Sprouting Seeds and Grains

When sprouting seeds to eat raw in salads or on a sandwich the first thing to remember when using more than one kind of seed is to pick those that are similar in size.  Alfalfa and radish for example, are small and will sprout quickly in 2-3 days.  Mung bean and peas both take a day or two longer and are a good pair.  This time I used tiny red beans and very small mung beans I found in an Asian Market along with lentils from the grocery store.

1T  tiny red beans

1T  tiny mung beans

2T  lentils
fill jar with water - cover with cheesecloth

For the first 24 hours, soak seeds in a jar in a dry place away from direct sunlight.  After the first day, rinse and drain a couple times a day until the seeds sprout.  Continue with this until the jar fills up.  Then pour the sprouted seeds into a colander and rinse well.  Some of the seed hulls will wash away in this process.  The sprouts are now ready to put on a sandwich or in a salad.  Sprouts are very high in protein and an excellent choice for someone wanting to decrease or eliminate animal protein in their diet.  Another great thing about sprouts is you can grow them fresh, in your kitchen all year.  They're fresh, crunchy and each have a distinctive earthy flavor. . .Lin