Sunday, April 30, 2006

Bean Sprouts

I have learned to love bean sprouts.
They must be one of the most perfect foods and are full of natural vitamins. They make great add ons to salads and sandwiches. Sometimes, I just grab a big pinch for a quick energy boost.
This is alive food, the produce you find at the supermarket is dead food even if it looks fresh.
Alive foods give you their energy and you will feel it if you are aware.
If you have your own garden you may know about the difference live food makes. But, if you live in an apartment like me, it is hard to have live food at hand. Sprouts can be easily made anywhere.
I even read an article in Mother Earth News or maybe it was Backwoods Home. This is just from memory so I may not have all the details correct.
It was about a family snowed in there wilderness cabin. They were going to have to be there over a month but didn't have enough food for that long.
They found some beans stored away and decided to start sprouting them and supplement them with the other food.
By the time the snow was cleared away enough for them to go home they had survived almost entirely on these bean sprouts.
When they got home, they got a check up.
Not only were they more energetic, they all lost weight of course, but they were also healthier than before.
I would not buy the ones in the store. I have tried the bean sprouts in the store maybe 3 times and even though I rinsed them, I got sick 3 times. The last time was really bad food poisoning or what ever, believe me it was bad.
They are so easy and cheap to grow there is really no reason to buy them.
You will need to buy seeds. I recommend a food coop or natural food store. I like alfalfa or a mix. Don't buy seeds from a feed store, they may have some kind of chemical or kangaroo pee on them.
You will also need a small jar. I use a quart size mason jar. I secure a plastic mesh screen on top with a thick rubber band. You can also by mesh lid for this that fit mason jars. The mesh needs to be small enough so the seed will not go through.
As far as the seeds, a small amount goes a long way. 1/2 to 1 tsp is plenty for 1 to 2 people.
Put the seeds in the jar and secure the mesh on top.
Fill half way with water, shake around a little, and let set out about one hour.
After about one hour, pour out the water.
Set the jar in a cool dark cupboard upside down on a towel.
Once or twice a day, rinse off the seeds in cool water and put jar back in cupboard upside down.
In about 3 days, when the seeds have sprouted to about 1/2" to 3/4" remove from cupboard, rinse and set in indirect sunlight. As soon as they turn light green, they are ready to use.
The seed shells can mostly be rinsed away but if you don't get them all, it is okay, they are mostly soft by now.
They should stay fresh for a couple days or so. Do not eat them when they start getting parts turning mucus brown or dark green.
The first time you make them you may wonder if you are doing it right. After you have made your first batch, the hard part is remembering to keep them rinsed.
One time I totally forgot them for about two weeks, It looked kind of like a web coated the inside of the jar.

2 comments:

duwbryd said...

I never thought about spicy bean sprouts. It does sound rather good. If their not available in a store, maybe you could save hot pepper seeds to sprout.
I'll look for them next time I'm at the Boise Coop.

apples said...

I totally did not understand that but I'm definitely gonna try it out.