Sprouting for Beginners!

Ok, don't be intimidated--you can sprout! 

I'm just like you. I see people on social media with their trays of soil and wonderfully colorful varieties of sprouts and microgreens and I think "that looks complicated. I'd definitely mess that up."

But here's the thing--some things are incredibly easy to sprout. They take VERY little work or skill and they yield tasty and nutritious sprouts in just 2 days. 

So this is my advice if you're intimated or unsure where to begin: Lentils & Mung Beans.

I've found these two options to be the easiest, fastest, and least-space-consuming seeds to begin with. 

So here's what you need: a bag of mung beans. You can find dried mung beans at most Asian grocery stores, or some international aisles in grocery stores, or--of course--you can order online. Same with lentils, dried lentils (green or black), are easy to find in most grocery stores, Asian markets, or for sure online. 

Also, a mason jar--or really any glass jar will work. 

Start by pouring an inch or two of lentils in a 32oz. jar. (You can, of course, use a smaller jar just pour less lentils because they will expand quite a bit once soaked and sprouted!). Then cover the dried lentils with several more inches of water. I usually just fill the 32oz. jar 3/4 of the way full with water. It really doesn't matter exactly how much water you use. You just want to make sure there's plenty of water for the lentils to absorb, and whatever excess they don't absorb you can pour away. :)

Stick the jar full of lentils and water on the counter overnight--or for 12 hours or so. Again, this isn't super specific. You can leave them for 8 hours or 16 hours. Just make sure they have plenty of time to soak up as much water as they want (I'd say no less than 6 hours). 

In the morning pour off the excess water and stick the now enlarged and wet lentils back on the counter with a loose paper towel over top. This is to allow for the lentils to breathe and to get some air flow. Don't put a tight lid on them. They need air. 

In the afternoon or evening (whenever you can get around to it) give the jar a little shake. Hold the paper towel securely over the top and shake the lentils all around the jar to make sure they're all getting equal air exposure and none of them are sticking to the bottom or sides. 

Repeat again in the morning. And again midday/evening. 

By the morning of day #3 you'll see some nice little tails have grown out of your lentils and they're ready to eat! You can let them go another day or two and their sprouts will continue to grow. But if you're impatient--like I usually am. hehe--you can dig in now!

Do the EXACT same thing with the mung beans. 

I have noticed it's best to keep my sprouts out of the sun (like a windowsill) and away from anything that gets hot (like the stove or oven). I just keep mine on the counter next to my fruit. Or you could even stick them in a cabinet--though I'm usually hesitant to do that because I'd probably forget about them. Haha.

But that's it! 

Did that sound complicated? Truly it's not! You can totally do this. And bonus! Lentils and mung beans are really inexpensive. So if somehow you don't get it right the first time, it's no big loss! And these two foods are some of the cheapest, most nutritious foods you can add to your diet. 

I really encourage you to try! I promise you CAN do it! 

All my best! ~Olivia 

OH--storage--after your sprouts are all grown you can of course just eat them all. Ha. Or you can store them on the counter for a couple days or in the fridge if you don't think you'll eat them all quickly enough. I just keep them in the jar with the paper towel on top. They should last up to 5 days or so in the fridge. 

But you should eat them quickly. They're good for you ;) 

Ok, that's it for real!