Crunchy, tasty and richly assorted, sprouts knew an exploit in the 70s, but did not win a permanent place on every table. But now it is time for the comeback!
Real natural supplements, the buds turn out to be an ace in the hole especially with children who do not want to eat vegetables.
In the collective imagination, sprouts, or those foods obtained from the seeds sprouted of legumes, cereals, oilseeds and vegetables, are bound to groups of obsessed health fanatics, or to the dishes of the Chinese restaurants. But in reality it is not just like that: the sprouts are more common than you think. To make beer and whiskey, for example, you use the sprouted barley - just to limit ourselves to the development of the seed, because if we extend a bit the concept to the buds of plants we find asparagus, hop shoots and those of bamboo .
Sprouts are real natural supplements, as they are rich in nutrients: indeed the seed, growing to create a new seedling, concentrates within itself many elements essential to our well-being, in particular minerals and vitamins. In this sense, we find true natural supplements, and most importantly a useful ace in the hole when children misbehave to eat vegetables ... Just because a handful of sprouts is enough for enriching dishes of nutrients.
As if that was not enough, sprouted seeds are also easy to prepare at home and allow you to have fresh foods, organic and self-produced foods at your fingertips during the whole year, even in winter. They do not need large space, you do not need pots or small gardens, just a corner in the kitchen.
To all this it is to be added the fact that the sprouts are crisp and flavorful, each with a different shade of taste. Some, like those of mustard and garlic, give our dishes intense flavors; others, such as those of lucerne (or alfalfa) and sesame seeds, have a delicate and pleasant flavor which makes them particularly versatile, suitable for sweet and savory recipes.
It is not difficult to begin the adventure of self-production of sprouts; the ideal is to obtain a Sprouter that you can buy online or in health food stores. And for those who just do not feel like, there are organic farms that offer, especially on the web, a remarkable assortment of sprouted seeds of many kinds. A new world, perhaps, but all to explore and really promising!
How to prepare the sprouts:
- Select the seeds, discarding the damaged ones.
- Calculate an approximate amount of 30-40 g: yield is high.
- Soak them in a bowl with approximate times ranging from 6 hours for medical grass, greek hay and other seeds of comparable size, to 10-12 hours for beans, soybeans, wheat, etc..
- Rinse the seeds and put them in pots or in the Sprouter when they are thoroughly clean.
- Bathe them every day (2-3 times in winter, 3-4 times in the summer).
- Once a day, remove the water from the pan of the Sprouter.
- Check daily the possible formation of mold or black spots.
- Rinse the sprouts and remove the integument.
- Let them drain and dry, then use them immediately or store them in the fridge.
- The bean sprouts should be steamed or blanched in the pan for about 5 minutes before use.
Elsa Gatti - Terra Nova Editions
All recipes based on sprouts: BUDS ON THE PLATE (I GERMOGLI NEL PIATTO) Terra Nova Editions
