Wishlist - Terracotta Sprouter

Wishlist – Terracotta Sprouter

I’m going to be starting quite a few new series of posts this summer, while I have the time, focusing more on the scientific side of things, and/or how to increase your sustainable food consumption.  As part of that, I’ll be starting a series called ‘Wishlist’ where I’ll discuss items that I’ve seen, used, or coveted which can be of use in your sustainable kitchen.  I am only reviewing items that I personally would like, and, at the moment, am not getting any kind of benefit from doing these reviews.  If that changes, I’ll be up-front about it!

We’re currently housesitting in a beautiful part of Brittany for a couple with an amazing garden, and a kitchen which is almost exactly what I want in my dream house!  Just before leaving the owner pulled out a packet of alfalfa seeds, and showed me how to use this terracotta sprouter in their absence.

I’ve always been a fan of sprouted seeds – when I was about five years old my mother used to buy them to top salads with, and I was allowed to take as much of the leftover sprouts as I wanted when she was done, much to the amusement of the adults.  A few years ago I looked up how to grow your own sprouts, realising that they must be one of the lowest-input, easiest-to-grow-in-a-flat crops out there, and came up with lots of results for precariously tying the seeds into old socks and hanging them near a sunny window for several days.  Since Lucy wasn’t a fan of sprouts until very recently, I never got around to trying this method out, but I’m sure it works really well if you have space over your sink, and/or windows that don’t let in 20mph gusts of wind (neither of which has ever been the case for us). 

So, I was really excited to give this compact, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to clean sprouter a go, and I’m even more exited to report that it works incredibly well!  Just soak your seeds overnight, drain, place in the top level of the sprouter, then rinse and drain every day until ready to eat (ours took 3 days, but I guess that varies depending on the temperature where you are).  Probably the most appealing thing for me, though, is that you can sprout different seeds at the same time in different levels, or keep the same seed mix going in all the levels to be ready on different days, meaning you can have fresh sprouts whenever you like!

Home sprouted seeds and nuts are an excellent supplement to your diet, not only because they may contain more protein and vitamin C than their un-sprouted counterparts (UCDavis), but also because they epitomize local, low-input food.  While it may be tough to grow vegetables and fruits in your tiny flat, finding space to hang a sock, or put out a terracotta sprouter should be doable. They require hardly any input in terms of time or nutrients, and they pack a nutritional punch along with their delicious crispiness! 

Did I mention that I love sprouted seeds?