French Garden Sprout Mix
Clover, Arugula, Cress, Radish, Fenugreek, Dill The greatest thing ever to happen to Leafy Sprouts! Our most popular blend (leafy or otherwise) of all time! French Garden's seeds are from sources which are certified organic.
(10 Reviews)
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Growing Basics
- Soak8 - 12 hoursThe amount of time your seeds should soak in cool water. Soaking is how we begin the sprouting process in most cases.
- Rinse / Drain2 - 3 times per dayHow often your seeds should be watered. Rinsing thoroughly and then draining as much water as possible are key components to growing great sprouts.
- Harvest5 - 6 daysThe time it takes to grow a finished Sprout, or other crop (Micro-Greens, Grass, Greens) from a dry Seed. Note: This "finished" Sprout is our preference. you may grow them for as long as you want! In fact, we suggest that you taste them at every rinse to discover when you like them best.
- Yield7 to 1The amount of Sprouts, Grass, Greens or Micro-Greens produced by 1 unit of Seed. For Example 2:1 means that 1 pound of Seed will produce 2 pounds of Sprouts or whatever crop you are growing. You do not have to grow them all at once of course, unless you wish to =:-D
Nutritional Information
Vitamins A, B, C, E and K
Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc
Carotene, Chlorophyll, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, Trace Elements
Protein: 35%
Excellent for Women
Flavor
Soak 2 Tbs. of seed in cool water for 8-12 hours.
Drain off soak water. Do not ever soak again.
Rinse thoroughly.
Drain Thoroughly.
Rinse and Drain with cool water every 8-12 hours.
On day 3, move your Sprouter to a well lit location. Use direct sun only if you're growing in a tray.
Continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours.
Harvest on Day 6, when the leaves are open and most of them are green.
De-Hull your crop if you like before Refrigerating.
Yields approximately 4 Cups (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts
Seed Prep Measure out 2 Tablespoons of seed* Rinse your seeds to remove dust or debris.
Soak Transfer your seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary), or a bowl. Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70 degree) water. Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all. Allow seeds to Soak for 8-12 hours.
Sprouting Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary). Drain off the soak water. You can use it - it has nutrients in it.
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 the corner of our kitchen, but where the sprouter won't get knocked over by cats, dogs, kids or us. We don't mind the indirect sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light, because light just does not matter much. A plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves. Until a plant has leaves, light has little if any effect. Sprouts also happen to like air-circulation, so don't hide your sprouts. When leaves do appear, this will be plenty of light for them to green up!
Rinse and Drain again every 8-12 hours for 3 days. As long as you grow you have to keep the sprouts happy!
Always be sure to Drain very thoroughly. The most common cause of inferior sprouts is inadequate drainage. Even the best designed Sprouting Device holds water, so pay special attention to this step.
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. Photosynthesis is a marvel!
Continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours. Your last Rinse/Drain will be either at the end of day 5 or the start of day 6 Always Drain Thoroughly!
Finishing Your sprouts will be done about the end of day 6. The majority of sprouts will have open leaves which will be green. You'll recognize them.
De-Hull You may De-Hull your sprouts at any time during day 5 or 6.
Before your final Rinse; remove the seed hulls. Leafy sprout hulls are not a real concern. They can conceivably lessen the shelf life of your sprouts, but we usually consume them too fast for that to be a concern, so it is, to us, more a matter of aesthetics. We think they look better with their sprout hulls gone - so we remove them thusly:
Transfer the sprouts to a big (at least 2 times the volume of your Sprouter) pot or bowl. Fill with cool water. Loosen the sprout mass by pulling it apart with your fingers or a fork. Hulls will rise to the surface. Keep pulling your sprout mass apart and move them around slowly, pulling them down - under the water - to make room for the hulls to rise. Skim the hulls off the surface of the water and compost them. Return the sprouts to your Sprouter for their final Rinse and Drain. You can also use our Dehuller (a small salad spinner with an excellent design that minimizes the sprouts that escape in the dehulling process). That's the short course - here is the full lesson. Better yet, here is our video on de-hulling.
