Moldy Sprouts

Hopefully after reading my post on Sprouting: What Is It? or following my day by day account on the sprouting process, I inspired you to start sprouting for yourself!

Root Hair

But you may be running into mold trouble.

Maybe.

When I first started sprouting, I panicked because I saw what I thought was mold forming on my delicate little sprouts.  How could this be?  Sprouting is so easy, how did I manage to screw this up!  Actually, it was not mold that I was seeing.  In fact what I was experiencing was Root Hairs, fuzzy little white hairs that mimic mold, but are in fact part of the root.  Simple rinsing will put these little guys back into place.

But, what if you really are experiencing mold?

First, throw your sprouts out and start over, no use getting sick over moldy sprouts.

Here are some things that can lead to moldy sprouts & how to fix:

1. Poor air-circulation - keep jar upside down at 45 degree angle
2. Insufficient drainage - keep jar upside down at 45 degree angle
3. High humidity - use a fan for circulation and/or add a 3rd rinse per day
4. Non-sterile jar & lid - soak in bleach/water solution for 10-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly
5. Growing sprouts in a cabinet - grow sprouts out in the open, but not in direct sunlight
6. Rinsing with warm or hot water - only use cold water

Happy Sprouting!

The Hoff