Equipment

A quart jar covered with nylon mesh or several layers of cheesecloth held in place with a screw band (or a stout rubber band) makes a good sprouter if it is kept out of the light (as should be any untinted transparent container). Some sprouting devices made of clear plastic have, in our experience, produced rather dark and tough sprouts because of the light admitted when the manufacturer’s instructions were followed; we’ve noticed that the maker has recently begun to tint the plastic. For sprouting a moderate quantity of seeds—enough for 2 to 3 cups of sprouts—a quart jar is large enough. Need more sprouts? Use another jar; don’t put more than ¼ cup of seeds in a single jar.