Harvest If you Dehulled with our Dehuller, or used a salad spinner after dehulling in a bowl, you can go right to refrigeration. If not... Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse. After the De-Hulling and the final Rinse we need to Drain Very Thoroughly and let our sprouts dry a bit. If we minimize the surface moisture of our sprouts they store much better in refrigeration, so we let them sit for 8-12 hours....
Refrigerate Transfer the sprout crop to a plastic bag or the sealed container of your choice. We have Produce Storage Bags that will extend shelf life substantially.
*Seed to Use
* If using Sproutpeople's Single Harvest Pack - use the whole bag (for a one-quart Sprouter). It will produce a crop of approximately 8 ounces.
These seeds yield approximately 7:1 - which means the sprouts will weigh 7 times as much as the seed you start with, but, they will increase even more in volume - so don't start with more than 2 Tablespoons per quart/litre of sprouter capacity.
French Garden awaits the life bringing Soak.
12 hours later... Soaked, Rinsed and Drained thoroughly. Remember to be Thorough - especially in your Draining - now and in future.
12 - 24 hours later... another 1 -2 Rinse/Drain cycles. Remember to Drain especially thoroughly, unless you are using a De-Huller - in which case thorough will do.
12 hours later.... Harvest Time!
Another view... An overflowing Easy Sprout.
Yet another view... Your entire crop lifts out of Easy Sprout.
The inclusion of Arugula - an amazingly tasty plant - is what has made French Garden by far our most popular Leafy sprout blend of all time! This is as gourmet as sprouts get! A delectable blend of mildly sweet, tangy, bitter and peppery.
French Garden is perfect! Though we invented it we consider it too good to claim it as our own. We refer to it with due reverence; as an act of god.
French Garden. To me - is a place in my head. Not going, sprout growing - but saying instead.
Vicarious travel is better than none - I know that French Garden I basque in its sun.
Eat More Sprouts!
Seed Shelf Life: 4 years. Store in cool, dark, dry spot. Store in freezer to extend shelf life.
Sprouting Devices for Leafy Sprouts
Follow links for detailed information about - and a purchase point for - each Sprouter....
Easy Sprout
Overwhelmingly our most popular sprouter, Easy Sprout is also our personal favorite. We have well over a dozen in our house. It offers great drainage and the best air-circulation of any sprouter.
Easy Sprout is made up of a 1 Quart (litre) Growing Vessel, a Solid container/Base that catches excess Rinse water, a Small Seed Insert that snaps in when sprouting small seeds, two Growing Lids (1 for home (Domed) and 1 for the road (Flat)), and a Solid Lid for refrigerator storage of your sprout crop.
Easy Sprout is the best all-around sprouter. Period. It is the mandatory choice for high humidity sproutpeople everywhere and great for travel sprouting! Very versatile - Easy Sprout can sprout virtually any seed, anywhere!
Easy Sprout is part of many of our Kits.
SproutMaster 5x6
SproutMaster is the greatest tray sprouter ever! It offers excellent drainage, and is the best sprouter on this globe, for growing vertical Leafy Sprouts. The SproutMaster is very versatile - it can sprout virtually any seed. It is even able to grow Grass, Greens and Micro-Greens - with proper care, and perhaps a growing medium.
We sell two configurations 1) Three trays that measure 5x6 inches each. 2) A Single tray that measures 8x10 inches. SproutMaster trays (of the same dimension) are stackable - add trays to build your own sprout skyscraper. SproutMasters are comprised of Growing Trays, each with a removable Divider - which allows you to grow 2 crops in one Tray, and interchangeable Lids and Bases.
This SproutMaster is the 3 Tray, 5x6 Stack. It comes with 3 Trays, 3 Dividers, and 4 Lids/Bases. That is enough Lids/Bases for almost anything you want to grow.
