Sprouting Instructions
Yields approximately 2 Cups (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts

Prep 3 Tablespoons of seed* then transfer (if necessary) into a bowl or into your Sprouter.
Add 2-3 times as much cool (60°-70°) water.
Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all.

Note: Brassicas tend to float. Try to sink those that do by knocking them down with your fingers. It isn't a big deal but it is a good habit.

Allow seeds to Soak for 6-12 hours.

Empty the seeds into your sprouter (if necessary).
Drain off the soak water.

Rinse thoroughly with cool (60°-70°) water.
Drain thoroughly.

Set your Sprouter anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses.
This is where your sprouts do their growing. We use a counter top in our kitchen - right in the middle of the room but where the sprouter won't get knocked over by kids, dogs, cats or us. Our kitchen gets no direct sun but we don't mind the diffuse sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light. When we're sprouting Mung Beans we may choose a darker corner of the room, but 99% of the time we just don't avoid light. Light just does not matter much. A plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves. Until then light has little if any effect, so don't hide your sprouts!

Rinse and Drain again every 8-12 hours for 3 days.
As long as you grow you have to keep the sprouts happy!

Note: These wonderful little Brassica plants have a unique root structure. Brassicas will show microscopic roots starting around day 3. They are called root hairs and are most visible just before Rinsing when the sprouts are at their driest. When you Rinse the root hairs will collapse back against the main root. These root hairs impress many people as mold - but they are not. Now you know!

Greening
On the 4th day relocate your sprouts if necessary.
If you've been keeping them away from light, move them. Avoid direct sun - it can cook your sprouts. Indirect sunlight is best but virtually any light will do. Experiment - you will be amazed at how little light sprouts require to green up.

Note: Mustard is a sprout we prefer NOT to green. We like them yellow (like prepared mustard), so we stop as soon as they have leaves. We then de-hull and eat them. They don't store very well as they are so fine (thin) and they hold so much moisture relative to their mass - so though they will keep for several days we usually just eat 'em up fresh!

Continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours.
As long as you grow you have to keep the sprouts happy.

Finishing
Your sprouts will be done during day 5 or 6.
The majority of sprouts will have open leaves which will be green if you exposed them to light.

De-Hull
Before your final Rinse remove the seed hulls.
Brassica sprout hulls are quite large (relative to the seed and sprout) and they hold a lot of water (which can dramatically lessen the shelf life of your sprouts), so we remove them:

Transfer the sprouts to a big (at least 3-4 times the volume of your sprouter) pot or bowl, fill with cool water, loosen the sprout mass and agitate with your hand. Skim the hulls off the surface. Return the sprouts to your sprouter for their Rinse and Drain. That's the short course - here is the full lesson.

Notes:

Mustard is the most demanding Brassica to sprout, but it is well worth the effort! It's flavor is beyond compare!!! It is fine (thin) and holds a lot of water. Draining is most critical - be as thorough as you possibly can be. Don't even try to grow Mustard if it is over 85°. Wait for cooler weather. But if you insist you can try to compensate by rinsing with the coldest water your tap puts out.

When conditions are warm your sprouts will likely grow faster. If their leaves open sooner you should green and de-hull and harvest sooner. Likewise they may grow slower if conditions are very cool. These are just tiny plants they are not difficult to understand. The more you sprout the better you'll know them and be able to adjust to their needs. As always 70° is optimal and 70° is what our instructions are written for.

All sprouts generate heat while growing, which is a good thing, but it can get out of hand on occasion. When the weather is especially hot and humid you will do well to Rinse more frequently (every 8 hours if possible) using colder water than usual (the coldest your tap can offer is fine), to compensate.

Depending on your sprouting device, not all of your sprouts will have access to light and so some will not green. This is not only OK - it is good. The yellow leafed sprouts will be equally nutritious (they have everything but chlorophyll) and many think them more delicious (in Europe vegetables are often grown "blanched" by avoiding light). We think they are prettier when there is a mix of green and yellow to go with the white roots. So don't sweat it - just eat more sprouts!

It is ESSENTIAL that you keep Brassica sprouts from clumping together and you CAN NOT grow them vertically using a tray sprouter. Brassica sprouts will mat together forming a dense bluish root mass which not only is unattractive but shortens the shelf life of the finished sprouts. So mix ‘em up! We use high water pressure when Rinsing to keep our brassica sprouts loose, but this only works for so long - so - when water isn't enough, break the clump of sprouts up using a fork or your fingers (wash your hands first please, if they need it). If you are using a sprouter that can hold water, fill it mostly full then use a fork to loosen. You can also dump your sprouts onto or into something and just shake them apart. You should never be afraid** of touching your sprouts. They are much stronger then they appear - just be reasonably gentle.

** The only thing to fear is fear itself.