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Hemp Bag
We have these made locally here in San Francisco. These bags are extremely durable.
A tight woven cloth means the Hemp Bag can be used to sprout any size seed.
Exceptional Drainage and Air-Circulation! Bags* are the Perfect Travel sprouter!
Hemp Bag Info
Hemp Bag Description
Seeds to Sprout in Hemp Bags
Sprouting Instructions
Hemp Bag Assembly?
Additional Notes
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Sprout School & Shop Sprouting Seed Info Center
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Hemp is one of the most versatile and durable fibres known. Hemp was grown and used by the founders of the United States.
It is an annual plant that can grow well in many climates, is easy to grow organically (hemp requires no fertilizer and is naturally repellant to insects), and which replenishes the soil. Hemp produces fibre from the plant itself which can be used to make paper and plastic (Henry Ford built a car out of Hemp plastic, and his tests proved it to be much more durable than petroleum based plastics!) as well as cloth. The seeds of the hemp plant produce oils and very nutritious foods.
Hemp is not grown in the US because it is related to marijuana. The US government thinks that if it allows hemp production, marijuana production will rise, so it is illegal for farmers to grow it. It is even illegal to have seeds that will germinate (Hemp seeds imported into the US are supposed to be heated or treated - to kill them - so they won't germinate.) in the US! Ironically, if the US allowed hemp production it would devastate the marijuana growers, who fear pollination of their plants. Hemp pollen travels farther than most so it would in fact threaten marijuana production! The politicians as usual have their heads in the sand. They do not understand that this plant is a sustainable wonder - which is funny because George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wrote quite adoringly of it! Thankfully our neighbors to the north - Canada (as usual), are ahead of us and are aware of the benefits of hemp, so farmers are now cultivating it there. We hope this sanity soon spreads south to the US!!!
We hope to have Hemp Seeds (which taste fantastic raw and as sprouts) in the not too distant future! Wake up America - hemp is NOT pot!
Learn more about, and help make Hemp Legal.
Our Hemp Bags are made from cloth woven tightly enough that they can sprout even small seeds like alfalfa, clover and broccoli in addition to the big seeds, grains and beans - at which they have always excelled. You can even grow Micro-Greens on this bag!
Great for travel - including backpacking, as well as home, this bag will last forever. The Hemp Sprouting Bag is absolutely beautiful in its simplicity and natural durability.
Capacity: 1 Quart
They measure Approximately 6 1/2 inches wide x 9 1/2 inches tall.
Measurements may vary a little bit.
Eat More Sprouts + Grow More Often - Easily!
The Hemp Bag
The Hemp Bag has the greatest Air-Circulation of any Sprouter - if you hang it between Rinses! We don't even Drain ours - we just hang it above our sink and let it drip. The downside is that Bag sprouters dry out - so you need to Rinse more often. That is all there is - you never have to Drain - you just have to Rinses twice as much!
These seeds are a Perfect match for the Hemp Bag:
Beans - All (see Mung Note below)
Grains - Big Grains: Wheat, Rye, Spelt, Oats, Barley, Kamut, Triticale, etc.
Nuts and Seeds - Almonds, Pumpkins, Peanuts, Sunflower, etc.
Grass and Greens - Great for Pre-Sprouting only!
Micro-Greens - Any very small seed can be grown as a plant (when it buries it's roots in something and we harvest the crop by cutting, we call it a plant). Here are a few of the seeds that you can use to grow Micro-Greens:
Mucilaginous: Cress, Arugula, Flax, Chia, Basil, Rape (Canola).....
Non-Mucilaginous: Alfalfa, Clover, Mustard, Radish, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Turnip, Kohlrabi, Kale, Collards.......
These particular Greens will do well grown ON the Hemp Bag!
See the Micro-Greens information page and the information page for the seed you want to grow and look down here for details. Here are the basics:
Soak and/or Pre-Sprout if necessary - do not Soak straight Mucilaginous seeds!
Lay the bag down on a plate and wet it thoroughly.
Spread seeds on Bag -don't crowd them, they want some room to breathe.
Keep the bag moist.
