bEAN sPROUTS

[ChrisGreaves]

Capitalised the way it is, because I think it's a capital idea.

DAY 1

This is the diary of a bean-sprout over 72 hours. I've been sprouting beans for salads since the mid-70s, in Australia, France, Singapore and now Canada. If that's not a range of climates I don't know what is. (a.k.a. "No Excuses!")

Fresh bean sprouts, grown at home, are free of risk of infection (commercial sprouts are sometimes grown in matrices that originate in manure), are cheap, and it sure beats paying $1 for the privilege of carting water home from the store in the form of a Romaine lettuce. I never run out of fresh salad stock, and you just can't beat the tangy crispness of bean sprouts taken chilled, fresh from the refrigerator or Coolgardie Cooler.

Eat them plain as a snack deskside in bed at night. Nowhere near as fattening as a run to the Dairy Queen on Dundas Street etc. etc. etc.

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Here is our goal - a salad container full of crisp sprouts. This morning I started a new batch; what you see here is the batch that finished overnight, ready to go bye-byes in the fridge until lunchtime.
Ignore the shears; they always seem to muscle in on a photo.
The pale yellow bits are the start of leaf formation. Nothing wrong with leaves, but I use the advent of leaf formation as a sign that it's time to arrest the growth of the sprouts and eat 'em up!

The salad container is a base-and-lid of a mixed salad store-bought by one of my friends. I don't like the store-bought salads that much, but the containers are worth it, IMHO.

Next post: Getting Started.

[ChrisGreaves]

Getting started.
It will come as no surprise to you to learn that you need to buy some seeds.
I use Mung Bean seeds, available sometimes in packages in your local supermarket (spices or dried-beans section), available always in your local over-priced health food store. But don't worry about price. Five dollars worth of mung beans keeps me in fresh salads for about 3 to 6 months.

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I'm almost out of mung beans, as you can see.
I store mine in an old cranberry-cocktail juice bottle. No need to refrigerate; dry, cool, dark place, the usual.

I measure two capfuls into a small bowl, probably 2 to 3 dessert spoons.

If you're in doubt, start off with about one spoonful and see how long it takes to generate sprouts, and what quantity you get. If you ramp-up salads in summertime, ramp up the spoonfuls; if you eat sprouts sparingly, start low.
Over a period you'll get a good feel for quantity, I promise you, and if you plan to invite Aunt Emma and her kids over for supper Saturday, you'll know to start an extra-large batch of sprouts on Monday.

Next Post: Rinse-and-Repeat.

[ChrisGreaves]

Rinse-and-Repeat.

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Add cold tap-water to the bowl and leave stand by the sink.
Over the next two days we are going to rinse the water (drain carefully then top up, drain and top-up) and I find that placing the bowl in a highly-visible spot next to the taps reminds me to rinse.

There'll be little outward change throughout the next 24-hours; the seeds will swell, but it will be tomorrow or the next day before they shed their little green jackets.
be patient.

Oh yes, and relax!
Since before invertebrates crawled the earth, vegetable seeds have been getting on Just Fine Thank You!
All we need to do is provide the correct environment; the vegetation is very successful at doing what it needs to do to survive.

next post: Rinse-and-Repeat, again.

[Skitterbug]

Is there more to this thread or have you decided to end it with the line "next post: Rinse-and-Repeat, again."
I'm in suspense to see how this plays out!
BTW, I like bean sprouts but I haven't sprouted any for a very long time. Thanks to you, I may start in again!

[ChrisGreaves]

Is there more to this thread [/i]

Hi Skitters, yes, there is more (and that is no idle thread! )
I plan to post a new image each day, with brief commentary, showing the progression of growth.
To my knowledge this has never been done in Eileen's lounge before, nor Woodys, in any forum - a day-by-day diary of a process.
We are more used to seeing a complete photographic essay, in one swell foop.

Of course, this means I have to be here each morning - I can't escape the heat by sneaking off and taking a dip in The Susquehana

Thanks to you, I may start in again!

Now why does it always take someone of my genius level to get someone as brilliant as you to get started?

P.S. for your

[HansV]

To my knowledge this has never been done in Eileen's lounge before, nor Woodys, in any forum - a day-by-day diary of a process.

Isn't that called a blog, or twitter?

[ChrisGreaves]

Isn't that called a blog, or twitter?

