Winter zipped by in a blur and the downtime that usually regenerates me for gardening remained elusive as February’s gray skies rolled around.

What I’m saying is I’m behind in my gardening. My peas are in, yes. My lettuce, kale, arugula, and favas made it into the ground in a big mid-March one-day direct-seed rush. I just don’t have the trays of seedlings going like I normally would this time of year.

I’ve started the tomatoes and peppers, but they’re late. They’ll be fine, but they’re late. For me, part of gardening is learning to forgive myself for messing up. The garden doesn’t mind if I move forward awkwardly in fits and starts. It isn’t a competition!

But this garden tardiness is how I found myself needing some instant gratification. A little sprout pick-me-up. I turned to my recent seed purchase from Chauly’s Favorite Seeds, heirloom seeds from East Stroudsburg, Pa.

Chauly’s is a great place to find unique, interesting veggie and flower options. Since they’re based in Pennsylvania, their seeds are also a good match for growing in our climate. On a whim, I purchased some sprouting seeds with my recent order and decided to try the Triton Purple Stem Radishes.

Chauly’s website has a whole section of sprouting seeds, by which I mean seeds that turn into the hippie sprouts that are sprinkled on top of salads, stuffed into sandwiches and included in whatever healthy meal needs a little crunch. Chauly’s offers 17 choices, from Fenugreek to broccoli to alfalfa. It’s a great array.

In the website photo, the Triton Purple Stems were pretty and pink with dark green tops. They seemed to be a sprout that knew how to have a good time. And I needed some encouragement.

Even with my hippie-leaning lifestyle, I’m embarrassed to say I’d never grown sprouts. They always seemed just out of my reach, complicated and messy. I thought I needed a gadget to grow them. Not sure why, because they are easy to make and all you really need is a wide-mouth Mason jar, a coffee filter and a jar top.

There are more advanced ways of making sprouts, sure, but I wanted to give it a go before I bought the made-for-sprouting mesh Mason jar lid (which I did, after eating the first batch of sprouts).

There’s an interesting rhythm to making sprouts. It reminds me of making sourdough bread but instead of turning the dough, I rinse the sprouts twice a day for about a week and then: Pop. Spring in a jar.

The beauty of it is, it doesn’t matter if it’s raining or snowing.  The sprouts have their own little ecosystem in there. It’s satisfying and a good way to prime the pump for the gardening growth, maintenance and tastiness to come.

Give sprouts a try. They’re healthy and fun to grow and eat. You can find Chauly’s Favorite Seeds at www.babybows.com.

Making sprouts

1 wide-mouth Mason jar

1 wide-mouth metal band or rubber band

1 coffee filter, cheesecloth or a mesh Mason jar sprouting lid

Water for rinsing

Fine mesh sieve

1-2 tablespoons sprouting seeds of your choice (I used Triton Purple Stem Radish)

A small bowl in which you’ll prop the jar

Container with a lid

Paper towel

Make sure your jar is clean. Measure out 1-2 tablespoons of seeds, give them a quick rinse and place them in the jar.

Pour in 2 inches of warm water and secure your coffee filter or cheese cloth on top with a metal band or a rubber band and let the seeds sit overnight on a countertop.

The next morning, tip the jar and drain the water. Or use a fine mesh sieve to drain them, which I find easier. Once the water is drained, rinse the seeds again, drain the water, secure the filter and lid.

Tip the jar, head down, into a bowl so air can circulate. The seeds should never be sitting in water or left to dry out. It’s a fine balance. Place the jar/bowl combo out of direct sunlight.

Repeat this rinse and drain and tip step twice a day until you have sprouts sprouting. This takes 4-7 days.

Place a paper towel in the bottom of a lidded container to soak up any excess moisture. Remove the sprouts from the jar store them in the container for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Sprouts are great on top of salads or savory oatmeal or grain salads. 

Makes approximately 1 cup of sprouts

Sherrie Flick: sdflick@hotmail.com

First Published: April 11, 2023, 9:30 a.m.