You'll have a great crop of Micro-Greens in less than a week. Cut them off with a scissors and enjoy the ultimate gourmet vegetable. Cleaning the bag is easier if you pull the roots out as soon as you harvest your crop. You may also use a second plate (inverted) as a cover during the 1st couple days to help retain moisture. Experiment and learn =:-}
Next to Perfect:
Mung Beans - Is Perfect for small sweet sprouted Mungs - a tiny 1/8- 1/4 inch sprout, but not for big thick Mung Bean sprouts - 2-3 inches long. If you want big thick Mungs use the Easy Sprout - it is perfect for that!
Grains - Little Grains: Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet, Sesame.
As with all small seeds, they dry faster between rinses - especially when sprouting in a Bag. Solution: Rinse more often!
Leafy Sprouts: Alfalfa/Clover/Etc. - Our newly designed bag is now capable of sprouting these small seeds as well as any other. The only rule is this: Rinse more often - especially if humidity is low. The Hemp Bag breathes extremely well which is great in high humidity, but can lead to drying in low humidity conditions. The rule - as you may have noticed - is: Rinse more often!
Brassicas - Broccoli, Radish, Cabbage, Mustard...
Like Leafy sprouts, these small seeds now grow well in the Hemp Bag. But do Rinse more often.
Alliums - Garlic, Leek and Onion
Rinse more often - longer! Since these seeds require up to 15 days to finish you'll need to pay attention to keeping them moist enough over a longer period.
Impossible:
Grass and Greens
Great for Pre-Sprouting!
Full grown Grass or Big Greens just can't be done.
Sprouting Instructions
Specific Sprouting Instructions are found on
the page devoted to the Seed or Mix you are interested in.
Below are the specifics of the Hemp Bag
Not all seeds require this step. See the seed information page to see if you need to do this for the seed you are sprouting.
Since the Hemp Bag drains so well, it is a very good device for cleaning your seeds prior to soaking. You can rinse through the open top of the Bag or through the sides. Water passes through this Bag as if it weren't there! Just run water through until the water runs clear.
If you are using the Hemp Bag only as a Seed Prep device, and sprouting in a different device; the transferring of the seeds can be a bit of a hassle. Big seeds (beans, grains, nuts, etc.) won't be much of a problem, but small seeds (alfalfa, broccoli, radish, etc.) will probably be annoying enough to transfer that you should find another Prep device or go all the way with the Bag.
After Prep you can either remove your seeds to a bowl or similar water holding unit, or you can submerge your Bag with the seeds inside it in a large water holding unit - like a pot. If you Soak your seeds while in the Bag, be sure they are all under water so that they can Soak properly.
Use cool (60 - 70°) water unless instructed otherwise by your seed supplier (us we hope =;-) and leave to soak for 8 - 12 hours or for the time noted for the seed you are sprouting.
You can Rinse through the open top of the Bag or through the sides. Water passes through this Bag as if it weren't there! Just run water through until the water runs clear. As an average we will run water through for about 15-20 seconds at every Rinse, but there is no hard rule. Always use cool (60 - 70°) water unless specifically instructed otherwise by your seed supplier.
Remember the rule of Bag Sprouting: Rinse More Often!
Sprouting
Hang your Bag up in a place where it can drip. We have a cabinet right above our sink and we hang our Hemp Bag on it's knob. That is perfect!
Between Rinses is when your sprouts really grow. We like a room-temperature (70° is always optimal) spot with no direct sunlight.
If you hang your Bag you don't have to Drain at all, gravity will do it for you! As previously stated; Bag sprouters do not retain moisture as well as other sprouters, so though you don't have to Drain you do need to:
Rinse More Often!
The Hemp Bag's fast drying can be used to advantage: Transfer sprouts grown in other sprouters to the Hemp Bag for, or after their final Rinse. Not only will they dry faster - likely shortening the 8-12 hour wait before refrigeration, you can also hasten the process by using your Hemp Bag for the ultimate Drain - hold tight the hemp rope that ties the top and pretend the Bag is a biblical slingshot or that you are a centrifuge. Using full arm extension swing the Bag as fast as you can around and around - but don't let go. You might want to do this out of doors as a great deal of water can be released with this method.
