Sprouts and Such

If you know me personally, you will know that I am really into sprouts lately. And with Matthew's support, I've become almost obsessive. I first tried sprouting many years ago, but got scared away because I was given poor instructions and got stuck with a rather large batch of smelly, rotten, half sprouted lentils. But I decided to give sprouting another chance, and for about the last month I've been sprouting anything I can--so far I've sprouted quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, broccoli, alfalfa, and mung beans. I just started my first batch of red clover, and I'm attempting to figure out how to sprout chia seeds properly (apparently there's an incorrect method and that's the one I tried). In theory, almost anything can be sprouted and eaten.

Call me crazy, but there is a reason for this recent obsession. Sprouts are not just delicious to eat, they are also apparently super amazing and healthy for you. Did you know that 3 to 4 day old broccoli sprouts have at least a 20 times higher concentration of cancer fighting enzymes than mature broccoli? Sprouts in general are super concentrated in essential amino acids, enzymes, protein, and vitamins. And that's just a quick summary of the benefits. There's a huge amount of information on the benefits of sprouts online.

One website that I've found to be super helpful is Sprout People. This website has an enormous amount of advice and information regarding how to sprout and sprout nutrition.

The best thing about growing your own sprouts other than the amount of money you will save (for less than a dollar you can make about $5 worth of sprouts) is the fact that you know that your sprouts have been produced in a sanitary environment with clean water. The sprouts you buy in the store always look a little sickly, and you never know the conditions in which they were sprouted.

And you can sprout literally anything. Which is great if you have a pantry full of dried goods. You must be aware that some things are not okay to eat as raw sprouts: some beans like kidney beans, black beans, and navy beans can be toxic if eaten raw. However, there is nothing wrong with sprouting these beans and then cooking them. Cooking sprouted beans will not only double the nutritional value of the beans, but will also make them easier to digest (if you know what I mean).

The only difficult thing about sprouting is remembering to rinse your sprouts at least twice a day, or once every 8-12 hours. I personally haven't found this to be difficult to remember because I put my sprouts in a spot that's visible (and I'm also overly enthusiastic about it right now). If you make it a habit to rinse when you wake up and before you go to bed, it's difficult to forget. But if you are the forgetful type who has money to spend, there is a market for sprouting machines that do the watering and rinsing for you.

How to Sprout: The Basics

For very basic home sprouting, you don't need many materials to get started. I started with an old pickle jar, a strong rubber band or two, and some cheesecloth. You want to make sure you have a jar with a mouth large enough to fit your hand (I learned this the hard way).

I recently purchased these nifty plastic sprouting lids off Amazon, which limit my need to use cheesecloth. They screw nicely onto any wide mouth mason jar, and are easy to clean and reuse. Unfortunately, it is unknown if they are BPA free (although there are some plastic sprouting lids on the market which are definitely BPA free), but I think it's alright since the sprouts have minimal and short term contact with the lids. Metal screen mesh lids are also available, but are apparently prone to rust.

Before you soak your seeds/beans for the recommended time (which can be found on the Sprout People website), it's important to rinse them and sort out any rocks or inferior seeds/beans (beans that are split in half will not produce a sprout and can contribute to crop rot).

After you soak your seeds/beans, drain them well and then give them another rinse. Then prop up your jar at an angle to drain any excess water, making sure that air can still flow through the mouth of the jar. You can do this on a dish rack or on a counter (I have mine on this wire shelf with jars underneath to catch the drips). It's very important that the seeds remain moist but are not sitting in water.

Here you can see 2nd day broccoli, 3rd day mung bean, 1st day alfalfa, and 1st day chickpea

Place your jar out of direct sunlight in a cool place. Sprouts do not require sunlight to grow, as this stage of plant growth usually occurs underground. Some spouts, like alfalfa and broccoli, require sunlight on the last day or two of growth so that the leaves can become green. Other sprouts, especially mung beans, must be kept out of direct sunlight completely to avoid a bitter taste.

Here you can see the same broccoli batch on the 4th day (I had to split it into 2 jars), the alfalfa on the 3rd day, and the chickpeas on the 3rd day

Rinse your sprouts every 8-12 hours, or more if you notice that they are dry. You never want your sprouts to dry out, which is another reason for avoiding direct sunlight.
The growth time for sprouts is entirely up to you. Taste a little of each batch after rinsing until you develop your own personal preference.

These mung bean sprouts are ready to eat!

As your sprouts grow in size, you will notice that they will discard their seed hulls. Removal of the hulls is not essential--in fact you may like the texture they sometimes add--but they can also harbor excess moisture and contribute to mold growth. If you would like to remove the hulls, all you have to do is soak your sprouts in water, either in the jar or a salad spinner for larger sprouts. You will notice that the hulls tend to float to the surface. At this point, you can either scoop them out with your hand, or you can attach a lid with larger holes to your jar to filter the hulls from the sprouts. OR, you can buy this adorable salad spinner made specifically for removing sprout hulls. Like I said, it's not essential to remove all of the hulls, just a matter of taste and preference.

Floating broccoli sprout hulls

As far as sprout storage goes, apply the same rules as you would use for storing salad greens. Moisture is your enemy and can lead to rot, mold, and general grossness. Plan on storing your sprouts in the fridge 12 hours after your last rinse to ensure that all excess water has drained. I've found that storing them in a long and shallow container works better than a deep container to prevent moisture build up at the bottom of the container.

As you can see, I line the bottom of the container with paper towels and then place another paper towel on top of the sprouts before closing the lid. If you store the container upside down in the fridge, all the excess moisture falls to the top paper towel and you can easily remove it. I've found that sprouts last about a week max in the fridge stored properly, so be careful not to make more sprouts than you can reasonably consume.

The more delicate sprouts and micro greens are excellent on salads, sandwiches, toast, you name it. They wilt and turn to mush if cooked, so they are best eaten raw.
The more robust sprouts like mung beans are great raw and cooked, and can be added to pretty much anything. I love eating them in miso soup or on salad.

One of my favorite breakfasts is peanut butter toast with quinoa sprouts. But really, your options are endless.
I really think sprouts are overdue for a comeback. Not only are they super tasty and a great textural addition to any meal, but they are also one of those cliché *super foods*--packed full of vitamins, amino acids, and protein.