Growing Barley Sprouts

Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts

Prep 2/3 cup 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. Allow seeds to Soak for 6-12 hours. Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary). Drain off the soak water. You may water plants or use it in stock if you like - 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 then light has little if any effect. They also happen to like air-circulation, so don't hide your sprouts.

Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours. And, perhaps one more... Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.

We usually stop here. We like our Grain Sprouts very small.

Depending on your climate and the time of year you are sprouting and most importantly your personal preference - You may Rinse and Drain again at 8-12 hour intervals for several days. However - we prefer to sprout only to the point where most of the seeds have sprouted tiny (1/16 - 1/4 inch) roots. That is typically after just 2 or 3 Rinse and Drain cycles, though it can happen after just one.

As always, we suggest that you taste your crop at EVERY Rinse - including the very first - just after the Soak period. The soaked seeds are already alive and though they may not be their most nutritious they are very close. We're talking seriously nutritious - they are already without enzyme inhibitors (a very good thing indeed) so they'll digest themselves and nourish your cells without requiring anything from your body!

Grow them for as long as you like (as long as you continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours) and find out for yourself when they are most delicious! If you grow for more than a couple days, you'll have Grass growing as well as roots.

Experiment! Have Fun! It's All Good!

Harvest Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse. Be sure to Drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final Rinse. The goal during the final 8-12 hours is to minimize the surface moisture of your sprouts - they will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.

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.

Note: Grains do not store well in refrigeration so you should try to grow just what you need. It isn't actually that they store poorly, it is just that grains are cool weather crops, so though they slow down quite a bit, they continue to grow - even in the refrigerator.

* If using Sproutpeople's Single Harvest Pack - use the whole bag. It will produce a crop of approximately 8 ounces.

These seeds yield approximately 1.5:1 - which means the sprouts will weigh one-and-one-half times as much as the seed you start with, so you can theoretically start with 2/3 as much dry seed as your Sprouter's capacity, though we always suggest you leave more room - especially when you are new to a crop.