Making sprouts

Posted: Sun, May 17 2009, 8:33 am Post subject: Making sprouts

Have you ever made sprouts for eating purposes?
What kind of sprouts? Do you make them on a regular basis, or was it a one time thing?
How did you make it?

I'm currently making alfalfa sprouts and mung bean sprouts. I've made the bean sprouts before, but for some reason mine are growing really curly and not like the ones in the store.
How long do I have to let my sprouts sit before they're good to eat? How long should alfalfa sprouts take to be finished?

Do you make it for money saving purposes? Health purposes? Fun? Other reasons?
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Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48159

Yes....the equipment was costly. the alfalfa sprouts molded easily. the mung beans were gross.

we went back to buying them.

Posted: Sun, May 17 2009, 8:36 am Post subject: re: Making sprouts

What equipment? Growing up, we made ours in a big applesauce jar on its side, with gauze over the opening to make it easy to get the water in and out, allow air in, and to prevent the sprouts from coming out.

I dont have any jars like that now, but I'm currently making them in tupperware containers.

If they were molding, perhaps you werent changing the water often enough.

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48159

We got special sprout equipment - trays with caps that let the water flow properly.

I have no idea why the alfalfa molded; but it was disgusting and a real waste of ingredients. I assumed it was b/c our apt was so hot. This was 20 yrs ago !

Platinum Member Joined: Mar 07 2007 Posts: 10429

all you need is a jar and a piece of cheesecloth or an old stocking to cover the opening. I used a one or two-pint jar, I think, like a mayonnaise jar or something. The sprouts are ready to eat once they're sprouted...a couple of inches is about as much as you're going to get without spoilage. They should be eaten fairly quickly, within a few days at most and probably not even that long. Of course you could freeze them if you're going to use them in cooking.

I have at various times sprouted mung beans, lentils and the like, usually when I was dieting strenuously or was on a health-food or back-to-nature or money-saving kick, usually after taking out a lavishly illustrated how-to book from the library.

My bean-sprouting stages never last long because no one here really likes sprouts very much. A few sprouts on top of a salad is about as much as anyone here tolerates. A nice big bowl of sprouts for supper? Not for my chevra!

How to sprout:

http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/sprouts.htm.

If you can't get the page from this,enter the url w/o the sprouts.htm part

Platinum Member Joined: Jan 01 2006 Posts: 48159