SproutMaster 8x10
SproutMaster is the greatest tray sprouter ever! It offers excellent drainage, and is the best sprouter on this globe, for growing vertical Leafy Sprouts. The SproutMaster is very versatile - it can sprout virtually any seed. It is even able to grow Grass, Greens and Micro-Greens - with proper care, and perhaps a growing medium.
We sell two configurations 1) Three trays that measure 5x6 inches each. 2) A Single tray that measures 8x10 inches. SproutMaster trays (of the same dimension) are stackable - add trays to build your own sprout skyscraper. SproutMasters are comprised of Growing Trays, each with a removable Divider - which allows you to grow 2 crops in one Tray, and interchangeable Lids and Bases.
This SproutMaster is the single 8x10 inch Tray. It comes with 1 Tray, 1 Divider, and 2 Lids/Bases. If you purchase multiple 8x10 trays, you'll end up with more of the Lids/Bases then you'll use regularly, but extras can be a good thing....
1 Qt. Jar
This is a One-Quart, Wide-Mouth Mason Jar. It isn't accompanied by a lid. Those are purchased separately. Keep on scrolling....
The least expensive, most basic sprouter, Jars - when topped by Screen Lids, are a fine choice for any skilled sprouter or for those willing to work a bit more diligently at rinsing and draining, or as an additional Sprouter, for easy sprouts, like Beans and Grains. A great choice for Pre-Sprouting Grass and Greens too!
Half-Gallon Jar
This is a Two-Quart (1/2 Gallon), Wide-Mouth Mason Jar. It isn't accompanied by a lid. Those are purchased separately. Keep on scrolling....
The least expensive, most basic sprouter, Jars - when topped by Screen Lids, are a fine choice for any skilled sprouter or for those willing to work a bit more diligently at rinsing and draining, or as an additional Sprouter, for easy sprouts, like Beans and Grains. A great choice for Pre-Sprouting Grass and Greens too!
Sproutpeople Stainless Steel 3-Screen Sprouting Lid Set
Made by Sproutpeople!
Fine mesh, Medium mesh and Coarse mesh. Our 3-Screen Lid Set is made up of Stainless Steel Mesh - in 3 different mesh sizes (fine, medium and course) - each nestled in a heavy-duty Plastic Ring. Our Screen Lids fit Wide-Mouth Jar Mason Jars, like those we sell.
The wider the mesh - the more readily water and air pass through the screen. Use the fine mesh (the finest mesh size ever!) for small seeds (Leafy and Brassica sprouts), the medium mesh for Grains and small Beans and the coarse mesh for large Beans. As your sprouts grow bigger, you can move to a bigger mesh size to improve air-circulation and facilitate the escape of hulls, thus making de-hulling easier.
Additional Sprouters
You can also grow Leafy Sprouts as Micro-Greens using...
Follow links for detailed information about - and a purchase point for - each Sprouter....
Compostable Tray
A very simple tray just for Micro-Greens! The Compostable Tray is a small, inexpensive and attractive way to hold a growing medium - specifically Baby Blanket. It's great for growing small crops of Micro-Greens, decorative growing and growing at work.
Using the Compostable Tray is extremely simple. Just sprinkle small seeds on the moist Baby Blanket pads and watch 'em grow! Well, there's a tiny bit more then that, but not much.
Not a big crop sprouter, but very inexpensive and attractive as Sprouters go! The Compostable Tray comes with a compostable, clear cover and measures 4x7 inches.
Hemp Bag
Made by Sproutpeople!
The perfect Bean and Grain sprouter. The Hemp Bag is even capable of growing Leafy and Brassica sprouts - though it takes extra care to do those well. It's also excellent for Micro-Greens - it acts as a planting medium.
The Hemp Bag is the most convenient travel sprouter ever. It folds up flat and does a great job hanging on a backpack, on a boat or over a hotel sink!
The Hemp Bag offers superior drainage and exceptional air-circulation.
Our Hemp Bags are made for us, locally. They measure Approximately 6 1/2 inches wide x 9 1/2 inches tall.
The shelf life of sprouting seeds (how long the seeds remains viable - able to germinate) varies quite a bit. Though most seeds will remain viable for years in reasonable storage (dark, cool and low humidity), some will not. We suggest that you freeze your seed. Freezing extends the shelf life of a seed by several years. The only concern in freezing is condensation. All you need to do to avoid condensation is to return the seed to the freezer within a few minutes - after you've removed what you need, to grow your current crop. Also, Keep them in any sealed container. A plastic bag is fine. Glass is better. You do not need to thaw the seeds - just go ahead and Soak.
Sprouting NotesWhen conditions are warmer your sprouts will likely grow faster. Likewise they may grow slower if conditions are very cool. As always 70° is optimal.
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, to compensate.
We grow our sprouts almost exclusively in Easy Sprout Sprouters. By day 4 we have hulls coming off our sprouts, so we allow the hulls to escape. We do this by leaving the Growing Vessel inside the Solid Base of the Easy Sprout and then filling it with water. We use a fork to loosen the mass of sprouts, which allows more hulls to float to the surface. We skim the hulls off and compost them. It isn't necessary to do this because we De-Hull them when we harvest the crop, but it's a way to spend more time with your sprouts. We like to do that. It's possible that we're a bit odd that way - - but you see - sprouts are sorta part of our family - - hmmmm - I don't imagine that makes us seem less odd. Let's just leave it there. We are who we are @:-)
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 sprouts will be equally nutritious (they have everything but chlorophyll) and many think them more delicious (in Europe vegetables are often grown "blanched" by being denied light). We think they are prettier when there is a mix of green and yellow leaves to go with the white roots. So don't sweat it - just eat more sprouts!
When using a non-tray sprouter, you can help your crop by "breaking apart" your sprouts when they clump up - around day 3 or 4 and daily thereafter. We use high water pressure when Rinsing to keep our sprouts loose, but this only works for so long - so - when water isn't enough, loosen 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, like Easy Sprout - fill it mostly full then use a fork to loosen the clump. You could also dump your sprouts onto or into something and just shake them apart. This clump loosening is by no means mandatory - but it will help more of their leaves to turn green. 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.
Alternate Growing Methods
Vertical Growing
This method produces very pretty sprouts that green most evenly and whose hulls are removed most easily. They do not however, taste any better =:-}
If you grow in a Tray sprouter - like SproutMaster, your sprouts can grow vertically - leaves (cotyledons) up, roots down. The trick to doing this is to keep your sprouts in place (don't "break them up" as you do in a non-tray sprouter) from day 3 onward. It is easy to do if, when Rinsing, you use a sprayer (that attachment most sinks have - the one that pulls out and is gun-like or a faucet attachment that offers spraying when pulled down) instead of your faucet. We have grown many tons of leafy sprouts this way. Here is a breakdown of the specifics (rinse numbers are based on 12 hour intervals - adjust as needed):
Rinse 1 (right after Soak): Use faucet or sprayer and Rinse thoroughly (use water at high pressure and use plenty of it). Rinse 2 and 3: Use faucet or sprayer and Rinse thoroughly. Rinse 4: Use sprayer and while Rinsing thoroughly, spray your sprouts evenly across the bottom of the tray. You can use your hands to spread them too. The goal is to spread them evenly. Rinse 5 and 6: Use sprayer with less water pressure. Rinse well - (which since you are using less water pressure means - for a longer time) but don't disturb the sprouts. Rinse 7 - 10: Use sprayer. You can turn the water pressure back to high - your sprouts will not be easily moved (broken up) at this point and the higher water pressure feeds oxygen to your sprouts as well as "cleaning" them, which is a wonderful way to produce healthy long lasting sprouts. Rinse and Drain thoroughly. Rinse 11 (if you need this many) or your last Rinse: Use Sprayer. Hold your tray at an angle (90° will work but less is OK too) and spray across the top of the sprouts to remove hulls. We call this SHAVING. It can be done at any Rinse or every Rinse - starting when hulls begin to be shed by the opening leaves. Rinse down into the sprouts too.
