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Sprouting 1-2-3

July 10, 2012 in Clean Food | Tags: alfalfa, Ann Wigmore, avocado, broccoli, Bubbies, chlorophyll, cucumber, dill, green pepper, green thumb, Handy Pantry, harvest, horseradish, hulls, marinated tofu, organic, quart, radish, seed, sprouting lid, sprouts, The Sprouting Book, Vegan, Vegenaise, vegetarian, wide-mouth canning jar | Leave a comment

My thumb is not green…Which means that if I can grow sprouts, anyone can. It’s ridiculously easy and highly gratifying! Sprouts are the only food that I (currently) have the time or motivation to grow myself.

STEP 1: Buy seeds. Here is a nice blend of organic alfalfa, radish and broccoli sprout seeds. My local natural food Co-op has a whole section with seeds and sprouting supplies.

STEP 2: Get a quart wide-mouth canning jar and sprouting lid. A sprouting lid has holes in it to allow air flow and drainage. I made my own using some plastic mesh that I found at the craft store. Just make sure that the holes are small enough so that the seeds don’t go through.

STEP 3: (DAY 1) Soak 1 tablespoon sprouts in the quart jar filled with cool water for 4-8 hours. Drain through the sprout lid.

STEP 4: (DAYS 2-5) At least 2 times per day, rinse the seeds and growing sprouts by filling up the jar with cool water so it overflows. Turn upside down to drain. Keep out of direct light. Don’t let the seeds dry out.

Day 3 – Draining the Sprouts

STEP 5: After the sprouts start to grow, place the jar in a location that gets indirect sunlight. This develops the chlorophyll.

Day 4 – Exposing the Sprouts to Indirect Sunlight

STEP 6: (Day 5-6) When the jar is filled up with green sprouts you’re ready to harvest!

Day 5 – Harvest Day

Place the sprouts in a large bowl filled with cool water. Break up the sprout “clump” and swish around to loosen the seed hulls. Most will float to the top, and the rest will sink to the bottom. Carefully pour the hulls down the drain while keeping the sprouts from following!

STEP 7: Drain the sprouts and store in a closed container in the refrigerator. I put a damp paper towel in the bottom of the container to keep the sprouts moist but not too wet. Eat within a week.

My favorite summer sandwich is a “green sandwich,” made with sprouts, cucumber, green pepper and avocado, with dilled horseradish sauce (Vegenaise + Bubbies Horseradish + dill). Sometimes I add some marinated tofu slices.

For a great resource and more information, consult The Sprouting Book, by Ann Wigmore.

HAVE FUN AND BE WELL! 🙂

Dairy Marketing…Untruth in Labeling?

June 13, 2012 in The Dairy File | Tags: alfalfa, alkaline, American, beef, business, calcium, candy bars, citrus pulp, commodity feeds, corn gluten, corn silage, cows, dairy, Darigold, distillers grains, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fuzzy whole cottonseed, grass, grass silage, hay, Hormel, Idaho, idyllic, ion, Lucerne, metal, milk, milking, mineral, National Dairy Council, pastoral, pasture, profitability, red barn, Southwest, soybean hulls, soybean meal, steer, Total Mixed Ration (TMR), U.S. | Leave a comment

Things That Make Me Go “Huh?”

EXHIBIT B: DAIRY LABELS

Do you ever really notice the pictures on the milk jugs? I’m talking about those cute drawings of dairy cows on perfect green pastures, with– of course– the stereotypical red barn.

Take a quick glance at any dairy container and you’ll find idyllic pastoral pictures. I opened the fridge at work and found 3 different brands, complete with delightful farm depictions: Darigold, Hormel Health Labs, and Lucerne.

What the dairy industry would have you believe is that cow’s milk products actually come from cows living wonderful lives. But does the average dairy cow eat grass? No.

What do dairy cows eat? Let’s consult the Dairy Production page of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to find out what’s in their Total Mixed Ration (TMR):

Corn silage
Alfalfa/grass silage
Alfalfa hay
Corn
Soybean meal
Fuzzy whole cottonseed
Commodity feeds (corn gluten, distillers grains, soybean hulls, citrus pulp, candy bars, etc.)

No, the cows aren’t eating grass.

Do you notice something else? The Lucerne label says “Calcium Fortified.” Why would that be? Aren’t dairy products supposed to be naturally high in calcium? Why must they fortify?

Think about it for a minute…

Calcium is a chemical element (Ca) and an alkaline Earth metal. The calcium ion (Ca²⁺) is essential for human physiology, notably for nerve conduction, neurotransmitter release, and muscle contraction. Calcium is stored in the bones and teeth.

Minerals such as calcium come from the ground. Dark, leafy plants are rich in calcium.

While there is abundant calcium in milk from cows eating grass, dairy cows don’t typically eat grass. Are dairy products calcium-fortified because the cows themselves aren’t getting enough calcium?

Would the dairy industry– i.e. The National Dairy Council– make claims that “TMR-fed” cow’s milk is an “excellent” source of calcium if they didn’t fortify the milk?

Remember…

If you have more than a few cows, it’s not practical to “let” them all eat grass, over acres of pasture land. Why? Because milking occurs twice a day, without interruption. It would be costly and labor intensive to let the cows out, bring them in for milking, let them out, bring them in…

Dairying is a business, and profitability in any business depends on it running efficiently, with minimal costs. (The cows you see on pasture are likely steers being raised for beef, not dairy cows.)

Here are some realistic images of dairy farms:

I took pictures of this dairy in Idaho over 28 sec while traveling (as passenger) at 75 mph: