Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
2. Place the seeds in a quart jar (or sprouting tray) half-filled with warm water (preferably unchlor-
inated). Cover the jar with nylon stocking (or cheesecloth, screen, etc.) and put the rubberband in
place.
3. Soak overnight or as directed in
table 3-3
. Drain and rinse with cool water (always rinse with cool
water). If you use tap water, let the water sit in an open container for a few hours before using, to
get rid of the chlorine.
4. Keep the jar warm and covered with a dark cloth, or keep it in a cabinet, while germinating. For
greener sprouts, give them more light as they grow, but usually keep them out of direct sunlight.
For whiter sprouts, keep them out of the light. Experiment to find how you think they taste best.
5. Rinse and drain well two or three times a day (or as recommended in the guide) to keep sprouts
from spoiling or souring.
6. Sprouting time is a matter of personal taste, but peak nutritive value is reached in two to three
days. Sprouts can be kept in the refrigerator for a week. Freeze them if you wish to store for
longer periods.
7. Some people recommend that you lightly steam bean sprouts to destroy toxins found in raw beans
(Stevens 1997, 198).
Table 3-3. Sprouting Guide
Quantity per
quart jar
Soak time
(hours)
Rinses per
day
Average number of days
to sprout
Harvest length
(inches)
Seed
Adzuki bean
½ cup
6-12
3-5
2-5
½-1½
Alfalfa
2 tbsp
3-8
2-5
3-6
½-2
Almond
1 cup
10-12
2-3
2-5
when split
Amaranth
12 tbsp
none
3-4
2-3
¼
Barley
1½ cups
5-10
2-4
2-4
0-¼
Cabbage
3 tbsp
7-10
2-3
3-5
½-¾
Cabbage,
Chinese
3 tbsp
4-7
2-3
3-5
1-1½
Clover
1½ tbsp
4-8
2-3
3-5
1-2
Corn
1½ cups
8-12
2-3
2-3
¼-½
Garbanzo (chick-
peas)
1 cup
8-12
3-4
2-4
½
Kidney beans
¾ cup
8-12
3-4
2-4
½-1
Lentil
¾ cup
5-10
2-4
2-4
¼-1
Lettuce
3 tbsp
3-7
2-3
3-5
1-1½
Millet
1½ cups
4-8
2-3
2-4
1⁄8-¼
Mung bean
½ cup
6-10
3-4
3-5
1-3
Mustard
3 tbsp
5-8
2-3
3-5
1-1½
Oats
1½ cups
3-5
1-2
1-2
0-¼
Pea (not split)
2 cups
7-10
2-3
2-3
¼-½
Peanut
1 cup
8-12
2-3
3-5
¼-1
Pinto bean
1 cup
8-12
3-4
3-4
½-1¼
Pumpkin
1½ cups
5-10
2-3
2-3
1⁄8-¼
Quinoa
1⁄3 cup
3-5
2-3
1-2
¼-1½
Radish
3 tbsp
5-8
2-3
3-5
¼-1½
Rice
1½ cups
10-20
2-3
2-4
seed length
