Adventures in Sprouting

[Mr. Pooka]

With everyone in various forms of lock-downs and quarantines I wanted to share something that I find very fun and fulfilling that also happens to be a very valuable skill to have in these times of restricted travel, empty store shelves and food uncertainty.

Sprouting!

Sprouting seeds and grains and legumes etc has several benefits. It can make food you already have more nutritious. It can stretch your pantry. It can add variety to a limited food store. Sprouts are an awesome super food. You can sprout with home made equipment and don't need to buy any special gear. Sprouting only takes a couple minutes a day. Most things that you can sprout are some of the cheapest things you can buy at the grocery (where as the sprouts they sell are expensive in comparison and very limited in variety). It can give you something to do! It's like gardening without needing a garden or even a window.

There are a TON of different kinds of things you can sprout and there are several ways you can sprout stuff and tools to do it. There is also a ton if info online if you are curious about something I'm not demonstrating, (-8 Most things you sprout are pretty easy. ...a few involve extra steps, like Mung Beans... (which you have probably eaten if you don't recognize the name. Mung Beans are the beans used in common Bean Sprouts.)

So I started sprouting following the instructions on a website called Sprout People. Sprouts!
I got to this website because I bought their sprouting kit. Sprouter I actually bought the kits on ebay for cheap and honestly you don't need to buy anything... you can use lots of different containers you prob have at home!

The Sprout People have EXCELLENT videos that explain how to sprout things! I love the guy who makes them, he is repetitive and goes through every step... I kind of find watching him make sprouts is like watching Bob Ross paint a happy little bush.

Beans and Lentils




Seeds





So, to get started, I'm doing two different batches of Sprouts, some of the easiest things you can Sprout! In cup number one I'm sprouting some simple Green Lentils. Green Lentils are super simple, super cheap and are very yummy! You don't need to buy any special type of lentils, these are just the same lentils you buy dried in bags as the grocery store. You can eat them raw by themselves, in a salad or anywhere you want something green. You can also cook them just like you'd cook other lentils but with more nutrition. You can add them as a filler into anything from bread to meatloaf to stuffing to soup.
Almost all lentils are sprouted the exact same way some grow a little faster or slower and they do vary in flavour a bit. You can't mess up the time you take to sprout lentils, though you will prob find your 'sweet spot' where you like to stop growing them and even that can vary if you are using them for various reasons. This seems like a lot of info on Lentils but all of it is just saying how easy it is, nothing tricky and you can't mess it up!

In cup number two I'm sprouting a mix of two types of seeds I mixed myself, half mustard and half fenugreek. These are just seeds I bought in the grocery store in the spice section. You don't need to order anything special for sprouting. (though there are lots of yummy seeds you won't find in the spice section if you are getting experimental!) Mustard sprouts are a little spicy and fenugreek is sort of sweet and I like the mix (as well as the super cheapness of the seeds themselves!). They are great in salads and sandwiches and soups and as a side. They could be a salad themselves, but personally I'd find them a bit strong. I'm sure most people know what mustard seeds are so I won't go into detail. You have probably eaten fenugreek even if you've never heard about it before. Fenugreek extract is used to make Maple Syrup Artificial Flavour. ...anything you've eaten (Maple Syrup flavoured Oatmeal, Table syrup, cookies etc.) that says Maple Syrup Flavour without saying it contains Maple Syrup is actually Fenugreek. The seeds themselves have a very Maple-y smell.

To start I'm using one cup of Green Lentils in cup number one. I'm using 3 tablespoons of seeds (half mustard, half fenugreek).



and here's my cups! You can use lots of other things though, and I'd be happy to help if you want to try using something else from mason jars to yogurt containers.




Step number one was to rinse me seeds and lentils. The cups I have make this super easy.

Step Number two is to soak our seeds and lentils for 12 hours, I'm set up to go overnight.





I'm doing these instructions 'live' as I grow the sprouts so I'll post more pictures and instructions and tips and observations as I go, (-8 I'm also going to sprout more things after this first group... I've got the supplies to do more but sprouts don't last forever so I'm only making batches in the sizes that we will eat and use. I love garbanzo/chickpeas and I've tried different seeds and lentils types that were all good. I'll also do some experiemnts with stuff I've never sprouted for fun... I've got some ancient mung beans that'll be fun to see if they've got some life still in them!

If anyone has any questions totally ask away, and if anyone wants to join it I'd love to see pics or hear how things are going, (-8 Even if its just me I hope seeing some daily sprout growth will be a bit more exciting then watching grass grow, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

Day Two of adventures in sprouting!


After the Lentils and Seeds soaked overnight (about 12 Hours) I gave them a good rinse and shook them dry. Get them as dry as possible from shaking. (The Videos in the first post show you exactly what to do!) I took a bunch of pictures but... the camera did a weird. I still got a few but they don't show off some of the stuff I'll describe.

