Rita Galchus - Homegrown Sprouts: A Fresh, Healthy, and Delicious Step-by-Step Guide to Sprouting Year Round

2013 by Quarry Books

Text 2013 Rita Galchus

Photography 2013 by Quarry Books

First published in the United States of America in 2013 by

Quarry Books, a member of

Quayside Publishing Group

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-1-59253-870-6

Digital edition published in 2013

eISBN: 978-1-61058-889-8

Digital edition: 978-1-61058-889-8
Softcover edition: 978-1-59253-870-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Galchus, Rita.

Homegrown sprouts : a fresh, healthy, and delicious step-by-step guide to sprouting year round / Rita Galchus.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-59253-870-6

1. Sprouts. I. Title.

SB324.53.G35 2013

635.34--dc23

2013024613

Design: Burge Agency

Photography: Thea Coughlin Photography

Author photo: Paul Galchus

RITA GALCHUS
SPROUT LADY RITA

A FRESH, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SPROUTING YEAR ROUND

BEANS, GRAINS, LEAFY GREENS, WHEATGRASS, AND MORE

I came to sprouting in April 1986 when my boyfriend, now my husband, took me on a date to an apartment in New York City, where we learned to sprout during a free class. I have been sprouting ever since. I remember so clearly today the taste of those homegrown sprouts: how natural and fresh their flavor was, how crunchy and crispy they felt on my tongue.

The demonstration showed the ease of the tasksoak the seeds, rinse the seeds, eat the sproutsso clearly that I knew I would be able to do it myself at home. We each purchased a starter kit and began to practice what we had learned right away. I took to sprouting quickly and had great success with those seeds. Even though I really had a black thumb when it came to caring for houseplants, my sprouts thrived.

Years passed, and my boyfriend and I married and had a son. In June 2000, I saw a classified ad: the sprouting business that held the free classes was for sale. I officially became Sprout Lady Rita on October 1, 2000.

At the time, I knew only one way to sprout two types of seedalfalfa and mung beans in a small tray sprouter. But I was motivated to be successful at sprouting, so I experimented with the seeds that the business stocked and sold, and I read all I could. Little by little, seed by seed, sprout by sprout, I was able to learn which methods worked best for which seed. Yes, I failed at some, and there have been times that I have grown great and wonderful batches of mold and mildew without any recognizable sprout anywhere to be seen. Perseverance has allowed me to find the best and easiest methods to use to produce great sprouts time after time.

Many people come to sprouting and learn one technique with one or two seeds and one type of sprouter. I wrote this book to show that there are many different tools to use for sprouting, and that there are more seeds available than just alfalfa and mung bean. Sprouting at home can be a wonderful journey into tastes and textures. The seeds are beautiful to look at and offer unique aromas when inhaled. Additionally, sprouting can add great nutrition to our every meal.

Sprouters come in all ages and all sizes. They come to sprouting for a variety of reasons that usually include getting better nutrition from food. Sprouts can fit into any diet regardless of religious or political beliefs.

It does not take much time or effort to make a seed happy enough to sprout. We are all capable of being Mother Nature to these little guys so that they will grow into wonderful sprouts. The right amount of water at the right temperature and enough light when necessary is all that is needed to complete the cycle.

When he was a young boy, my son once said to me after eating some fenugreek sprouts, Mom, this is what springtime tastes like. If you could assign a flavor to a season, I would match fresh sprouts to springtime, too. I invite you to take the journey with me!

Sprout Lady Rita

MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TWO MOST COMMON SPROUTS: ALFALFA AND MUNG BEAN. YOU MAY HAVE EATEN ALFALFA SPROUTS AT A RESTAURANT THAT FEATURES THEM ATOP A SALAD OR IN A CONTAINER AT THE SALAD BAR. MUNG BEANS ARE GROWN AS A COMPACT SHOOT, AND ARE FREQUENTLY USED IN CHINESE FOOD. BUT THERE IS A LARGER VARIETY OF SPROUTS AVAILABLE THAN JUST ALFALFA AND MUNG THAT CAN BE SPROUTED AT HOME. WITH A DIVERSITY OF WAYS TO SPROUT AND EAT THOSE TASTY LITTLE VEGETABLES, HOMEGROWN SPROUTS CAN BE A PART OF EVERY HOUSEHOLD KITCHEN.