Description

Sprouting can be fun when you get the hang of it. You can start with Mung beans. They are easier to sprout and can sprout in 24 hours after being soaked overnight.

Why sprouts? Not only are sprouts rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, sprouting increases nutrient absorption and aids in intestinal food digestion.

Method:

1. Rinse the whole mung beans. Soak them (overnight or 8 hrs) by pouring a generous amount of water to immerse the beans, generally 2 to 3 times above the bean level.
2. They will swell to twice the size. Discard the water and give the beans a good rinse.
3. Now there are several options where you can place the beans. You can either use a sprouting jar or wrap them in cheesecloth or put them in a glass or regular container with a closed lid.
4. To keep it simple, I just put the soaked beans in a glass container in a warm, dry dark place (usually in the cabinets or pantry) where the beans will not be disturbed.
5. You will notice tiny sprouts the next day. You can again rinse the beans gently to avoid breaking the sprouts and drain them and replace them in the dark spot.
6. Depending on how lengthy you want the sprouts to be, you can go through a 2-3 day cycle of rinsing, draining and storing in a dark place.
7. I usually follow the cycle for 1 to 2 days to get my desired length of 1/2 to 1-inch sprouts.
8. Once you get your sprouts, they can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.

Sprouting depends on temperature. They can sprout in as little as 3 hours in warm climates and up to 1 day in cold climates. Beans that take more than one day to sprout tend to grow microorganisms which may cause bloating. So they need to be cooked before serving.

Make sure water is not dripping when you leave beans to sprout. They may rot and smell bad.