Seed Specific
Sprouting Instructions
If you have a particular seed type in mind,
read on to discover further details of Bag Sprouting that seed type.
Refer to the seed's main information page for detailed instructions.
The Hemp Bag is the easiest of all sprouters!
The sprouting method is the same with all seeds and the growing method is the same with all Micro-Greens:
To Soak, you can either use a bowl (or similar water holding unit) or you can submerge your Hemp Bag - with the seeds in it - in a large water holding unit - like a pot. As long as your seeds are all under water you will succeed.
To Rinse, either open the top or Rinse through the sides of the bag - or both. Water passes through the Hemp Bag as if it weren't even there!
To Drain, just hang the bag up above your sink - or on the faucet, and it will Drain itself.
The only detail unique to the Hemp Bag (and all other Bag sprouters) is that they dry out and so...... yup you guessed it: you Rinse More Often!
The extra Rinses are very important with small seeds (alliums, brassicas, leafy and small grains) but you can usually get away with just 2-3 Rinses when growing big seeds (beans, nuts, big grains), though extra Rinses can certainly help.
The Hemp Bag's fast drying can be used to advantage: Transfer sprouts grown in other sprouters to the Hemp Bag for, or after their final Rinse. Not only will they dry faster - likely shortening the 8-12 hour wait before refrigeration, you can also hasten the process by using your Hemp Bag for the ultimate Drain - hold tight the hemp rope that ties the top and pretend the Bag is a biblical slingshot or that you are a centrifuge. Using full arm extension swing the Bag as fast as you can around and around - but don't let go. You might want to do this out of doors as a great deal of water can be released with this method.
Sprouting Capacity = 1 Quart (1 Liter)
Beans
The instructions on the Seed Information page will give you all you need. The ONLY Bag specific point to factor in is: Rinse More Often!
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 2 cups - that will fill the Bag.
Mung Bean
For small sweet Mung sprouts follow the instructions on the Mung information page and Rinse More Often!
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 2 cups - that will fill the Bag.
Brassicas
Broccoli, Radish, Cabbage, Mustard, etc. need to move while sprouting or they will form a root mass which is at least unpleasant and often lessens the sprouts' quality. Often by day 3 or 4 your sprouts will need to be separated, so take a fork or use your hands to loosen them up. Alternately, you can transfer the sprouts to a container that holds water (a pot for example), fill it with water, use the fork or hand - it is often easier to break up the mass while they are in water. Keep breaking up the sprout mass every rinse or two. Rinse More Often!
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 4 Tablespoons.
Leafy Sprouts
One issue folks have with Leafy sprouts is that they expect them to be green. There are almost always - regardless of the sprouting method - some sprouts which will not turn green. Our advice is: Live with it! Most will green if you don't over-crowd the sprouter (use 2 Tbs. or less of seed) - and those that don't are still plenty delicious, nutritious and they add beauty (yellow goes well with green and white!). These also will do better if they are allowed to move freely, so break up the mass on day 4 and 5. It is not a critical issue with the Leafy Sprouts, but it does have the added benefit of allowing hulls to float away if you break them apart while submerged in water.
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 4 Tablespoons.
Alliums
Garlic, Leek and Onion all take up to 2 weeks to finish sprouting so keep Rinsing more often - longer and consider loosening them up when they start to form a mass.
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 5 Tablespoons.
Grains
The instructions on the Seed Information page will give you all you need. The ONLY Bag specific point to factor in is: Rinse More Often!
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 2.75 cups - that will fill the Bag.
Nuts and Seeds
The instructions on the Seed Information page will give you all you need. Sprouting Hulled Sunflower, Pumpkin and Almond are all perfect for the Hemp Bag because they require so few Rinses that you won't even have to Rinse more often!
Maximum dry seed to Soak is 2.5 cups - that will fill the Bag.
Grass and Greens
Great for Pre-Sprouting!
Full grown Grass or Big Greens just can not be done with a Bag sprouter.
