You have probably already tried or seen in the supermarket more than once jars with bean sprouts, a product widely used in salads and dishes of all kinds. What is not so common yet, but is gaining popularity every day, is the consumption of sprouts and sprouts of all kinds of seeds.
Join us in this article, in which we are going to see how to make lentil sprouts at home and you will see that they are cheap and easy to get.
What are edible sprouts or sprouts
Sprouts are, as their name suggests, sprouts grown from all kinds of seeds . Recently they have become popular with great speed, since they provide a whole series of advantages with respect to their consumption in the form of seeds. On the one hand, sprouted sprouts have a great nutritional value and are very easy to digest, so their nutritional properties are used much better than if we just eat the same food in the form of seeds. In addition, they are generally very rich in antioxidants and some of them contain protein concentrations comparable to those found in meat.
It should also be noted that the germination process tends to reduce the amount of gluten in the food, so they can be easier to digest for those with mild intolerance to it. Be very careful, however, if you have a severe intolerance to it, since germination does not eliminate gluten completely.
How to get lentil seeds
To prepare your lentil sprouts, the first thing you will need, as you can imagine, are the lentil seeds . Some specialized stores sell seeds prepared to be germinated, treated in a way that prevents the appearance of bacteria in the germination process.
However, you can also carry out your sprouts with completely normal lentils, although you must take special care in the germination process of lentils to prevent the necessary humidity from causing the appearance of unwanted pathogens. In the process that we explain below, we take several safety measures to avoid this, but if in any case you have doubts, cook your sprouts before consuming them and thus you will eliminate any danger of contamination.
How to make lentil sprouts – steps to sprout
Once you have the seeds of these legumes, follow these steps to make sprouts of lentils :
- To make your lentil sprouts, you will first need to make your own homemade seed germinator . To make this germinator, choose a glass jar, which does not have to be very large, but it is advisable to be large enough to contain enough sprouts to consume them several times. Empty it completely and wash it thoroughly with hot soapy water, paying special attention to the interior. Let it dry when done.
- Add the lentils to the glass container. Keep in mind that lentils will greatly increase the volume they occupy when they germinate, so do not fill it more than a fifth of its capacity. When you have carried out the process several times, you will see what exact amounts are best for you according to your consumption rate.
- Add water to the bowl until the lentils are completely submerged. Close the jar with a breathable gauze, fixing it around the mouth with a rubber band. If you don’t have gauze, you can use the original plastic lid of the jar, but make a large number of small holes in it first with scissors, and wash it properly.
- Let the lentils rest in the water overnight, and when the day comes, empty the water through the cheesecloth, leaving the pot tilted so that the seeds can dry, and leave it in a dark area. When night comes again, fill it with water again.
- Repeat this process of soaking the seeds overnight and drying them during the day each day, always without removing the gauze. This allows them to maintain an adequate level of humidity, and at the same time the change of water prevents the appearance of bacteria. When the shoots are 1 cm long, you can take them out to an area where they receive sunlight so that they start to take leaves. From there, they are already edible sprouts . This whole process should take about a week .
Tips for growing sprouts and sprouts of lentils
Take care of hygiene as much as possible, especially if you work with common seeds. As we have already said, the germination process requires humidity that is also a suitable medium for the development of bacteria and fungi, and the most scrupulous hygiene possible is the best method to combat it. Buying specialized seeds is also an option, but it is noticeably more expensive.
Remember to cook your sprouts before consuming them whenever you have doubts about their condition, and do not keep sprouts for more than 4 or 5 days in the fridge , especially in the warm season. As the germination process is not that long, you will soon have the times taken to produce your sprouts at the same rate as you consume them.
