Grow Your Own Food Indoors

Many of us wish to be self-sufficient, but we don't all own farms or have the space to raise our own food. I live in an apartment, and I enjoy going out on the veranda every morning to collect fresh herbs. Even if you don't have a balcony, anything you do to cultivate your own is wonderful. Why not start sprouting seeds and beans to have an unending supply of micro greens?

Sprouting is extremely helpful to your health, aside from the satisfaction of growing your own food. A sprout is the young stage of a plant, and eating them provides your body with vitamins, enzymes, and other nutrients. Shoots are best eaten raw, and they go well in salads, eggs, smoothies, and the classic avocado on toast.

SEEDS

Because not all seeds are suited for sprouting, the best place to get them is at a health food store or a garden centre that specialises in sprouting seeds. Options include:

Buckwheat Chickpea Mung Bean Radish Quinoa Lentil Alfalfa

IN A JAR, SPROUT SEEDS

• Only one variety of seed should be sprouted per jar.

• Spread a few tablespoons of seed in a clean jar and cover with 5cm of lukewarm water.

• Cover the jar with cheesecloth (cut to fit with a few centimetres to spare) and fasten with a rubber band or, if using a Mason Jar, the lid.

• The water in the jar must be drained the next day. Pinch the cheesecloth and turn it upside down over the sink to wring out any extra water. The seeds should then be rinsed with new water and swirled in the water. Drain once again.

• Place the jar in a warm, dark location and rinse and drain it every day. Germination will be aided by this method. Continue this method until the seeds germinate, which takes around 5 days.

• Once sprouted, cover your container with a paper towel and store in the fridge (or a beeswax wrap). Within a week, consume the sprouts.

You'll never run out of incredibly nutritious food if you start a jar every day for seven days. Simply keep repeating the process.

I recommend purchasing seven jam jars or Mason jars. Every step towards self-sufficiency adds value to our lives.