Micro-Greens
The seed information page will have specifics. Here is the method:
•Soak and/or Pre-Sprout if necessary - do not Soak straight Mucilaginous seeds! See the seed information page!
•Lay the bag flat on a plate or in something like a baking pan - something in which it the whole Bag fits.
•Wet the Bag thoroughly.
•Spread seeds on Bag -don't crowd them, they want some room to breathe.
•You may cover that in which the Bag is laying during the 1st couple days to help retain moisture. Be sure to uncover when the Micro-Greens begin to grow. Covering is optional but we suggest that you experiment with covering to see what works best for you - in your climate and with the particular seeds you are growing. The most important factor is........
•Keep the bag moist (not so soaked that the seeds drown, just thoroughly moist).
You'll have a great crop of Micro-Greens in less than a week (perhaps a bit longer depending on your climate). Cut them off with a scissors and enjoy the ultimate gourmet vegetable. Cleaning the bag is easier if you pull the roots out as soon as you harvest your crop. Experiment and learn =:-}
Hemp Bag Assembly
No assembly required.
Travel Sprouting
The Hemp Bag works well in hotels and on backpacks! Take it with you wherever you go, following the directions on this and the seed information page. Consider travelling with seeds that will sprout easily within your schedule to assure success.
We took Almonds and San Francisco Mix on our cross-country family road trip =:-}
Cleaning: Between crops: Turn it inside out and remove any seeds or hulls you can. Scrub well with soap and water. Rinse well!
Sterilize: Scrub and soak in bleach water. We do this every 3 - 4 crops because a clean sprouter produces better sprouts and because the Bag looks better when clean.
If you're growing Micro-Greens you should pull as many roots out as you can right after you harvest your crop. If you can get them all then proceed to cleaning and sterilizing. If there is more root and low stem you can't get out; let the bag dry for a day or 2 or 3. With many Micro-Greens the remaining plant material will virtually disappear as it dries, but what doesn't will be easy to scrub away when it is this dry.
Our Hemp Bags are completely without dye!
Some seeds have more pigment than others and will discolor your Hemp Bag. Among the most colorful are Alfalfa, Adzukis, Black Garbanzos, Black Lentils and Clover. You can use strong bleach occasionally to lighten your Bag if you like - it won't hurt the Bag. We've let our Bags soak for an hour or more, in 50% bleach water, without any pain to the Bag whatsoever.
* - Though this page refers specifically to The Sproutpeople's Hemp Sprouting Bag, all Instructions are applicable to any Sprouting Bag.
SPROUTPEOPLE®
170 Mendell St.
San Francisco, CA 94124
Toll Free:
877/777-6887
(877/SPROUTS)
We only use the phone for emergencies.
Back in 2001 we were still using the phone. One day I was talking to a long-time customer while pushing my (then 4 year old) daughter on the swing in our backyard (this is what a mom n' pop business is like on the internet). It dawned on me that my priorities were severely messed up, so I stopped using the phone. I love to talk and I love to help, but my family would never see me if I picked up the phone again, and that's just wrong don't you think?!
The very best way to contact us is through E-mail =:-)
We are quite fast and VERY thorough. We love to help.
We have been an internet only business since 2001. We are not a big corporation. We are but 2 people, Mom n' Pop Sprout. We decided after years of juggling our family's (kids, dogs, cats and even our own) needs, and the needs of Sproutpeople, that we had to make more time for our kids, so we stopped talking on the phone. All calls go to voice mail and have since 2001.
We are very fast to fill orders and answer e-mail, and though we wish we could make the time to talk, we just can't seem to get more minutes into a each hour. We are many years older than when we started and our days are too short and made up of too few hours to do everything. This limitation in our business has not kept us from pleasing our customers, nor from growing (as we have every year since 1993). We do what we do as well as we can, and we think we do it very well indeed.
We appreciate your patronage more than we can say. We ask that you use the phone for emergencies only and that you search our site for answers before e-mailing us. This site is bigger than any 4 sprout books put together, it is always available and it is free, and we know that almost all questions are answered here.
Thanks again for your support and your many kind words.
Sproutpeople