I guess it is, but since we want to keep this in the Cooking Forum shouldn't we say I am going to Fritter my time away ...(grin).

I can't think of anything we have discussed that has been so closely tied to the life-cycle of growing things.
Rhubarb grows too slowly, eggs fry too fast ...

[Skitterbug]

Isn't that called a blog, or twitter?

Naaaaa - it is called "sprouting off"!

Now why does it always take someone of my genius level to get someone as brilliant as you to get started?

I'm not brilliant but I do have shiny grey hair.....
But back to the topic - I'll look for mung beans when I am out shopping for food items.
Do you ever try any other types of seeds? <not garden seeds obviously, which may be treated for planting>. If yes, what did you like other than bean sprouts? Alfalfa is a popular sprout and I have grown them but I don't remember where I got the seed? I think I'll look for it as well!

See what you have done?

[ChrisGreaves]

next post: Rinse-and-Repeat, again.

DAY 2

During the day, yesterday, I found that the small porcelain bowl was - well, too small, so in one of the rinsings I transferred the beans to a large tumbler.

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Small bubbles atop the water indicate that fermentation has been taking place. I'm not ambitious enough to embark on home-made Soy Sauce, so i just continue rinsing.
It's not yet whole-scale fermentation, as in beer, ginger or otherwise; more of a marker that the beans are no longer really beans, but baby sprouts, and so I treat this as a sign of progress.

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Here is a side-view of the tumbler-with-water, slightly fuzzy, as it's a pre-first-coffee shot, so eager am I to get these images to y'all.
The beans have expanded and broken their skin or green husk. On top of the pile of beans can be seen a few dark-green husks

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Since the husks are separating and fermentation is indicated I figure it's time to stop sprouting in water and so I transfer (gently so as not to bruise tender rootlets) the beans after a couple of water-rinses, to a sprouting-tray.
The sprouting-tray is not a special fabrication, such as you can throw money at; it is a plastic container that brought home salad from a supermarket by a friend and was then claimed by me in the time-honoured tradition of shrieking "Can I have that?". This one happens to have shallow grooves on the black base, but it seems to make little difference. I'll continue to rinse three or four times this day.
(Next post: Overcoming Eileen's Lounge limit of 3 images per post)

[ChrisGreaves]

Overcoming Eileen's Lounge limit of 3 images per post)

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The tray of sprouts goes into a kitchen cupboard above the sink, close to my coffee and tea-mugs, so I'll be reminded of it. Each time I use a fresh mug, I'll rinse my beans (Mug~=mung, geddit?!).
I have a fluorescent light tube below the cupboard and above the sink, and this transfers heat to the cupboard.
During winter months I figure that a bit of extra warmth doesn't hurt.
Frankly I'm amazed that this batch of sprouts has come along so fast. Normally I reckon on 2 to 3 days before transferring from the tumbler to the tray.
Perhaps our abnormally hot weather has tipped the scales.
Next post: (after several more rinsings at 4 to 6 hour intervals) Sprouts!

[ChrisGreaves]

Naaaaa - it is called "sprouting off"!

I started a new thread because I wanted the other one to be more on the mechanics of sprouting for newbies.

[ChrisGreaves]

Sprouts!

DAY 3

Here we are, just one day later, and we have sprouts.
That didn't take long, did it?

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I rinsed three (I think) times yesterday, the last around 4pm.
I suspect, but have not tested, that frequent rinses while the beans are still in the "seed" stage rinse away and bad stuff, so that we don't need as many rinses in the "sprout" stage.

Don't worry about those little green husks⁽¹⁾.
(1) they are harmless (some in this household would say "good roughage")
(2) they will be quickly and easily removed later this day.

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Here's close-up of the centre of that tray.
Fair makes your mouth water, doesn't it?
Heigh-Ho! I think I'll go and make a spot of lunch. Even though it's only 5:30 a.m.

Lunch: A handful of sprouts, chopped once, grated cheese, thinly-diced piece of onion a carrot coarse-grated, handful of raisins. No herbs, spices, salt or pepper needed here.
Stir the lot.
Dribble an oil/vinegar mixture over the lot.
No Kidding; as good as you'll get anywhere; made in minutes.

Next Post: Separating the husks.

⁽¹⁾ I have pondered introducing the diminutive "Mun" for the husks of beans. Then we could talk about Little Green Mun.

