BlueRose wrote:
Baby Hercules wrote:
I sprout them. Literally.
Baby Herc
Instructions please!
Ha, ha--I was just playing with ya. It's ridiculously easy and thank goodness because I'm only a fabulous chef in spurts, the rest of the time I'm a frenzied or reluctant chef. All I do is soak the labels off a bunch of nut butter jars and wash them well. I put about an inch of whatever in the bottom of their own jar--almonds, lentils, mung beans, etc.--and cover it with two or three inches of water. Almonds I soak in the fridge because I don't really want them to sprout, only soak. The cold will stop any sprouting process, so when you've got the results you want, just stick the jar in the fridge for keeping.
Anyway, with seeds, grains, and legumes, there are varying lengths of time you're supposed to keep them in water but I simplify it down to six hours for legumes, overnight for seeds and grains. Garbanzos are an exception because they are such little boulders. I soak them overnight. Consult the charts for exact soaking times if you like.
After soaking, strain out the water and let the wet legumes (or whatever) sit someplace cool and out of sunlight. You can cover the top with mesh or loose fabric and use a rubber band to keep it in place if you are worried about stuff getting in there or pets or children messing with your sprouts. Once or twice a day, pour water back in and strain it out again to keep everything moist. Shake it up a bit so the stuff on the bottom gets a chance on the top where the oxygen is.
Most things sprout in one to two days. When you see the little beginning of a root sticking out, it's sprouted. After a few days, you can put sprouts in the sun to green them. The light will activate photosynthesis and they will literally "green" with newly manufactured chlorophyll. I believe it's at this point that much of the protein will have transformed into starches and carbs but don't quote me on that.
There are far more elaborate instructions on the web involving cheesecloth, sterilized jars, wetted paper towels, etc. I go for the easiest, greenest, least expensive route. The one above has worked for me. There are mung sprouts and whole oat groats on my counter as we speak!
Caveat: let your nose tell you. Give your jars a sniff once a day and make sure they still smell fresh. If there's even the slightest stink of nastiness, toss the contents in the garden and start over. Sometimes cooties just happen. I only encounter it about once every few months but I've learned the hard way not to eat funky sprouts. (groan) Also, never try to sprout red kidney beans. Something about toxins.
Have fun and happy sprouting!
Baby Herc
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Mmm kale.
