Sprouting Beans & Seeds

Sprouting beans and seeds is a super easy way to make them more nutritious and easily digestible. Essentially, you are taking a dried up little turd and transforming it into a compact, live, powerhouse or nutrition! Sprouted beans, seeds, and even grains have been growing in popularity. I only eat Ezekiel sprouted bread (and no they didn’t pay me to say that) which I will discuss in later posts. And for those of us who are always looking for a healthier snack, Way Better Snacks makes sprouted tortilla chips, and you can now find sprouted seeds in most supermarket aisles. Personally, I think that sprouting will only continue to grow in popularity as people realize how filling and nutritious it is.

So how do you sprout beans and seeds?

Step 1: Soaking

The first step is to soak the beans or seeds for 24 hours. I always rinse them first and then throw them into a jar or pan and cover them with lots of water. Some people throw a little salt or baking soda in there as well but it is not necessary.

Step 2: Draining and Rinsing

After 24 hours, drain the beans or seeds in a colander and give a good rinse. You can keep them in the colander for the next few days or put them in a sprouting jar. Now all you do is rinse the beans in the morning and at night for 2-3 days until little tails form – this is the plant!!! If you want longer sprouts you can keep rinsing them and watching them grow.

Step 3: Rinse & Refrigerate

Just rinse your beans one last time, draining them well and place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Rinse them every couple of days to prevent mold. It's as easy as that!

Now What? Storage!

If you are going to use the beans in the next few days then just keep them in the fridge, but if you are like me and want to be prepared for any cooking inspiration you can do a few things.

1. Freeze the sprouts

2. Dehydrate the sprouts

I tend to just throw them in the freezer, especially if I don’t have my dehydrator handy.

Cooking

Most of the beans you can eat raw if you would like, I love throwing sprouted chickpeas in a salad and sprouted lentils are AMAZING! So sweet and crunchy. Sprouted sunflower seeds can be ground to make a cheese sauce, and although cashews wont sprout, if you soak them you can make a whole host of delicious creamy desserts!

Warning: Black beans you do have to cook as they do hold some toxins.

If you want to add your beans to a dish, cook them just like you would usually. They will still take a little bit to cook but not as long as dried beans. Enjoy!