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Sprouted Seed

Familyof12

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I'm not sure about anyone else but I freeze my seeds. They can stay dormant for decades if frozen and will come alive once the environment is correct. If left out, the seeds dry out too much and die. I only know this because I practice permaculture and gather all seeds in my garden for planting and saving for future crops.
 

Atomiklan

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Good idea! I'll have to consider creating a Svalbard Finch Seed Vault hahahahahaha
 

Atomiklan

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Picked up a neat sprouter from Amazon. We'll see how well it works. Testing it right now with the alfalfa seed included. In case you are wondering, this is actually two sprouters combined. I got an extra one so I either always have a clean one, or in case I wanted to do large batches. I may not use it stacked really tall like this, but definitely made it more compact on the counter top. I'll let you guys know how well it works out.

IMG_20171019_150538.jpg IMG_20171019_150517.jpg IMG_20171019_150525.jpg
 

hotfoot jackson

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I buy my sprouting seeds from an ethnic (human) supply store ....its probably got less pesticide residue, bought in bulk is cheaper, and I can vary what the mix contains....I feed them when their tails are the same size as the seed
 

Familyof12

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There are a lot of places that sell better than organic seeds. It doesn't necessarily have to be from an ethnic store. I've been sprouting for over 10 years. I buy bulk online. I buy all non-GMO seeds without any chemicals. The sprout people are excellent and so is Johnny Seed Company. Both are professional seed companies that are not under Monstanto. Monstanto owns all the GMO seeds and they don't reproduce. If you want to get technical about seeds, it gets very complicated.

The way you an tell right away if your seeds are good or not is if they float. When yo soak your seeds after rinsing, the ones that float are dead seeds. If you buy in bulk and you see therm floating, they don't sprout. The ones that sink to the bottom are alive. Seeds can stay dormant in the freezer, in sealed plastic bags for ten (or more) years if handled correctly.
 

Atomiklan

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When yo soak your seeds after rinsing, the ones that float are dead seeds.
I wondered the difference and speculatively concluded something similar, but needed to do more research. Good to know, thanks!
 

finchly

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I have a sprouter similar to that. I like it a lot.
 

Atomiklan

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Ok, here we go. I took your suggestion @Familyof12 and discarded all the initial floating seeds. Then I soaked them according to your chart @Tyrion We'll see how this batch does. The last batch did eventually start sprouting pretty well, so I expect this more precision controlled attempt to work even better. Only problem with this sprouter is keeping the holes from plugging up. Sometimes the water doesn't completely drain. I may make a few modifications to this rig, but so far I am pretty happy with it. I have at least figured out the trick to clear the first level. After pouring in the first rinse, notice how the seeds spread out to the edges (Picture 4). Create a little whirlpool with your finger and this draws the seed back in away from the edges to even the first layer out after the pour (Picture 7). So far I have not had any mold issues, but this is only my second sprouting with this setup.

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Familyof12

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@Atomiklan I've used what you have previously. That's a lot of sprouts! Keep it refrigerated once they sprout a little. It will slow the growing process down and keep your sprouts for two days. I wouldn't go further than 2 days, as even the moisture in the fridge on the seeds can cause bacterial growth.

Basically the seeds need moisture and air and the correct temperature to germinate. I used to use something similar to what you had but pouring water down the thing and draining the bottom constantly was too much work. Especially the cleaning up part with the little bits of husk that could mold and got stuck in the drain holes. Made me nuts.

I actually use a mesh bag like this one:

Amazon.com: purifyou Premium Reusable Mesh / Produce Bags, Set of 9 | Superior Double-Stitched Strength, with Tare Weight on Tags | Lightweight, See-Through, Large, Medium & Small: Kitchen & Dining

I put the seeds in the bag, rinse until the water runs clear, hang the bag with seeds on the bottom in a glass mason jar on my window sill. I just rinse every time I walk into the kitchen to do dishes as it sits right there (so I don't forget). I don't have to look through the sides or anything since all I have to do is look at the bag. Easy clean up and comes in multiple packages too.

Looks like you're doing a great job!
 

