Growing mustard sprouts

Last week, I grew some mustard seed sprouts. For some reason, Graham and I had been discussing growing alfalfa and cress on the kitchen windowsill as children - my childhood alfalfa grew as “hair” out of the top of an egg shell with a face drawn on it.

So, when I found a little packet of mustard seeds in my spice box, I wondered if they would grow. I put a wet paper towel on a plate, sprinkled a few of the mustards seeds on top, and put it by the window.

Over the next few days, I watched them grow tiny roots, then open up to reveal little leaves, and turn into tiny plants leaning towards the sun. We eventually ate them when they started to look like they might not be doing so well. They had the slightest spicy flavour.

A little bit of research has since revealed  a whole world of sprouting, and I have learnt that sprouts are usually grown in jars with a regime of soaking, rinsing, and draining. Even more surprisingly, I have discovered that sprouts are not limited to alfalfa and cress, but you can sprout big things like lentils and chickpeas.

I’m still deciding what I will try next.