Before I begin my usual ramblings on all things green, I’m happy to announce that the Inishowen Co-op now have the colourant for changing Hydrangeas from pink to blue. It comes in powder form and is easy to apply, the time is right for applying it to the shrubs now, and at just £2.76 you can’t go wrong.
My friend Paul is visiting again from England. He took over the article for me in the summer when I headed to the wilds of West Donegal on a camping trip. He will be helping me with a few jobs on his trip, (starting with writing about mulching for this weeks article). Before he pushes me off the page though I’d like to mention a few things.
I have been rooting around in my scullery this week in an effort to find some long lost tree ties. I didn’t find them, but I did come across an old bean sprouter that was gathering dust. This small propagator holds seeds with a small amount of water and after three or four days the seeds are ready for eating, either raw or in stirfrys and soups. These sprouters aren’t really necessary as most seeds can be sprouted on a tray or an old jar. Sprouted seeds are surprisingly rich in vitamins, minerals proteins and polyunsaturated oils. Growing seeds in this way can be done at any time of year as well so they are always in season. Apart from mustard and cress you may be familiar with the sprouted mung beans that are sold in packs at the supermarkets. There are plenty more to grow besides these but if you are in any doubt check them out first. Some seeds can be bitter or tasteless, or, as in tomato positively harmful (They are a member of the potato family).
I was down at the whole food shop Food for thought, in Buncrana recently to have a look at their choice of seeds suitable for sprouting and they have a good selection to get you going (they even have a seed sprouter priced at £6.99 if you don’t want to use a jar)
My friend Paul is visiting again from England. He took over the article for me in the summer when I headed to the wilds of West Donegal on a camping trip. He will be helping me with a few jobs on his trip, (starting with writing about mulching for this weeks article). Before he pushes me off the page though I’d like to mention a few things.
I have been rooting around in my scullery this week in an effort to find some long lost tree ties. I didn’t find them, but I did come across an old bean sprouter that was gathering dust. This small propagator holds seeds with a small amount of water and after three or four days the seeds are ready for eating, either raw or in stirfrys and soups. These sprouters aren’t really necessary as most seeds can be sprouted on a tray or an old jar. Sprouted seeds are surprisingly rich in vitamins, minerals proteins and polyunsaturated oils. Growing seeds in this way can be done at any time of year as well so they are always in season. Apart from mustard and cress you may be familiar with the sprouted mung beans that are sold in packs at the supermarkets. There are plenty more to grow besides these but if you are in any doubt check them out first. Some seeds can be bitter or tasteless, or, as in tomato positively harmful (They are a member of the potato family).
I was down at the whole food shop Food for thought, in Buncrana recently to have a look at their choice of seeds suitable for sprouting and they have a good selection to get you going (they even have a seed sprouter priced at £6.99 if you don’t want to use a jar)
Mung beans: these are the familiar Chinese bean sprouts; they will take 4-6 days and are ready when the shoots are about 2in long.
Fenugreek: These are familiar in curries; they are spicy and go well in soups and salads. They are ready in 4-8 days or when they are ½” long.
Alfalfa: Don’t be put off by the fact that farmers grow alfalfa to maturity and feed them to cattle. The young sprouts have a sweet pea like flavour and are healthy additions to salads. These will only take 3 –5 days or when they reach 1-2” in length.
Sprouting the seeds
The seeds will need washing in cold water for a start and then let them soak overnight in tepid water. If you use a jar, place the seeds in then cover the end with a piece of cloth or a square cut out of old tights, secure with a rubber band then tip the jar on it’s side, put it on a plate if you don’t want it rolling around the kitchen worktop. Remember that the seed will increase in size four or five times by the time they are ready, so don’t put too many in the jar. They will need rinsing at least twice a day with fresh water; it’s as easy as that.If you are feeling really adventurous then why not give some of these a try too: Soya beans (sometimes used as a mung bean substitute), Barley, Chick peas, Adzuki beans (crisp and nutty) Green lentils (my personal favourite) and Radishes (peppery).
Horticulural.
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