Notes from sprouting class at First Alternative Coop, Corvallis, Oregon, January 2014.

1. Spr outing Seeds,
Gr ains, Beans &
Nuts
A class on “indoor gardening”
(“green thumbs” not required!)
© 2010, 2014 Susan Hyne
1

2. Spr outing Seeds,
Gr ains, Beans &
Nuts
Follow-up Ve getarian
Potluck
Sunday, Januar y 26 th , 6pm
CoHo Ecovillage
2

3. Files to be
emailed…
One-page overview
Text from this PowerPoint file
The List
Recipes
Potluck Info (vegetarian, peanut-free)
Plus SlideShare link
3

4. Resour ces –
Two”
Susan’s “Top
 Sprout Garden by Mark Braunstein, Book
Publishing Company, 1999
 www.sproutpeople.org
4

5. W hy spr out?
5

6. W hy spr out?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Nutritious
Easily digestible
Inexpensive (small scale)
Fast Food/Slow Food
Fun
6

7. W hy spr out? -
Nutritious
 During sprouting…






Enzymes are activated
Proteins change to essential amino acids
Starches change to simple sugars
Fats change to fatty acids
Vitamin content multiplies
Minerals and trace elements in sprouting water
are absorbed
 Bottom Line: sprouts are at their
“peak of nutrition”
7

8. W hy spr out? -
Nutritious
 Anti-nutritive factors are reduced
 Trypsin-inhibiting factor in soybeans is reduced
 Phytic and oxalic acids which bind minerals are
destroyed
 Antioxidant levels increase
 Broccoli sprouts contain 20 to 50 times as much of
the antioxidant sulfurophane as mature broccoli
(fights heart disease and cancer)
*
8

9. W hy spr out? -
Nutritious
 B vitamins increase 4 to 16 times;
B-12 increases almost 2000%
 Radish sprouts contain 29 times more vitamin C
than milk, 10 times more calcium than a potato,
and more vitamin C than a pineapple
 Mung beans and lentils have almost no vitamin C
but their sprouts have a considerable amount
 No pesticides, no fertilizers
 Picked fresh, so no loss of nutrients
 http://www.sproutnet.com/nutrition_of_sprouts.htm
9

10. W hy spr out? –
digestible
Easil y
 All sprouts: With enzyme action,
sprouts are “predigested”
 Wheat: Because gluten is broken
down during sprouting, folks with
wheat sensitivities “may” be able to
eat sprouted wheat
 Beans: Sprouting reduces gasproducing quality of beans
10

11. W hy spr out? -
Inexpensive
 High yields--1 T alfalfa makes 4 cups sprouts
 Year-round source of greens; much cheaper
than out-of-season produce
 Useful as a staple food for emergency home
food storage systems; no need for refrigeration
 Ecological savings: lower production,
preservation, packaging, transportation and
disposal costs
11

12. W hy spr out? –
Food
Fast/Slow
 FAST
 Faster than outdoor gardening (weeks or months)
 Takes only a few minutes/day
 Decreased cooking time for beans
 SLOW
 Not an off-the-shelf item that you select one hour
before a meal
 Serenity of planning ahead, nurturing seeds
day-by-day, harvesting and eating within minutes
12

13. W hy spr out? -
Fun
*
13

14. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
14

15. How to Sprout –
Seeds




1. Select
Seeds: alfalfa, radish, sesame
Grains: barley, rice, wheat
Beans: chickpeas, lentils, soybeans
Nuts: almond, pecan, walnut
*
15

16. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
Organic
Whole
Raw (not roasted/toasted/salted)
Fresh (some are only viable for one year—
especially soybeans)
 Sold for sprouting (some garden seeds have
been treated with insecticides)
 Stored in cool, dark place in metal, plastic or
glass containers with tight-fitting lids




16

17. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
*
17

18. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
The List
*
18

19. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
 Listed alphabetically within 4 categories
 Some listed more than once (different
growing methods)
 Double check the type of seed:
 Buckwheat vs buckwheat groats
 Unhulled vs hulled sunflower seeds
19

20. How to Sprout –
Seeds
Sunflower
1. Select
Buckwheat
* 20

21. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
 For sprouting combinations, select
seeds with:
 1) similar rate of growth
 2) compatible flavor
 Mix 20% strong flavor with 80% mild
21

22. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
 50% wheat with 50% garbanzo or lentil or rye
 60% alfalfa, 25% lentil, 15% wheat
 50% lentil, 25% adzuki, 25% garbanzo
 3 T mung beans, 3 T alfalfa, 1 T lentil,
1 T fenugreek
22

23. * 23

24. How to Spr out –
Seeds
1. Select
 Cats and dogs MAY be willing to eat
sprouts: increase amount slowly;
eventually add 4T+ chopped finely, mixed
in with wet or dry food;
up to ½ cup/day
 Birds: sunflower seeds,
birdseed mix
* 24

25. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
25

26. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
 Wide-mouth quart glass jar and lid with holes
 “Since 1971, I have tested every new sprouting
suggestion in the books and every new
sprouting device on the market. Some are
expensive, but worth the price. Most are
expensive, but not worth the price. The mason
jar remains very inexpensive and very much
worth the price. Indeed, I return time and time
gain to trusty mason jars for the bulk of my
sprouting.” Mark Braunstein, Sprout Garden
26

27. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
*
27

28. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
28

29. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
 Bag (linen/hemp/jute)
 good for nuts, grains, beans, legumes, vegetables,
gelatinous seeds (gelatinous seeds grow on top of,
not in, a bag)
 breathes; high moisture absorbency
 resistant to tearing, doesn’t fray
 20% stronger when wet
 good for traveling--lightweight, unbreakable
 sterilize in boiled water—don’t use soap or a brush
29

30. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
 Basket or tray for vertical sprouting
(the way plants grow)
 Champion is-Steve Meyerowitz aka
the “Sproutman”
(Sprouts—the Miracle Food)
30

31. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
 Place colander inside larger bowl
(for soaking and drainage)
 Cover with tray
31

32. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
32

33. How to Spr out –
Equipment
2.
 Tray with soil
 See Sprout Garden, pp 44-53
33

34. How to Spr out –
2.
Equipment
 Available at First Alternative Coop
*
34

35. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
35

36. How to Spr out –
Clean/Rinse
3.
 Discard spoiled/broken seeds, debris
 Rinse well in sieve and place in container
(check yield for each sprout type to know
how much to put in a container)
36

37. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
37

38. How to Spr out –
4. Soak
 Most methods start with soaking in glass jar
(don’t soak in bag)
 Put seeds in jar, but leave room for growth (check yield
on The List)
 Cover with 4 times as much cool water (60 to 70
degrees) as seeds
 Keep at room temperature (68 to 80 degrees,
72 degrees is best)
 Cover jar (soak in dark)
 Soak water (and rinse water) can be used as liquid in
soups/sauces/smoothies or in some grain recipes or for
watering plants; refrigerate this water
38

39. 39

40. 40

41. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
41

42. How to Spr out –
Rinse/Dr ain
5.
 At end of soak period, drain soak water (hold onto lid)
 Refill container; let sit for a minute; drain again
For remaining rinses…
 Rinse
 Tilt to allow drainage (use bowl, dish rack, pan, etc.)
 Check for good air circulation (don’t let seeds cover
the air holes)
 Goal is to keep sprouts moist but not wet
 Cover or keep in dark; total darkness or subdued light
is not essential, just recommended (vitamin C
increases in sprouts grown in darkness)
42

43. 43

44. 44

45. 45

46. How to Spr out –
Rinse/Dr ain
5.
 If a rinse was skipped, soak for a minute so sprouts
can get plenty of moisture
 When rinsing beans, soak in fresh water for a minute
to help “degas” the beans
 Allow water to overflow to rinse off waste produced by
the bean sprouts
 With bag; rinse by dunking bag into bowl of water;
hang to drip (in very hot or dry weather, place sprout
bag in a plastic bag in order to retain moisture; punch
holes at bottom of plastic bag for drainage)
46

47. Ready for a br eak???
47

48. BEANS
1 cup of lentils
makes ___?___ cups of
lentil spr outs
*
48

49. GRAINS
W hat spr outed g r ain is
in these cookies?
*
49

50. SEEDS
Alfalfa, Br occoli,
Radish
W ho’s W ho?
*
50

51. NUTS
Raw nuts ar e acid;
spr outed nuts ar e
_______?_______
*
51

52. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
52

53. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 When are sprouts “done”?
*
53

54. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 THE FINAL RINSE SHOULD ALWAYS
PRECEDE THE HARVEST BY AT LEAST
EIGHT HOURS (NO SOGGY SPROUTS)
 This is ESSENTIAL for grains to be used for
baking; set out on paper towel to absorb any
remaining moisture
 Arrange timing so you plan to harvest sprouts
in morning because the last rinse would have
been the night before
*
54

55. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 Discard hard seeds (like adzuki beans) that
didn’t sprout
 Sprouts will keep refrigerated as long as it took
them to sprout
 Don’t use plastic bags
 Put paper towel in bottom of container to
absorb extra moisture
 Eat “naked” or use in recipes
 Leftover sprouts can be dried and powdered,
then stored in airtight containers
55

56. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 Grains can be sprouted, dehydrated,
and ground into flour for baking
Essential Eating Sprouted Baking by
Janie Quinn
56

57. How to Spr out –
6.
Har vest
 Wheat: grain, sprout, flour, bread
2 cups wheat
Yielded 4 cups
sprouts
Yielded
2 ¾ c flour
Yielded 2 ½
cups dried
57

58. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
Hull (cull) seeds like alfalfa, cabbage, clover, radish
 Why hull?: more appetizing, better taste (hulls can taste bitter),
sprouts will store longer during refrigeration; decaying hulls
encourage bacterial growth; hulls (not the sprouts) can rot
 Place in bowl and fill halfway with water. Hulls will rise to
surface (some will go to bottom); skim off. Scoop out sprouts.
 http://sproutpeople.org/growing-sprouts/sprouting-basics/de-hulling
(using salad spinner for culling)
*
58

59. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
59

60. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
Cook beans
 Sprouted beans take half the normal cooking
time for dry beans
 Beneficial because the sprouted bean is more
nutritious to start and the reduced cooking
destroys less of the nutrients
 For a slow-cook option, use a solar cooker
(beans will retain shape and firmness)
60

61. How to Spr out –
6.
Har vest
Cooking times for dry beans vs.
sprouted beans
 Black-eyed peas:
 soaked overnight, 1 hour or less
 sprouted 2-3 days, 30 minutes
 Chickpeas (garbanzos):
 soaked overnight, 2-3 hours
 sprouted 2-3 days, 1 hour or more
http://www.bigoven.com/72100-Cooking-Times-forLegumes-recipe.html
61

62. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 Grains are more difficult to digest raw
 Sprouts of “soft wheat” (vs. “hard wheat”
used for breads) are relatively easy to
digest and may be eaten raw as snacks
or mixed with dried fruit in small
quantities
 Can be baked or cooked (cereal)
62

63. How to Spr out –
Har vest
6.
 Dehydrating
*
63

64. How to Spr out –
basics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the
Select seeds
Select equipment
Clean/rinse
Soak
Rinse/drain
Harvest
64

65. How to Spr out
1. Safety
2. Tips and Troubleshooting
3. Show and Tell
65

66. Safety
 Use only untreated organic seeds
(don’t use seeds to be planted)
 Eat raw grains only in smaller quantities
 Buckwheat lettuce can cause light
sensitivity in some people (especially
eaten in large quantities)
*
66

67. Safety
 Cook bean sprouts (especially kidney
beans, which are toxic raw)
67

68. Safety –
Alfalfa/Clover
 Alfalfa sprouts contain saponin and canavanine
(water-soluble toxins)
 Both levels reduced by fully growing for 7 days,
fully rinsing daily, fully greening last day and
fully removing all hulls and unsprouted seeds
by the last day
 “A good rule of tongue is to eat as sprouts only
those foods whose unsprouted seeds or
mature plants we also eat. Thus I have
decided to be prudent and to banish alfalfa and
clover from my own sprouting repertory.”
Mark Braunstein (author of Sprout Garden) 68

69. Safety -
Mold
 Minimize mold/mildew/fungus with hydrogen peroxide
 Soak seeds in a solution of:
2 parts water and
1 part hydrogen peroxide (3% strength, sold in drugstores
and supermarkets)
for 10-20 minutes (tiny bubbles or fizz may rise to the
surface). Rinse very well. Then cover with clean water
and start soaking period.
 Example: to treat ½ cup of seeds, use a solution of
6 Tablespoons water and 3 Tablespoons hydrogen
peroxide
 Read Elizabeth Baker’s Unbelievably Easy Sprouting!
*
69

70. 70

71. How to Spr out
1. Safety
2. Tips and Troubleshooting
3. Show and Tell
71

72. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Liquid kelp (natural fertilizer); a few drops in
soak water (used with basket sprouting)
 If you need to soak longer, change water so
that fermentation is prevented
 When rinsing seeds, catch stray seeds in
sink drainer or sieve so seeds don’t sprout
in your plumbing
72

73. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Weather can impact timing
 Cool weather: longer soaks, less
frequent rinses, more days
 Hot weather: shorter soaks, more
frequent rinses, fewer days
 If maturing too quickly, put in fridge
during hottest part of day
73

74. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Some seeds float
 Weight them down to keep them
under water
74

75. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Timing
 Harvest in morning, which is several hours
after last rinse, plus you have time to
make a recipe
 If sprouting needs to slow down to hit a
targeted harvest time, refrigerate during
part of sprouting day and/or keep
refrigerated after harvest
 To speed up sprouts, put under a grow light
*
75

76. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Mung beans: special technique to grow
thicker beans
*
76

77. Tips and
Tr oubleshooting
 Possible Problems: rotten, moldy, dried out,
low sprouting rate, slower/faster than expected,
spoiled
 Possible Causes: bad seeds (old, damaged
or hard), inconsistent rinsings, too much heat,
contaminated water, inadequate ventilation,
excessive soaking, grown too long, direct
sunlight too hot
77

78. How to Spr out
1. Safety
2. Tips and Troubleshooting
3. Show and Tell
78

79. Show and Tell
The Great Hummus Challenge at CoHo
February 28, 2008
Cost
Sodium
Canned Beans
$3+
280 mg
Dry or Sprouted Beans
<$1
11 mg
*
79

80. Show and Tell
*
80

81. Show and Tell
*
81

82. Show and Tell
 Sunflower Seeds (black oil sunflower)
*
82

83. Show and Tell
 Rejuvelac (fermented grain beverage)
*
83

84. T he
Be ginning…
of Many Sprouting
Adventures
84