This is right after I drained the soaking liquid and gave them a good rinse. (side note, the soaking liquid is actually full of nutrients and you can use it to water plants or even in a soup if you really want to. I'm not so frugal, mine goes down the drain for now.)



There are two things you'll notice when you first check your sprouts after soaking. First both the seeds and lentils more than doubled in size! Second, you will notice that some sprouts have a distinct smell. There is a slight scent from Green Lentils that you'll barely notice but both the mustard and fenugreek have a stronger scent. Mustard is a brassica (the same family as cabbage and broccoli) and can let off a spicy strong smell while the Fenugreek adds a maple-y scent. That may sound like an odd mix but think of it as a sweet and savory combo, like bacon and pancakes, (-8 The seed's scent will go down in a couple of days if you don't like it.

At this point you can even taste the Lentils if you want. They are not great but you'll get an idea where you are going. Kind of fresh and crispy but a little.. starchy? As a reminder from above, with Lentil Sprouts there is really no wrong time to stop them from sprouting and eat them... You'll find the stage where you enjoy them the best, (-8 You can also test a seed if you want but the taste just like they smell which is spicy and pretty good but you are a few day away from yummy crunchy sprouts which'll be much yummier!

Here's a pic of... my dishes? Ha, the real reason I'm posting this is to show that no matter what you do you'll prob spill a few seeds and send a bean or two flying... it happens to everyone, (-8




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12 Hours Later

Twelve hours later I rinsed the Seeds and Lentils under cool water again and then shook them dry. Draining the Lentils is pretty easy, just a bit of thorough shaking/spinning. The seeds take a bit more work both because they are tiny and can plug the drain holes but also because these type of seeds (and many others) get a little bit of gelatinous slime on them in their very first stage. Its very hard to get the seeds totally dry at this stage but shake them as dry as you can.



You can see in the pic (a bit at least) that the Lentils are shiny from being wet but are all clean and separate. The Seeds are a bit of a stuck together clump.



...and now we wait until morning!

[Mr. Pooka]

Day Three .... We have LIFE!

So on day two we got to see everything double in size but this morning we get to see our first signs of life! ...You have to look close but the signs are there...

(both of these pics were taken before I did anything to the them, they've just been sitting for about 12 hours overnight).

Our Lentils have started to split a bit and the skins are peeling back a bit both of which are happening because the tiny little root is growing and getting ready to peek out!





Our seeds are starting to show similar signs of life but again you have to look closely. It's nearly imperceptible with the mustard seeds, but you can see the fenugreek seeds starting to split and unfold open. Our seeds feel like they start slower than the lentils but as long as all goes well they will start growing wildfire soon enough, (-8




Now that I took some pictures, I rinsed these again thoroughly and then spun them dry again thoroughly... and we'll check back in 12 hours, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

Day 3 evening!


I checked before bed for the evening rinse and just like I predicted, we've got lentil sprouts! Look at these yummys!



Its a bit blurry, (I really need to get my new camera ready!) but you can see the little 'tails' poking out ready to grow, (-8



Now our seeds are also getting ready to go... here you can see the fenugreek unfolding even more... they kind of look like little lobster claws.






(I'm a bit late posting, yesterday was a bit of an odd/busy day, but I kept taking pics, (-8)

[Mr. Pooka]

Day 4! - awesome lentils and slow seeds...


Our lentils are at the first yummy stage! They are all basically sprouted. You can taste the difference now and they are just at the beginning stage I really like to eat them. They almost all have little tails now... I want them grow for another day at least though to get to my fave flavour stage and to bulk up a bit. I have started snaking on them a bit though, (-8





...now our seeds are growing, but quite slowly. You can see the beginins of sprouts with the fenugreek but the mustard seems much slower than usual. I did have a thought on the topic though... I haven't done a lot of seed sprouting in the winter (though lots of lentils and chick peas) and I've just been rinsing with cold tap water... now our 'cold' tap water is actually extremely freezing cold as the pipes run through a layer of permafrost. So, I'm switched to using a slightly warmer water to see if I can wake these seeds up a bit! Time will tell, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

Day Five - perfect Lentil Sprouts!

Lets start with the picture!



You can see how much they've bulked up just overnight, (-8 This is my fave spot to eat them (and have been snacking on them for a couple days now). I rinsed them one last time this morning and now they are sitting out to dry a bit more before I put them in the refrigerator tonight. Refrigeration is going to stop their growth and keep them fresh for several more days. You can grow them for several more days if you want to! In another day or two they'd get little leaves which are edible and many people like them but I don't personally (I find them kind of ... grassy flavoured?). Have fun and try yourself, (-8

Here is our final Green Lentil product! Remember we only started with one cup full of green lentils and now we've got well over three cups of nutritious, healthy super greens! Like I mentioned in the first post, you can do lots of things with them now... eat them raw, add them to a salad, mix them in soups or on a burger or sandwich or... well they go well with a lot of different foods and recipes! Before I took this pic I already ate a bunch and also put some onto of our Ramen today (yum btw!). I should have taken a pic of the ramen, but you can prob picture that one, (-8 but I'll be making a few things with these tonight and the next couple of days and I'll fill you in, (-8




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Now our seeds are still going a bit slow but hopefully my warmer water will turn things up! You can still see the fenugreek sprouting and give it's all, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

Some Ending notes round one of Sprouting!