Atomiklan

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Thanks, yeah I considered the bag, strainer, and jar options as well. For some reason this setup just appealed to me. It is still very much so in testing mode which is also part of the reason for the large order. Yeah the chicken nuggets are not that hungry... lol! I had planned on freezing all of the sprouts too. In the future I will be doing half that much and keeping the other half of the stack in the cupboard clean ready to go. Then will either put them in fridge or freezer depending on how this next test goes. If I end up getting really frustrated with this setup, then I may give the mesh option a try next.
 

Familyof12

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Oh that setup wasn't bad. I did find I was tossing the bottom tray depending on what I was sprouting. Some of the mung beans can cause the water to be slimy and filter down to the bottom. I've practice permaculture and seed sprouting is something I've been really interested in. I've been sprouting almost every day for our chickens (mixture of alfalfa, clover, broccoli, and all kinds (all in one large bag) and I was doing large quantities. I got the same one you got when I started buying every sprouter I could get my hands on and even visited the many many farmers who only sell sprouts to talk about this.

The single tray system is by far the cleanest and easiest. I suggest you purchase a good plastic scrubbing brush to get the little husks and seeds out of the holes. I believe you are doing fantastic from just a couple of days ago when you asked about this!! It took me a few ugly tries before I got mine down. You took no time at all!
 

finchly

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You could also put them on your salad.

I use the sprayer on the sink for rinsing and do a thorough, hard spray. Also rotate the trays every time you rinse, so that they all get more air.

Some people tip them sideways to help with the draining .
 

Atomiklan

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Alright @Familyof12 I am taking your advice and moving onto the mesh bag. As much as I LOVE the idea of the tray system, its just too much work and too easy to screw up and it doesn't drain well as many people mentioned. I should have listened to the reviews. I ordered the sampler of mixed bags. We'll see how well they work and how easy they are to use for sprouting and cleaning. Plus will be nice to test the actual purpose of the bags too for fresh food. I'll let you know how the tests go.
 

Familyof12

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I"m telling you, the mesh bags are the best. You can also try cheesecloth but you'll need to somehow close up the ends. I can't sew a button. When you rinse the bag, have it hang in a glass jar to drip. As you pass through the kitchen or do dishes, just rinse them and look. The sprouts should begin in about 2 days.

Remember when you soak, get rid of the seeds that float. Those are dead seeds and will never sprout. If you find a lot of them floating, return the seeds as you got a bad batch. I've had this happen when I purchased from Amazon instead of Johnny Seeds or another sprouting seed company.

Let me know how it goes. So far, for me anyway, it has been the most convenient. Then throw the bag in the fridge when the sprouts start. Again this method, you can mix seeds that sprout at different times too. Once you see the sprouts, even if the other different seeds don't sprout, don't worry. Just keep rinsing and put in fridge. It will slow down the sprouting so they don't turn to micro greens. Those micro greens are excellent! My favorites are watercress, alfalfa, mung beans, red beans, any lettuce, romaine, spinach, broccoli, kale, etc. You have the two first leaves that come out after the sprout. They are delicious!

For the micro-greens, there is another method. Contact me if you want to make those. They are so good!
 

Atomiklan

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Ok, review time...

So far the mesh bags you recommended were the MOST successful solution to sprouting seeds. There was NO mold build up unlike with the seed sprouter I bought previously (poor drainage) and it was fairly easy to do and compact unlike the strainer solution. I soaked the seeds for 8 hours according to the wheel, removed the floaters, then placed them in the mesh bag and just hung the bag from the faucet arch. Rinsed the bag several times a day for 4 days to so. Also, a great indicator of when they were ready was when the consistency of the bag changed suddenly due to the sprouts. My only complaint thus far with this solution is the bag size and type. I only wish the bag was more suited/sized for seed sprouting. I think what I may do is take one of the larger bags and cut it apart. Build a pattern and make a custom bag from the material. Seems a conical shape design is the best as it aids in quick and precise drainage. Will probably shoot for a design like that. Cone shaped with the draw string at the top. Might even think up a better way to hang the custom bag from the sink faucet instead of tying it. Ultimately though, you were correct. This IS the way to do it! Just need to make some fine tune adjustments to the process. Thanks! Cheers!
 
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