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Sprouting Easy or Complicated?

Rain Bow

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Ok, It sounds like it may workout using the bottle but you have to be sure it will drain well. You want your sprouters to be steril clean, dishwashers help with this considerable. I use Mason Jars with special plastic rings & I got creative & used crafting mesh to create a drainage lid with. I'm trying to type everything out so if you need a translater it should convert.

I also have taken food grade plastic canisters & poked holes w/ thumb tacks in the bottom. I use these for really small grains like Quinoa. Try to make sure if you can that they have certain chemicals free like one we call BPA here.

You don't cook sprouts for your birds as a part if the normal process (It doesn't mean you cannot after they grow. More nutritional fresh, I believe. You soak seeds overnight or through the day. Mostly, I try for is 12 hours as a soak time. Use a vinegar & water rinse. Some I rinse every 6 hours like Quinoa & others every 12 like beans & sunflower & safflower. There should be no reason not to make your Chili seeds. I often take bell pepper seeds & sprout them

Be really careful about beans & some grains. I don't have a clear picture on a few so I haven't done them for Buddy yet. Like Amaranth & some beans other than ones members here have said are ok. Mung, chickpeas or Garbanzo beans, Black eyed peas, Any kind of Lentil are all ok. Also, don't be surprised if your bird doesn't immediately get drawn to these items or has a tendency to eat around them. Most beans Buddy wouldn't initially eat. I've stayed @ it & have finally gotten him to eat black eyed peas & chick peas. Keep serving them & in time they may just gobble a few.

I cannot do the math on the temps w/ you tonight. My math brain went to bed a few hours ago. I'll try to pop back tomorrow & help you if no one elae has jumped in.

I can tell you certain summer temps w/ certain types of sprouts can mold easily. Example: rice, when it was 85-90 degrees F here all my sprouts kepts getting pitched because of the rice molding. I also wouldn't use ice as I think there may be some issues making your whole situation less nutritious. I'm not sure if anyone here has tried it or not.

I found way more information here on AA regarding sprouting. This was a good site on thr introduction of sprouting


We're all here to help! TY for reminding me to go soak my seeds before bed tonight!

:hug9:
 

PufF

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I'm planning to cook/steam after sprouted for sfety concerns as I absolutely do not want anything to go wrong.As for ice I'll go with it anyways since I think leaving te sprouts in a humid and rather warm climate might be worse than losing some nutrients.Sometimes it is quantity over quality that counts,especially when there is a risk factor.Thanks @Rain Bow !
 

berries

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Thanks for this. I just started looking into sprouting and I love having all this info in one place :heart:
 

Rain Bow

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Berries, How are your sprouting adventures going?
 

Rain Bow

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There are many that are interested in sprouting but are very fearful of it. I think this was my issue & why I waited so long to start. I'm going to reach out now to all the veteran sprouters to share their tips & tricks & even though they may have posted here before about it in this thread, I personally found doing it, is a better example than reading about it... I got more proficient w/ it thru trial & error. So I say the easiest to sprout are beans & peas (IMO) (because they are able to be tasted easily by us), then seeds (even tho aside of micro greens, are the fastest), then grains (easiest to see mold, ex: brown rice). There are costly companies out there make easily prepared sprout mixes but I decided to purchase the ingredients separately & invest in Vacuum sealer (already had 1) & Mason jars vrs. the premade mixes, but I KNEW I had space to store where there is no freezing or overheating of the stored seed items.

I learned how over a summer & failed frequently. In the winter my kitchen is less humid & hot. It has been hardest to remember to rinse before bed for me. I did a few things as a reminder. I had to find a canister to hold the right angle on the Mason Jar for draining any excess water from the sprouts. Always remember to look closely for mold & smell them. Each tastes a little different & smells different (all should smell earthy, think leaves in the fall & grass in the spring). I would sprout 1 or 2 @ a time for a few days worth. I put the container right next to my kitchen sink under a low hanging cupboard. This helps remind me every night & every morning to rinse, even if Buddy & I eat something different.

