which appear

> as sprouts

> grow . . . turn out to be almost perfectly stable.

> Even after

> dehydration or freezing, sprouts retain their

> enhanced nutritive

> values.

>

> HOW DO THOSE LITTLE BITTY SEEDS DO IT?

>

> But where do all these great things come from? How

> can seeds full of

> fat and starches . . . plus plain old air, water and

> a little

> sunshine . . . add up to vitamins, proteins and

> enzymes?

>

> Simple. During sprouting, those fats and starches

> are converted into

> vitamins, simple sugars and proteins as they absorb

> the air and

> water.

>

> Seeds, you see, are divided into two basic parts: a

> miniature replica

> of a plant (the embryo) and a supply of stored

> carbohydrates, oils

> and proteins (the endosperm). When environmental

> conditions are

> suitable—here's where the warmth, moisture and air

> comes in—a seed

> germinates. That is, the tiny embryo feeds upon the

> endosperm until

> it has roots sunk into the soil and leaves opened to

> the sun.

>

> During this process, much of the until-now-inactive

> endosperm is

> converted into readily-available nutrients . . . and

> that

> metamorphosis is the key to the miracle food value

> of sprouts. If we

> harvest the little shoots after the endosperm has

> been transformed

> into rich vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, etc. but

> before the embryo

> gets a chance to consume the nourishment . . . we've

> got about the

> best-for-us food imaginable!

>

> Well, the theory is beautiful . . . but what about

> practical

> results? " I'm glad, " said he, in his best W.C.

> Field's voice, " you

> asked that question. " Here are just a handful of

> astonishing health

> cures credited to sprouts:

>

> During WWI, Dr. Cyrus French used sprouted peas and

> lentils rich in

> Vitamin C to rid British and Indian troops in

> Mesopotamia of scurvy

> symptoms.

>

> In the Philippines, a Dr. Santos cured patients of

> beri-beri by

> administering sprouted mung beans as the only source

> of B-complex

> vitamins.

>

> Ann Wigmore of Boston has demonstrated the

> beneficial effects of

> sprouts in retarding and curing problems ranging

> from diabetes to

> ulcers to cancer.

>

> Fertility was restored to barren cows at the

> Agricultural

> Experimental Station in Beltsville, Maryland by

> feeding the animals

> Vitamin E-laden oat sprouts.

>

> Major Wiltshire of King's College in England,

> finding that Algerian

> laborers in France suffered from scurvy (although

> they'd been healthy

> at home), traced their diet deficiency to commercial

> beer . . . which

> lacks the Vitamin C of their native sprouted millet

> beer.

>

> If you need more convincing, Catharyn Elwood packs a

> lot of examples

> into a few pages of her book, FEEL LIKE A MILLION

> (Pocket Books,

> Inc., 75¢). For now, let's just say that sprouts are

> powerful food.

>

> Inexpensive too. If you buy a hundred pounds of

> organically-grown

> soybeans for fifteen dollars plus freight, say, your

> cost per pound

> will average twenty cents. If you then soak and

> sprout the beans,

> you'll find you harvest four to eight pounds of

> shoots from

> each pound of dry beans. Your cost for the

> delicious, vitamin-packed

> sprouts, then, is less than five cents per pound . .

> . nothing to

> sneeze at in these days of funny money, recession

> and unemployment.

>

> BUT DO SPROUTS TASTE GOOD?

>

> I can appreciate questions about the taste of

> sprouts because I don't

> care for cooked okra, turnips, cabbage and a lot of

> other garden

> fare. I do like fresh green salads and raw

> vegetables, however, and

> that's what most sprouts—especially raw alfalfa

> sprouts—are all

> about. Soybean shoots served the same way have a

> little too much raw

> bean taste for me but become magically delicious

> with only the

> slightest (about one-two minutes) steaming. Sprouted

> wheat goes well

> on cereal and is excellent in home-baked bread, rye

> sprouts add a

> mouthwatering wild rice taste when sprinkled into

> soups just before

> serving and sprouted peas are fantastic if lightly

> steamed and served

> with a pat of butter melting down through them.

> Almost everyone, of

> course, has a favorite Chinese recipe built around

> mung bean sprouts.

>

> Which is to say that there's almost as much variety

> in the taste of

> sprouts as there is in " traditional " vegetables.