So, the Lentils came out perfectly! We've been eating fresh green lentils for days and I accidentally invented an new recipe for something AMAZING! (-8

Nothing to do now but eat them, (-8 I sneak a few everywhere for a crisp fresh green little bite.





For my new awesome recipe! I'll prob have some variation of this in the fridge forever now, (-8
I wanted to make a salad of sorts so I made a basic vinaigrette.

Garlic, sugar, tiny bit of salt... (I like to add the sugar/salt to the crushed garlic to draw out the liquid flavour)



Let that sit for a few minutes then the vinegar and oil... (whatever kinds you want, I like about 4 to 1 vinegar to oil but whatever you like! I used white vinegar and balsamic as well... tastes lovely and makes a nice colour.)




Then I wanted to use some heartier veggies so I grated a couple of carrots and a few thinly sliced cabbage bits, with some onion. Then a sprinkle of dried fruit (some cranberries and raisins and currents). Then I mixed in about as many of the sprouted lentils as all the other fruit/veg together. (amounts are not that important I think here...). Normally I might have put this in some sort of tupperware sort of container but went with a peanut butter jar to store whatever leftovers. (side note; peanut butter jars are awesome. The lids are made to keep in oil and as a whole they don't usually ever leak and are more sturdy than most other types of jars/containers you get your food in.)



Ya, terrible pic, sorry but you get the point, (-8 So for dinner I tore some lettuce and scooped some of this veggie/dressing on top and it was super lovely.

Now the thing with most vinaigrette is that they just get better and better as the sits and this one was amazing. The veggies and lentils just keep soaking up the flavour. It also ensures that the lentils are totally stopped from growing but are preserved wonderfully. With the living ingredients I've been thinking of this as something sort of like kimchi but not at all like kimchi, (-8 I've been putting it on EVERYTHING, like it is my favorite condiment atm for sandwiches, salads, in ramen... everything. I've also started to keep it topped off, adding more various veggies and occasionally a bit more sauce (vinegar, oil, sugar) as needed... I had totally planned to make a Lentil meatloaf but ended up using all my lentils in this stuff, Yum!

...all of the ingredients above are really to taste, however you like. My only note is that if you want to try this and keep it going, just use the right veggies. Things that are hard and hardy (onion, cabbage, beans, carrot...) are perfect but things like lettuce would go off. If you're think of trying but unsure feel free to ask me for some advice, (-8


Now our seed sprouts went a bit sideways. The fenugreek finally responded well but the mustard didn't ever really get going. Idk if it was the cold water or cold weather or perhaps my mustard seeds were to old? I'll give it a second go in the near future to see if I can figure out what the problem was. (i'd grown seeds successfully from this exact package in the past) Now the fenugreek was slow but it still came out nice, just not as hearty as usual. I separated it from the other seeds and it all went into one salad. Yummy and nice but not nearly the bumper crop I was hoping for! Ah well, we'll try again soon with some new variables, (-8




...and now onto my next batch! In the next couple of days I'll be starting another batch of green lentils and... something else. I think I'm going to dip into mmy chick peas. Mostly because I think some chick peas would be awesome in my neverending salad jar, (-8


..and if anyone wants any advise or instructions or ingredient lists, just ask! I even saved a few common containers to show anyone how to grow this stuff without any special containers like I'm using, (-8

[Mr. Pooka]

Ha, and my eggs are not a weird colour, I'm currently addicted of Maggi Sauce and they always get a dash now, (-8

[melodysangel]

Just be careful with the Magi--its really concentrated salty

I..kind of grew up on that..my grandmother put that (%$#@) on (and in) everything.

[Mr. Pooka]

This is the first bottle of Maggi Sauce I ever bought and am in love with the stuff, (-8 It's got a permanent spot in my cupboard now with my collection of soy sauces, Worcestershire, vinegars and hot sauces, (-8

[melodysangel]

Im glad you found something you love Its something I kind of take for granted as just 'there'.

Im just reading my reply over and realized it may have come across as harsh--totally not intended. Its a great way to add salt without adding salt. Just remember a little goes a long way (something my grandma never really stood by, she had...a very heavy hand and is probably the reason why I shy away from some specific German dishes ^^')

[Mr. Pooka]

(-8 yup, it's strong stuff! ...but a dash on each half egg and one or to drops on any kind of meat that needs it... plus 'one for the bowl' and I'm all set!