Vertical growing CAN be done without a sprayer too but it is more difficult. If you want to try all you have to do is regulate your water pressure - trying to keep your sprouts undisturbed during rinses 4 - 6.
Growing Leafy Sprouts as Micro-Greens
We have posted instructions to do this Here: Leafy Sprout Micro-Greens.
Recommended Sprouters for French Garden Sprout Mix
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Reviews
Kathy
This blend is awesome for sandwiches or whatever you need sprouts for, and my chickens absolutely love it! I bought the bird blend for them, and this blend for me, but they like this blend even better than the bird blend.
Angela Barnard
I was never a sprout person but my husband liked alfalfa sprouts so I'd buy them for him. When we moved to Brownsville, TX I began frequenting the farmers' market and Rhonda from Bayview Veggies sold sprouts. One day when buying sprouts for my husband she asked how I liked them. I was honest with her and said they were "ok". A conversation ensued and soon she had me trying the French Garden sprouts. I fell in love with them. After 5 years, we moved to Florida with my husband's job. At one of our last markets, I said to Rhonda, "What am I going to do? I'm hooked on your French Garden sprouts. I can never go back to alfalfa!" The next time I saw Rhonda she had a gift for me. A small jar of French Garden seeds and a large mouth mason jar with mesh screen and instructions on how to sprout my own!!! I love it. I can continue eating these wonderful sprouts and am reminded of Rhonda every time I make them. Thanks for a great seed mix!
Fred
Even though I love Long Life, Mother's Mix and Hot and Spicy (I'm a chilehead), this is my favorite blend of seed! I usually add a tsp. of red cabbage to two tsp. of French Garden to add a pretty purple hue to it. Everybody who's indulged in my harvested sprouts - from friends, neighbors and neighborhood gourmet restaurants - all say the same thing: "wow, these are so beautiful, tasty and healthy".
I use them on everything from sandwiches to potato salad to a fish taco! I use them for garnish on ceviche, oysters, cheese and fancy cocktails!
I've been sprouting for about 3 years now, and everyone around me loves it. Even my four-legged companion, Sparky, is in on the action! Thank you Sprout People; I'll be buying your beautiful seed forever.
Krystal
Super easy and quick to grow. We eat our sprouts on wraps, sandwiches, salad and on crackers with tuna. They have a wonderful flavor, we can't keep our hands off. French garden is one of new favorites, I'm always switching my crops because I don't want to get tired of any one thing (not possible I'm sure) and I just love them all. Sprout people your service is amazing, and your seeds are just incredible. You've got customer for life!
Candy
Every time I eat these I think how delicious they are. As they are growing, it is hard to walk past my sprouter without grabbing a bunch for a little snack. Only about half of them actually make it to the refrigeration stage at my house. Thanks for this yummy mix!
Loren
I have just started a couple of days ago, and I'm amazed at how easy it was!!!! It's been so much fun to grown them with my kids!!!!
Rhea
These are just the best thing ever - I may never eat lettuce again. These have a really nice flavor, but are not too spicy - my kids love them too!
Vanessa
I started my sprouting adventure with the company's broccoli sprouts for its anti cancer health benefits. I love them but they are a bit spicy. I tried this mix and I must say I like it better. I think what I will do is mix a quarter pound my broccoli sprout seeds in with a full pound of this mix to add some pizazz and more of those cancer fighting properties. This mix on it's own is quite mild and amazingly GOOD!!!
Hap Carter
French garden is the first of the sprout people mixed seeds I've tried. They are unlike any sprouts I've ever had. You simply must try these. Thanks for making these :)>
Tessa V.
Though I have yet to try them all - this mix is absolutely great. I always loved alfalfa sprouts, but I'll never eat them again now that i've found French Garden. Sproutpeople Rules!