I have to get creative with my salads because I’m not a basic salad fan. They get old fast. In the Summer, when our garden and our farm share are in full force, we have an abundance of options at our fingertips (and we eat what we get so the fridge doesn’t overflow). But in the Spring and cooler months when vegetable bounty is slim (or shipped from very far away and non-organic), we get funky with salad ingredients. I stumbled upon bean sprouts at the grocery store and loved them, but hated the price (isn’t that how most of my posts originate? lol). They add a great crunch to sandwiches and a sweet texture change to salads.
You can grow your own sprouts with most beans, but favorites include mung beans, lentils, and chickpeas. I tried lentils because I had them on hand and they were delicious!
What You Will Need:
– 1 Quart mason jar with lid
– cheesecloth cut into 4″ square
– 1/2 cups dried beans of your choice
– water
- Add beans to a clean quart jar. Place cheesecloth square over jar opening. Screw mason jar ring onto jar over the cheesecloth (do not add the metal lid!). The cheesecloth should be secured in place by the mason jar ring. \
- Fill jar with water through the cheesecloth. Soak for a half hour and drain. Repeat this process twice. After second drain, let jar sit, propped on it’s side to completely drain the water out the top. I like to prop it on a towel. Let them sit out of the sun.
- Rinse and drain your beans twice a day. After 2 days you will see small sprouts starting. After day 3 or 4 you will have some good sprouts growing. Let them grow to about 1.5-2 inches long. By this point your jar will be almost completely full of sprouts.
- Place in the sun for an hour or two to let the sprouts green up.
- Rinse one last time. Drain and store in the fridge.
- Note: You will see husks from the original beans. They are fine to eat but if you don’t want them, soak your sprouts in a bowl of water – the husks will float to the top and you can skim them off.
Crafty Bridge 