Sprout It!

Homesteading - the resurgence of self-sufficiency - has really gained momentum in recent years. Some take it to extremes and it becomes "survivalism" (see: Doomsday Preppers), but for many, it's simply a back-to-basics way to reclaim the skills of our past. This becomes more and more appealing as we face a future that's so completely immersed in and dependant upon technology. There's something very comforting about the authenticity of gardening, canning, and making your own whatever. In one of my previous posts, I waxed jealous about all the cool crafting ideas that come from this movement.

Amazon has this new thing they do called "add-on items" where, at the time of checkout, they serve up a few, inexpensive things tangetially related to what you're purchasing. They are, essentially, impulse buys. The incentive is that you get free, two-day shipping. Of course, this isn't an incentive to those of us who already have Amazon Prime but it's still kind of fun to be offered these little by-the-cash-register items.

So, when I bought a couple of homesteading-related books recently, imagine my delight when I was served up an Amazon Add-On of a "sprout lid" for wide-mouthed Mason jars. For only $2?! Count me in!

Here's the deal with me and sprouts... I LOVE alfalfa sprouts. I could put them on everything. However, I rarely finish an entire container of store-bought sprouts before they go bad. And, as we all know, Alex hates wasting food. So the idea of sprouting at home has always been appealing.

I thought I'd buy some seeds locally but never got around to it and then, one night, I just pulled the trigger and bought them, online through Amazon, from the same people, The Sprout House, who brought me my lid. For $15 I got enough alfalfa seeds to last me for a really, really long time.

Thus began the sprouting adventure.

Holy cats. If I'd known it was this easy, I never, ever would have bought them from the store! Here, in pics, is how I went from seeds to edible sprouts in three days:

Step 1: Put seeds in jar. I used two tablespoons.

Step 2: Soak in water for 8-10 hours.

Step 3: Drain all water.

You'll notice that the seeds are sticking to the sides of the jar. I read online that this was a good thing to do - swirl them up and allow them to stick. It helps to keep them from sitting in any leftover water in the jar (which will rot the seeds). My friend, SSAF, recommended tilting the jar upside down (sorry I didn't get a pic of that) to ensure that any leftover water would drain out. So, I just propped it up against the backsplash of the counter and put a folded paper towel under the jar. Don't put the jar fully upside down or you'll trap the moist air in the jar. Tilt it.


12 hours in. They're growing!!!

After the initial soak/drain, you must rinse and drain the seeds twice a day. I did as part of my morning routine and just before I started cooking dinner.

And this is what happened after just three days: 

Approximately 1 C of edible sprouts

A small amount of unsprouted seeds.

One thing I learned was that not all the seeds will sprout at the same time, that's why you end up with a few unsprouted or only partially sprouted when most are ready to eat. I haven't quite figured out what my next move is... Do I keep the sprouts in the jar and refridgerate the whole thing? Do I remove them from the jar and put them in some other container (this would allow me to keep rinsing the unsprouted seeds...)  I'll keep working on it and, hopefully, become a master sprouter. Frankly, it's so easy, I'm starting to think that I need to buys some additional, different seeds soon... Maybe something spicey.

Oh! If you don't want to buy the little plastic lid, you can use a double layer of cheesecloth under a Mason jar ring.   :)

Cassandra asked me what the nutritional value was of sprouts. I had no idea because I don't usually care when the item is a salad ingredient. But I thought I'd look it up and let you know. So, basically, not a lot. 5% of the USDA daily allowance of Vitamin C, some Vitamin A, a little Calcium and Iron. However, I did find this amazing nutritional site, Self Nutrition Data.

Sprout it!! (maybe that's the next Portlandia skit).

- Alex

Friday Finds: Homesteading & Survivalism

I'm pretty sure I've talked to you all about my love of Doomsday Preppers, the reality show on the National Geographic Channel. The program follows folks who are preparring for some version of Armageddon - world financial collapse, electromagnetic pulses, a new ice age, etc. The reason I love the show is not because these people are, by most standards, a little nutty but because they are the most amazing, maniacal crafters.

From canning to building bomb-proof shelters, these people do it all. They are fully prepared to live off the land (or their stores of stuff) should civilation-as-we-know-it collapse. I'm impressed and jealous all at the same time. Frankly, I want a giant storage shed full of canned food. And a bomb-shelter made out of an old shipping container. And a cool way to filter brown water to irrigate my plants.

Maybe I need to start believing that the end of the world is coming. That might be the motivation I need.

In the meantime, I found this awesome resource for all things "survival" - Homesteading and Survivalism.

Sadly, their regular website is just a store - although they have some great pamphlets and books on how to do various crafty things. The store is here: http://homesteadingsurvivalism.myshopify.com/

I love this idea!!

Their best content is what they put on their Facebook page. They cull the internet for all manner of awesome craftiness like "50 ways to use baking soda" and "how to build a pallett cooler". I'm not even scratching the surface of the cool ideas you'll get if you "like" their page. (Sorry to feature another FB resource... but it really is great.) Find their FB page here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/homesteading

And, of course, you can follow them on my preferred social media, Twitter: www.twitter.com/homestdsurvival

I hope you get lots of amazing, crafty ideas!

- Alex