> Personal tastes vary

> but you're sure to find at least half a dozen

> " kinds " of sprouts and a

> couple of hundred sprout recipes that suit you to a

> T. Almost any

> natural foods cookbook features a great number of

> ideas for using the

> little critters, starting with raw salads and ending

> with " pick-me-up "

> beverages made by blending the shoots with various

> combinations of

> fruit juices, nuts and honey. The possibilities are

> truly endless.

>

> So, if you recognize a good thing when you see it,

> you're probably

> gonna run right out, get you a sprouter and start

> tapping all the

> goodness Momma Nature has locked into seeds. To coin

> a phrase, " Start

> sprouting . . . and start living! "

>

> HOW AND WHAT TO SPROUT

>

> Almost any seed, grain or legume can be successfully

> sprouted

> although most devotees of the art think that

> alfalfa, soybeans, mung

> beans, lentils, peas and the cereal grasses—wheat,

> oats, barley and

> rye—give the very best results. Unhulled sesame and

> sunflower,

> radish, mustard, red clover, fenugreek, corn, lima

> beans, pinto

> beans, kidney beans, chick peas, cress, millet and

> nearly any other

> seed you can think of will work, however (never eat

> potato sprouts

> though, the plant is a member of the poisonous

> nightshade family).

>

> Select clean, whole seeds . . . the best you can

> find. Make certain

> they haven't been chemically treated in any way,

> however, because the

> poison could have damaged the embryo which might

> cause the seed to rot

> instead of sprout. Needless to say, the treatment

> might also sicken

> or poison you.

>

> Wash the seeds thoroughly, pick out any chaff or

> cracked hulls and

> check the grain or whatever for fertility (sterile

> seeds float).

>

> It only takes about a tablespoon of alfalfa seeds

> and two or three

> times that amount of beans or peas to plant " 25-30

> square inches.

> Soak the seeds overnight in a warm, dark place (such

> as a kitchen

> cupboard) in about three times as much water as you

> have seeds. The

> water should be warm (70-80°) and free of chlorine

> and flourine

> (which can sterilize the tender embryo). Some of the

> smaller seeds—

> alfalfa, clover, etc.—will sprout without this

> overnight soak but it

> won't hurt them.

>

> Pour the water off the next morning and save it to

> add to fruit

> juices or use as stock (it's loaded with

> water-soluble vitamins and

> minerals). The seeds will have doubled in size and

> should be rinsed

> carefully to avoid mold.

>

> Place the seeds in a warm, moist, dark container.

> Flush every four to

> six hours with water to clean the developing sprouts

> and to insure

> adequate moisture for their growth. Be absolutely

> certain the seeds

> drain well after each rinsing, however, for they'll

> sour and

> rot if left standing in water. Remember too that

> some heat will be

> generated by the sprouts. They'll need a little

> ventilation so don't

> cover them too tightly.

>

> In three to six days, depending on temperature

> (80-90° is best for

> most) and seed variety, your sprouts will again have

> doubled or

> tripled in volume and you'll have yourself some

> mighty good and

> nourishing eating. The greater number of shoots are

> at peak vitamin

> potency 60 to 80 hours after germinating . . . but

> prsonal

> references in taste, texture and appearance may

> persuade you to let

> yours grow longer.

>

> Soybeans, peas and alfalfa are about right when

> their sprouts are two

> to three inches long. Grain shoots should be eaten

> when much shorter—

> about the length of the kernel itself—or they're

> bitter. Sunflower

> sprouts also develop a rather unpleasant tangy taste

> when they

> exceed the length the seeds from which they develop.

> The lentil

> sprout is best when about an inch long, while shoots

> from the mild-

> flavored mung bean may be allowed to reach a length

> of three or four

> inches before harvest. By the way, some people pluck

> the seed

> hull from each sprout before serving but that's a

> waste of time and

> good nutrition . . . eat the whole shebang!

>

> If you expose your sprouts to indirect sunlight

> during their final

> several hours of growth, they'll develop chlorophyl.

> Too m ch of this

> green substance causes the shoots to toughen,

> however, so don't

> overdo it. Some chlorophyl is good, though, because

> its molecule

> is very similar to hemoglobin—the only difference

> being that

> chlorophyl has magnesium at its center while

> hemoglobin has iron—and,

> consequently, acts as a kind of blood booster.

>

> You may have some difficulty getting soybeans to

> sprout successfully,

> especially in warm weather, so be particularly

> careful to use beans

> from the current year's crop (this is good advice

> generally).

> Varieties which sprout best include Chief, Ebony,

> Illini, Lincoln and

> Richland . . . and, happily, all beans lose their

> gas-producing

> qualities as they turn into shoots.

>