Sprouts

I love making sprouts. It took me forever to actually start sprouting. But once I did, and I realized how easy it was, I started making them all the time. They are very nutritious, as sprouting allows us to easily digest and assimilate all the vitamins and minerals contained in the seeds. They also are very tasty and are great in sushi, wraps, salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, and even just by themselves. 

You start off by soaking your seed of choice overnight in water mixed with a couple tablespoons of either apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The acid helps to break down the seed coating. Here I am using mung beans. I used 1/3 cup of mung beans and by the time they were finished sprouting they filled up almost the whole jar. So, make sure you have a large enough container. I have also successfully sprouted brown rice, chickpeas, kidney beans, quinoa, and lentils. 

After it has soaked for 12-24 hours, drain off the water. Place a cloth over the top of the jar so the sprouts can get oxygen and use a rubber band to keep the cloth in place. It works best to put the jar on an angle so the sprouts stay well drained. I put mine in a bowl to catch any extra water coming from the jar.

Keep your container of sprouts in a low-lit place somewhere in your kitchen, and rinse the sprouts with fresh water every 8-12 hours to keep them moist. Then anywhere between 2-5 days, depending on your personal taste, you will have a lovely looking jar of fresh sprouts ready to be eaten. You will notice that they are not as big as store bought mung bean sprouts because the ones from the store are sprayed with chemicals and gasses to make them grow bigger. So, for a little bit of forethought, you can have bean sprouts that are cheaper are healthier for you. If you don't want to eat them right away you can store them in the fridge with a paper towel or towel around them to keep them dry and crisp.

I used this particular batch of mung bean sprouts in a creative interpretation of pad thai :). It is kind of hard to see them in this picture, but they were delicious!!