Sprouting

How to make your grains into your vegetables. 

picture credit:Adirondack Jersey Girl

Needed:  Moisture, warmth, air and the dormant kernels.

Grains you can sprout:

Alfalfa

Mung beans

Lentils

Peas

Garbanzo-beans

Pinto beans

Red beans

White beans
Peas

Soybeans

Rye

Wheat

Seeds sprouting in 2 days

Rye, Rice, Oats -2 cups per quart of water

Seeds sprouting in 3-5 days

Alfalfa - 1 Tbsp per quart of water

Lentils – 2 Tbsp per qt of water

Clover  - 2 Tbsp per qt of water

Mung – 2 Tbsp per qt of water

Garbanzo beans – ½ cup per qt of water

Tray Method:

Soak seeds in a glass of warm water overnight. Seeds will double 6 – 8 X during the

the sprouting process. After soaking overnight, put the seeds in a sprouter tray and

rinse thoroughly, tilting the tray to allow the water to run down (sprouts should be moist but not wet.)

Rinse sprouts in warm water 3-4 times a day depending on the weather.  There are two methods of rinsing.

1.      Fill your sink with several inches of water and agitate the tray up and down.

2.     Hold tray under tap and allow the water to run over the seeds. Most sprouts will be ready to eat after the third day.

Bottle Method:

Put seeds and water in a wide mouthed glass jar and soak at least 8-12 hours.  After soaking, cover bottle with some kind of sieve (cheese cloth, a nylon stocking or piece of fiberglass window screen).  Secure with elastic band or jar ring, so air and water can pass through freely.  Pour off water in jar and gently shake.  Lay the jar on its side in a dark place.  2-3 times a day spray water into the jar (use your faucet on high) swish the seeds around and drain completely (this is important).  After 3 to 7 days (depending on what you are sprouting) your sprouts will be ready to use).  The are best when they are small and just starting to turn green.  Store your sprouts in a covered bowl or food storage bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture. Use the sprouts within a week.

Sprouting Hints

·         Rotate your seed storage, as fresh seeds tend to be more viable than

those stored for long periods of time.

·         Tomato seeds cannot be sprouted.

·         After rinsing beans, do not use or drink the water.

·         Store sprouts in the refrigerator for 10-15 days.

·         Sprouts can be dried by letting them dry in the sprouter, placing them in a
low oven (100 degrees), or setting them out on a warm day.

Sprouting "Do Nots"

·         Do not leave seeds in water for over 20 hours or under 10 hours, 12 hours
is best.

·         Do not let seeds set in water while sprouting. They will drown and sour.

Be sure they drain well.

·        Do not use chemically treated water. Heavy amounts of chlorine can kill
the sprouts.

·         Do not use hot or cold water - hot water will cook them, cold water will
retard the growth. Keep them between 50-80 degrees.

·         Do not let seeds or sprouts dry out. Wash them morning and night, and 2-
3 times a day. In hot weather, rinse more often. They will turn brown if
they dry out.

·         Do not buy treated seeds that have poison on them to kill insects. It could.

                do the same to you!

Suggestions for using sprouts:

Mix sprouts into casseroles, nut loaves, meat loaves, poultry dressing, vegetable salads, gelatin salads, soups, stews, egg dishes, soufflés, scrambled eggs. For bread dough, use sprouts from wheat, rye or oats.

In soups, stews and omelets, add sprouts just before serving.

Most sprouts make a-fine crisp salad or sandwich filling when served with a dressing made from cream cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, avocados, cooked sprouts, mashed beans or cheese spread.

Sprouting Beans: Beans require different methods of sprouting. Navy bean, soybean and pinto bean sprouts should be cooked.

Pinto beans: Fill a 2 quart pan with water and soak one pint of beans for 12 hours. After 12 hours, spread beans out on sprouter or in tray that has a towel or several sheets of cotton cloth on the bottom. Be sure to rinse them every 4-5 hours and drain. Do not sprout for more than 3 days. If sprouts are more than- 1/4 inch long, the beans become mushy and have an odor.

Soybeans: It is best if these beans have several changes of water, about 3-4 times, while soaking them in their 12 hour swelling period because they have an anti-digestant enzyme in them that must be leached out.

Mung beans: These beans have 500% more vitamin C when sprouted. They are commonly known as Chinese bean sprouts and are best when sprouted 2-3 inches long. Be sure they are fresh seeds. They taste like sweet peas and can be used as such.

Other beans: Sprout as you would pinto beans. Changing water during soaking is a good practice on all types of beans, not just soybeans. Other beans may include red, navy, lentils, lima, black-eyed or kidney.  

Nutritional facts: Sprouting enhances the nutritional value of beans and also eliminates gas problems in your system. Beans have practically no vitamin count in the dry stage, but after they are sprouted, the nutritional assets multiply

Sprouted soybeans: Sprouted for only 3 days, the vitamin count jumps up around 700 mg and the vitamin B complexes increase tremendously. Vitamin B1, niacin and pantothenic acid double; vitamin B2 and folic acid increase to 500%. When sprouted, soybeans have 8 times more vitamin C than oranges and lemons. Sprouted wheat: Though wheat has very little vitamin C, this quantity increases 5 times, 600%, during early sprouting. Vitamin C reaches its peak of potency at 50 hours of sprouting, then starts to decline. Sprouted wheat, after drying, will retain its increased nutritional values. These sprouts also freeze well.

Sprouted oats: Sprouted oats increase 600% in folic acid and 1,350% in riboflavin compared to dry oats.

Sprouted alfalfa: Chlorophyll, enzymes, minerals and vitamins found in alfalfa serve as an aid in digestion and stimulate lagging appetites.

Wheat grass: Wheat grass is known as a blood purifier. To obtain wheat grass, let sprouts grow for more than 3 days into very thin grass blade, approximately 6-7 days. Then clip the grass with scissors and utilize them with liquids.

Much of this information comes from:  Bee Prepared A Provident Living Resource

   I found a copy of this pamphlet on the Internet  with a note saying one of the authors  (Christine Van Wagenen) has agreed to let it be copied, so long as it is done neatly.  Three years ago it was also able to be purchased in Sandy Utah at Help U Mail 10271 S 1300 E in Sandy, Utah

EDIT 1/24/2013
So today I printed this out with the grand idea of giving it a try and found - I still didn't get it.   So I headed over to Sprout People  they sell seeds and have great tutorials on how to sprout.  Here's my dumbed down version, that I will be trying today with wheat.

Put 2/3 a cup of seeds in qt jar, soak in cool water for 8-12 hours, cover with mesh and secure lid.
Rinse and drain
Sit in a corner in the kitchen - good air circulation, no direct sunlight, 70 degrees
After another 8-12 hours rinse and drain again - taste - do this 1 to 3 times, pick the tastiest for future trials.
Sprouts are ready 8-12 hours after final rinse and drain.
   The will store best in the fridge if they are dry to the touch - in a sealed plastic bag or container.