[ChrisGreaves]

Separating the husks (part 1/2)

Once you see/feel that the majority of beans have sprouted and shucked their husks, you can separate the two groups.
Or you can just leave them all together.
Me I can't think of a good reason not to eat the husks in my salads, but guests sometimes turn their noses up when they see what they perceive as "debris".

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Start by filling a bowl with cold tap water.
Placing tender rootlets into water does less damage than dropping water onto rootlets.
I have placed the bowl dead-centre in the sink so that any sprouts which try to cannot down the drain hole.

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Here is the tray, much changed since just 6 hours ago.
Now the husks have been pushed to the top of the sprouts in many cases.
I suspect that a time-lapse photo set would show the sprouts rolling over as their rootlet cells respond to gravity, and by that process, rolling the husks to the surface.

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I gently grab the handful of sprouts and place them in the bowl (next post).
The husks that are left behind get tipped into my old Chinese Noodles container. Bacteria love husks, and Red Wriggler worms love bacteria. We're just one big happy family here ...

Next post: Separating the husks (part 2/2)

[ChrisGreaves]

Separating the husks (part 2/2)

Now for three minutes gentle manual labour ...

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Here is what I see after I have placed the handful of sprouts in the water.
Many, but not all, of the green husks float to the surface and gravitate to the edge of the bowl.

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Here is a close-up of the 9 o'clock position of the bowl.
Wherever two or more husks line up against the edge of the bowl, I find it easy to scoop them out and drop them into my scraps bucket.
That done, I gently stir the water and more husks float to the edge.
Repeat until you get bored or there are no more to be seen (he sobbed, huskily)

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Here's the bowl; I'm through with separation.
I'll gently strain out the water, and slide the sprouts back into the now-rinsed-out sprouting container, and back into the cupboard they go.

Next Post: We're done! Harvest the sprouts and eat healthy!

P.S.

Spoiler

Please don't forget to sign the Toronto Public Library petition

[ChrisGreaves]

We're done! Harvest the sprouts and eat healthy!

DAY 4

Here we are, just 72 hours later. As far as I am concerned we're done. I could let the sprouts sprouts another day in the cupboard, but it's the weekend and I'm inclined more towards the fresh crunchy juiciness of tender young shoots taken from the 'fridge.

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Here's the tray of sprouts, looking pretty much like the goal I showed in the first post.
(If you compare photos you'll see that in the first photo the shoots are distinctly longer; that's what an extra day will do for you)
They really could accommodate another day, but my guess is that at your first efforts you'll be eager to taste the results of your devotion.
Yes, now you know my dirty little secret, and why I'm so fond of The Montreal Deli. I sneak home free creamers from the table, saving me a small fortune in cream! (Having the IBM Thinkpad is going to enable me to increase my haul; Thanks again, Leif)

The next batch has bean (sorry!) soaking from yesterday.

The little jar in the sink is my fermenting dough starter; PIZZA tonight!

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I get fancy sometimes and pop the sprouts into re-used containers from cherry-tomatoes and the like.
It's not mandatory.
When no-one's looking i just dump the sprouts into a clear plastic bag and rest them on the shelf in the 'fridge.

[ChrisGreaves]

Here is a tray of sprouts

grown in a three-inch high plastic box, used to contain something, I'm sure, and left undisturbed after the initial de-husking, apart from a single morning-rinse over a period of sprouting.

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[ChrisGreaves]

Here is a tray of sprouts ...

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This clear-plastic box once held romaine lettuce on which a friend spent much money.
I got the box for free.
Now the box holds 5" long sprouts, for the box is 5" high, about 6"x12" in area.
There are enough sprouts to last me a week, or to provide the basis for a healthy salad should a couple of friends drop by.
The box will sit in the fridge, although I'll take it out to rinse the sprouts every two days.

I used a 1/2 cup of mung bean seeds to make this/these.

[Leif]

I don't know why it should make me think of you, Chris, but did you realise it is National Waffle Week?

[ChrisGreaves]

I don't know why it should make me think of you, Chris, but did you realise it is National Waffle Week?

You guys are absolutely hopeless, you know that?
What's the use of telling me TODAY about National Waffle Week when I was at The Montreal Deli last night?!!???

I'm going to find myself a Better Lounge.





Assuming there is one .....

[HansV]

Don't forget to wear your Waffle Lounge Pants when you visit the Waffle Lounge...