Mung Bean Sprouts - Home Grown

Sprouts are considered to be the freshest vegetable that stays alive even at the moment when you are about to eat it. They are rich in minerals, vitamins and most of all, proteins. Their extraordinary effects are well known in history and proven by modern medicine.

...In China, up till today, the bamboo sprouts are automatically added to meals not only to increase immunity against skin or digesting troubles or against muscle aches, but also precautionary. English seafarers on their long trips used to eat sprouts to prevent from scorbutic. In Africa the sprouted millet is used to prepare African beer. In Slovakia, we haven’t stayed in the back either, having used wheat sprouts to make malt that prolongs the vitality of yeast, thus keeping bread, yeast dough or cakes fresh in a long run...

In order to sprout, you will need various seeds. In normal state, they are dry and hard guarding a tiny little embryo inside them. They can persist for decades like this. If we create favourable conditions, they start to gather incredible amount of nutrition necessary for them to grow. Then, it is the time to be stingy and stop the sprouting process by a simple bite…

So, now that we know why the sprouts real good for us, lets DO IT!

You can sprout pretty much any grains or legumes, as long as they have not been bated or chemically handled. They need to be whole with the skin. Generally speaking, the soaking time is around 6 hours, water them 2 - 3 times per day and sprouts should not start developing leaves (you re not growing a plant). FEEL FREE TO ASK me all the detailed info about a particular seed.

Here is what I have sprouted in all my sprouting history so far: Chickpeas, peas, lentils, mustard seeds, soy beans, beans, alfa-alfa, mung beans, wheat and peppergrass.

Today I would love to sprout some whole mung beans, since they are the easiest ones to sprout.

MUNG BEAN SPROUTS

• mung beans
  
• Sterilized glass jars with broad mouth
• Gauze
• Elastic band
• water
  

Normally, you would soak the seeds for couple of hours (or overnight) first. BUT!! Mung sprouts are so sprouting-friendly, you can easily skip this part.
Simply, place them in a jar, cover with gauze and fasten with an elastic band. Pour in some water, shake gently and pour out (through the "gauze sieve").
Put the glass side-down and leave. Seeds need to be rinsed regularly 2 – 3 times daily. It is not necessary to take them out of the jar, just fill it with water, shake gently and strain through the gauze.
On the 3rd day stand the jar as normal and fill with lukewarm water. Lazy seeds, that didn’t want to sprout will fall on the bottom of the jar. We do not want those, anyway. Throw them away and enjoy the fresh sprouted ones :-)

And that is it. You can eat them just like that, in salads, pasta dishes, pizza, sandwiches.....

As for other grains and legumes, they all are perfectly safe to be eaten raw, except for sprouted chickpeas, peas, beans, soy beans, lentils and corn. These are recommended to be boiled or stir-fried prior to eating.

Again, feel free to ask me for a specific seed sprouting method or some recipes.

I would like to submit this one to Andrea´s Grow Your Own event.