Finally you are the test subject, w/ a end goal of your birds dietary needs, if you smell or taste mold, throw them out (a few penny's is worth it compared to a large vet bill). In time, they will get easier to assess. Practice makes perfect!
 

Begone

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Whoa! I had no idea quinoa can be sprouted? Blu loves quinoa cooked so I wonder if he'd like it sprouted. I will have to try that sometime. Thanks for mentioning it Rain!
Just so you know, quinoa sprouts really fast. Soak for 12-24 hrs, sprout for 4-12 hrs. You don't want long tails if he is not used to sprouts.
I think he will love them.
Much better for him than cooked.
But not to often because of his hormonal behavior.
Good luck! :)
.
 

Begone

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@CrazyBirdChick
And I forgot.
If he likes quinoa he probably like sprouted sesam seed too.
They look almost the same but I think that sesame taste better.
 

CrazyBirdChick

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Just so you know, quinoa sprouts really fast. Soak for 12-24 hrs, sprout for 4-12 hrs. You don't want long tails if he is not used to sprouts.
I think he will love them.
Much better for him than cooked.
But not to often because of his hormonal behavior.
Good luck! :)
.
That's so good to know! I really appreciate the info! Blu loves sprouts too but when the tails get too long he usually drops that part so I'll make sure to only let them germinate for less than 12 hours. Thank you!!!

@CrazyBirdChick
And I forgot.
If he likes quinoa he probably like sprouted sesam seed too.
They look almost the same but I think that sesame taste better.
Oooh, another great idea! I will definitely try that too! How long should we soak/sprout sesame seeds?
 

Rain Bow

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I got my Quinoa @ Aldi's & it's super cheap compared to other places.

@Eloy. I can not get seseme to sprout. Initially it was because it was toasted. Ooops, well I was new to sprouting, :banghead: Wasn't thinking & head hurt from banging it on this wall...

Anyway, I bought it in a spice shaker as fresh seed & nothing. Any tips?
 

Begone

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I can not get seseme to sprout.
And you are sure it's whole and not toasted?
Sesame do take longer time to sprout but even if they don't they are still healthier than dried.

How mine looks like:
PSX_20200119_222556.jpg
 

Rain Bow

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Maybe they're not the same, here's pics...

20200119_190936.jpg

20200119_191004~2.jpg

20200119_190915~2.jpg
 

Begone

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They seems so light and shiny like they are washed or hulled.
I found this information.
"The hull gives the seeds a golden-brown hue. Hulled seeds have an off-white color but turn brown when roasted."

If they are hulled, good luck trying to sprout them. :smuggrin: :p
 

Rain Bow

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They seems so light and shiny like they are washed or hulled.
I found this information.
"The hull gives the seeds a golden-brown hue. Hulled seeds have an off-white color but turn brown when roasted."

If they are hulled, good luck trying to sprout them. :smuggrin: :p
Maybe that is the problem! I'll have to see if I can find unhulled online. TY so much, this would explain so much. :wacky:
 

Gale M

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I tried both sesame and sunflower seeds and neither sprouted. I bought a bunch of sprouting seeds on Amazon and have been sprouting like crazy. At first the sprouts ended on the bottom of the cage but no longer.
 

juliashmulia

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I buy all my sprouts and supplies from China Prairie. I especially love that Jason Crean collaborated with them on their Thrive Mix. I soak a handful every night and feed for breakfast in the morning when my birds are hungriest :)
 

Begone

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I tried both sesame and sunflower seeds and neither sprouted.
Probably bad quality.
I buy organic seeds for human, better quality.
 

Rain Bow

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I get some from Walmart who orders direct from Thrive for free. I ordered my beans (most) from Target or Walmart. & for my corn, raw popcorn works grand from ANY grocery. Pumpkin seeds raw from Nuts.com. Safflower from a local country feed store (had to buy 5 lbs tho). I'm pretty good w/ creating a well balanced mix for Buddy, on my own or I would order from Sprout people, a few other AA members do...

Seseme seends I'm going to work on & I'm just using the ones I have as a topper w/ hemp hearts, chia seeds & ground flax. I use these every day for their heart smart & vitamin properties.
 
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