I’d always felt kind of like a foodie fraud because I’d never sprouted anything myself. It just seemed really complicated, and all the webpages I read about it were all about precise timing and lighting. I am not a precise person. My schedule isn’t what one normally refers to as “set,” and everything I do–from gardening to cooking to laundry–is often done at odd hours or in fits and starts as I can. So, I just didn’t think sprouting was for me.
Then Rachel over at PureGoodness did some sprouting and blogged it, and I was finally inspired to give it a try. Our menu plan called for Thai Peanut noodles, for which we’d definitely want sprouts. The outbreaks of e.coli from sprouts lately coupled with fact that our stores often don’t carry them (and when they do, often the sprouts are in no condition that resembles “edible”), I thought this was the perfect time.
Here’s what I did:
Day 1
I soaked 1.5 cups of mung beans in about 4 cups of water overnight, drained them, then put them in a large glasspickle jar with some folded paper towel on the bottom (next time, I’ll do this with a cloth, but I was out of cloths given how many various things have been percolating in the kitchen) and covered it with a cloth. It got set next to a cabinet that is darker than the rest of the kitchen, but certainly not “dark.” Just out of direct light and a bit shadowed. I rinsed the beans again that night when I remembered to do so, and returned them to the jars. I rinsed them once each morning and evening for the next few days, and this is what I got:
Day 3
I had one more day to go. Day 4:
Day 4
Ideally, I would have started them 5-7 days out, but I didn’t. They still worked great with their crisp texture and fresh flavor. I’m storing the rest in the refrigerator, and you’ll see them appear here again in the next couple of days.
I am embarrassed that I never tried this before. Thanks, Rachel, for inspiring me to take one more step into home-grown fun and nutrition!
Related articles
- Everybody needs Sprouts! (mykitcheninprovence.wordpress.com)
- Pink little sprouts (gulaylover.wordpress.com)
