What is sprouting?
Beansprouts are lentils, seeds or grains that have been sprouted after soaking and rinsing – a nutritious halfway point between seed and plant.
Why bother?
Cheap, tasty, easy to grow and usually eaten raw, beansprouts are chock full of nutrients and plant enzymes associated with easy digestion and general good health. For more info, see The Sprouter Handbook by Edward Cairney or Living Foods for Radiant Health by Elaine Bruce.
What do I do with ‘em?
Add to stir-fries, salads, soups, on toast, as a snack … your choice!
How do I grow beansprouts?
· Rinse and pick over your chosen grain, seed or lentil. Easy ones to grow include wheat, lentil, mung, and sunflower.
· Cover with water, soak overnight (longer for large seeds), drain.
· Put in sprouter (buy one or just cover a glass jar with cloth) & rinse (immerse in water) 1-2 times/day. Keep out of direct sun.
· Taste after ~3 days, and leave to sprout 1-2 more days if needed.
· Eat/refrigerate, rinsing every couple days and eat within a week.
· Look in a book or read the packet for more specific instructions!
What can I sprout?
… Experiment with any seeds, pulses, grains, nuts or seed spices you have around, or see reverse for some ideas. Try mixing, e.g., mung/aduki/fenugreek or lentil/blackeyed-pea/alfalfa/radish.
Greens
Mainly eaten raw, or juiced… Lots more in our sprouting seeds section!
· Alfalfa – lovely mild taste, ready in 7 days, don’t heat
· Fenugreek – bitter (mix with milder sprouts!), ready in 9 days.
· Mustard – black ones grow best, hot!, ready in 6 days
· Quinoa – soak 2-4hrs, eat after a day or (then get softer)
Pulses, grains, nuts and beans
Briefly sprouted to improve digestibility, but if eaten raw, focus on smaller beans grown longer. Otherwise, cook lightly & eat all you like!
· Aduki – crispy, use in salads sparingly, ready in 5 days
· Almonds – use after 1 day, delicious peeled (or blanched)
· Barley – better cooked, ready in 2 to 5 days
· Buckwheat (hulled) – rinse well, ready in 3-4 days
· Chickpea – cook, makes tasty sprouted humus, ready in 4 days
· Lentil (puy or any!)– easy, steam or eat in salads, ready in 5 days
· Mung – nearby bananas help grow longer, 5+ days, rinse off hulls
· Rice (wild) – soak & sprout in water, changing twice/day, 3+days
· Rye, Wheat or Farro – use in sprouted breads, ready in 3-5 days (plant sprouted wheat in soil to make wheatgrass for juicing)
· Sunflower (hulled) – sweet, nutty, eat after 2 days (or go bitter)
