Sprouts 101

A sprout is produced when a seed starts growing into a plant. Sprouts have very high levels of disease-preventing phytochemicals and they contribute to better health, from prevention to treatment of life-threatening diseases. You can make sprouts out of any seeds - green mung beans, garbanzo beans, moth, alfalfa, radish etc. Infact, sprouts are the only thing that can be grown any season, anywhere. You don't need any fancy equipment and it is very simple to make sprouts. They can be eaten raw or cooked into delicious meals.

Many of my early attempts at making sprouts resulted in absolute failure resulting in stinky sprouts that had to be thrown away. One of my net-friends (A fairy, actually!) told me how she makes it. I tried it and there was no going back. It is the most easiest and non-stressful way to make sprouts without any fancy equipments. All you need is -> A glass bowl or a plastic bowl that is see-through and -> a sieve or a meshcloth



The Method of Sprouting:
Wash the seeds to be sprouted and soak it in water for about 8 hrs or overnight. Drain the water in the morning and wash it once again. Cover it with a fine sieve and leave it alone. Every 2-3 hrs, pour some water into the glass bowl (through the sieve) and rinse and then drain it. This prevents drying and mold formation, that's invisible to the eyes. Well, I don't do it every 2-3 hrs. I do it whenever I see it, say about 2-3 times a day. The glass bowl usually rests in the place where I cannot ignore it. The sieve makes it easy to pour water, rinse and drain away. After another 5-8 hrs (depending on the warmth, humidity, light and seeds), the sprouts are ready to consume. Use it right away or store airtight in the refrigerator, for later use.

NOTE : Never use hot water or warm water to wash or soak the seeds. You are killing the seeds that way.

Happy sprouting!

Adding some more nutrition information I learnt recently from the website.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/folio/fo0004/00040260.htm

Longer sprouts have more vitamin C. Sprouting has other benefits too. The iron in pulses is largely bound to phytates, compounds that render iron unavailable for absorption. Sprouting breaks this bond, and the iron is readily utilised in the body, especially since the vitamin C also present creates the right environment for absorption. Maltose or malt sugar, a more easily digestible form of carbohydrate, is formed only when grains and pulses are allowed to germinate. Also, proteins are available as amino acids, the fundamental units of all proteins. Sprouting of whole grams is routine in parts of India like Maharashtra, reflecting the sensible eating habits of our people.