Pea Sprouts
Steps to grow pea sprouts and its health benefits
Fresh pea sprouts are jam packed with tons of healthy micronutrients and
have a delicate sweet flavour that’s hard to resist. The sprouts are also
superfast and easy to grow-once you plant the seed, the first crop will be
ready to harvest in about 3 weeks!
Use your fresh, tender sprouts in green salads or blend them into your
favorite smoothie recipes
Part 1. Seed Prep
Pour your seeds into a bowl and cover them with water.
Leave the bowl where it won’t be disturbed for 8-12 hours so the seed can
soak. This softens the seed casings and speeds up the germination
process.
If you’re growing sprouts outside and it’s still pretty chilly, it's fine to soak
the seeds a little longer as long as you don't go over 48 hours
Your lanter or container only needs to be 5-10 cm deep since
sprouts won’t have time to develop extensive root systems. Any shallow
container or wooden box will do the trick as long as it has plenty of holes in
the bottom for the water to drain through.
1. Buy plastic planting trays from a gardening supply store, or improvise by
using leftover blueberry or raspberry containers.
2. Seedlings grow close together in damp soil, so drainage is crucial to
prevent mold and root rot.
Commercial potting soil and organic compost both work great for sprouts.
Pour thin layer of soil or compost into the bottom of your tray and spread
the surface out evenly
*A soilless indoor growing medium also works well. Pea sprouts aren’t
particularly finicky!
Fill a spray bottle with water and mist the top of the soil until it has the
consistency of crumble brownie mix. If you are not sure just grab a handful
of it and squeeze.
Dump the bowl of water and seed into a fine mesh strainer so the water
passes through the bottom. Cover the surface of the soil with the seeds,
taking care to put a little space between each seeds
1. Sprouts can grow close together so don’t worry about being exact. Just try
to avoid overlapping the seeds.
2. You don’t need to poke holes in the soil for the seeds. Put them right on
the top.
Spread the thin layer of soil or compost over the seeds and use your hand
to gently level the surface. Tamp the soil down lightly to get rid of any air
pockets under the surface. Finish up by giving the surface a generous
misting of water.
Part 2. Germination and Harvest
1. If you don’t see sprouts after 3 days, don’t worry it can take up to 7 days.
● After the seeds germinate, move them to a sunny area so your baby
sprouts can grow and thrive. They need about 6 hours of sunlight a day. A
sunny window or bright spot on your porch or balcony are great options.
Seedlings prefer cool weather and are perfectly happy with temperatures
as low as 40 degree fahrenheit.
If full sun is too warm for them, they’ll do fine in partial shade.
Keep the soil moist as your sprouts continue to grow. They’re ready to
harvest once they’re a few inches tall. Which only takes about 2-3 weeks.
The earlier you harvest the sprouts, the more tender and delicate their
flavour will be.
Technically you can harvest the tiny sprouts after the first true leaves
appear, which happens within a matter of days rather than weeks. Once
the sprouts grow more leaves and get a couple of inches tall, they become
“pea shoots”. People often say “pea sprouts”
Use a clean sharp scissor to cut each shoot above the lowest node at the
base of the stem. To get a second harvest, keep the tray in the same place
and continue misting everyday. In about 2 weeks, you should be able to
harvest again!
You can do this up to 3 times before the quality of the sprouts starts to go
down.
Nestle the harvested sprouts in a covered container and store them in the
fridge. When you’re ready to eat the sprouts, just rinse them off with cold
and use them to top salads or blend them into your favorite smoothie
recipes.
Health Benefits
Peas sprouts can also do wonders to our eyes. Peas are packed with
carotenoid pigment lutein. Lutein is known to reduce the risk of cataracts
and macular degeneration or loss of vision in old age. Pea sprouts can
also boost eyesight.
Good for heart:
The insoluble fiber content present in peas helps reduce the risk of heart
disease and stroke.
Weight loss:
The bite sized peas sprout can help you shed some quick pounds too.
Peas are low in fat and also immensely low on calories
Good for skin:
Pea sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C. which play a significant
role in the production of collagen. Collagen helps keep the skin firm and
glowing.
Help to control blood sugar level:
Pea sprouts help regulate blood sugar level as it has high fiber
content, and can induce the feeling of fullness, thereby preventing us from
consuming.