THE COTTAGE MARKET CAVAN: Broccoli Calabrese is a mild seed for sprouting which is packed with nutrition. Easy to grow. Certified Organic. Click on the photo for more information.
Sprouting organic broccoli seeds at home is a really easy and quick way to grow your own nutritionally packed food right on your window sill.
Sprouting your own seeds is a fantastic way to give you direct and quick access to a myriad of nutritional benefits. Fresh broccoli sprouts are far more potent than whole broccoli – for example, three-day-old broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 10-100 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds found in mature broccoli. This is because during sprouting minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable. The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase during the sprouting process making them a great choice for a healthy lifestyle.
Broccoli Sprouts contain vitamins A, B, C, E and K and are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, carotene, chlorophyll, and antioxidants – all full of goodness and great additions to any diet.
If you have a fussy child, sprouting seeds can be a fantastic way of encouraging them to get interested in, first of all, growing and secondly eating these nutrient-packed beauties.
These seeds can also be sown as a microgreen if you prefer a leaf to a sprout – instead of placing them directly into a sprouted, put them in some compost and cover with a light layer of compost and keep moist until they begin to sprout and then eat and use them as required.
How to sprout Broccoli seeds:
- Rinse and soak the Broccoli seeds in clean water for 5-6 hours.
- Drain and rinse the seeds and put them in your sprouting jar.
- Rinse the seeds daily.
- The sprouts should be ready for consumption within five days.
- Brassicas have microscopic roots. They are called root hairs and are most visible just before Rinsing when the sprouts are at their driest. When you rinse, the root hairs will collapse back against the main root – becoming invisible to you. These root hairs can look like mould – but they are not.
- Broccoli can also be sown as a microgreen.
How to grow Broccoli microgreens from seed:
- Sprinkle the Broccoli seeds over a tray of compost and press down gently.
- Cover with a fine layer of compost.
- It is advisable to use microbiologically tested compost such as Klasmann’s Peat Free Seed Compost to ensure there are no pathogens present.
- Keep the compost moist – be careful not to over water though!
- Should be ready in about 10-15 days.
We would love you to post your growings onliine. If you do, please tag us @thecottagemarketcavan
