Growing sprouts in water

AGENCIES

Sprouting seeds are fun and quick to grow, bursting into delicious morsels within days. Instead of germinating in soil, you’ll see them spring into life in just water — watch green leaves appear on seeds, and white shoots on beans, nuts, and grains. You may wish to experiment with how long you grow each time — for personal preferences tend to differ. Once grown, sprouts will remain crisp in a fridge for up to a fortnight, depending on what they are, but will lose flavour and nutrition the longer they are stored.

Soya bean

You will need soya seeds, a jar covered in muslin and a rubber band or string. Rinse half a cup of seeds under a tap, to remove some of the starch. Then place the seeds into a bowl. Add to this two to three times as much cool water (which should be no more than 21 degree Celsius).

Alter these quantities depending on how much you require and/or how big your container is. Mix the seeds up to ensure even water contact. Soak them for two to 12 hours. Drain off the water and rinse thoroughly. Soya seeds contain more starch than most other seeds, so make sure you continue to rinse until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly and then empty the seeds into your jar, and cover with the piece of muslin or cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Place the container out of direct sunlight.

Continue to rinse frequently and drain them every four to eight hours by tipping your container upside down and letting out the water through the cover. This process needs to be done at least twice. After around two days, you should have sprouts that are approximately six millimetre long (you can continue to grow them to 2.5 centimetre).

Buckwheat

Nutty buckwheat is one of the easiest seeds to sprout. Bear in mind that it requires a much shorter soaking time than most other seeds. You will need hulled, organic or raw buckwheat, a plastic tray or flat glass and two pure-cotton cloths.

Pour two-thirds of a cup of seeds into a bowl and cover with water until the seeds are completely submerged. Stir the seeds and water and leave them to soak.

They will quickly take up all the water they require, so you only need to soak them for 20-60 minutes. Next, drain off the excess water and rinse thoroughly. As with soya beans, you will need to rinse repeatedly to get rid of all the starch.

Then line the bottom of a flat plastic or glass container, such as a serving platter, with a damp piece of cotton cloth and spread the buckwheat evenly on it. Cover the seeds with another piece of damp cotton and then place somewhere cool and semi-lit. Rinse and drain every four to eight hours. They should be ready to eat within 48 hours.

Quinoa

All you need is seeds, a bowl, a tray or plate and a cloth to cover. Rinse the seeds to remove their soapy coating. Add two-thirds of a cup of seeds to a bowl and enough cool water to submerge the seeds. Leave them to soak for about 30 minutes, then drain off excess water — but keep them in the bowl. Rinse them thoroughly once more and transfer the seeds to a tray or plate and cover with a cloth, placing them somewhere dark. Repeat the process every eight to 12 hours for 48 hours.

The quinoa should eventually sprout into spiral-shaped roots. Let them dry out for up to 12 hours before storing in a sealed container in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to a fortnight.