Sprouts and Sprouting
When you sprout seeds, grains, beans or lentils they burst into life and the nutritional content increases hugely in just a few days. Sprouting them makes them much easier to digest and assimilate. So if you have trouble digesting grains or beans, sprouting is the answer, making all the difference to digestion. Sprouting also reduces the carbohydrate content.
Sprouting is so simple to do anyone can get great results with very little effort in days.
What can be sprouted? Lentils, chickpeas, sesame, sunflower seeds, alfalfa, mung beans, whole grains like spelt, kamut and much more. You will have fresh enzymes rich, fat-busting, detoxifying, nutrient rich food available all year round.
Sprouts can be added to salads, lightly steamed or add to a stir-fry at the end of cooking. Avoid cooking sprouts too much. They are extremely cleansing and enhance the detoxification process and encourage the metabolism.
Alfalfa sprouts boost zinc levels, which are generally low in people. Sprouts improve the liver and hormone function, as well as promoting cellular growth and renewal.
How to sprout – Soak the beans, lentils, grains or seeds in water overnight or for a few hours at least. Discard the water.
Method one – place the soaked grains etc in a large glass jar, not too many as they need room to expand and grow. Place a piece of netting over the opening of the jar and secure with an elastic band. Pour water into the jar through the netting and then pour out the water through the netting, do this twice a day. DO NOT leave sprouts sitting in water they will rot.
Method two – sprouting sacks available especially made for the job, place the soaked grains, seeds etc into the sack – dunk the sack into some fresh water, then immediately hang the sack up, allowing the sprouts to drain, twice a day. Sacks are made from hemp fabric or some sort of netting.
Method three is similar – place the soaked grain etc in a basket, place in water and hang up immediately, allowing the basket to drain do this twice a day. Cover the basket to keep the flies etc off.
In about three to five days they should be ready. Wash well, drain and store in the fridge, consume as soon as possible. Within three days, maximum.
Sprouted grain bread
First option.
The sprouts are dried in the sun or in a food dehydrator or in an oven at a very low temperature. Then they are ground in a blender or flourmill. Use this flour in the same way you would use any flour.
Second option.
Take 800g of the whole-grains and sprout until they are about an inch long. Grind them in a meat grinder, hand or electric one, both are inexpensive. Place in an oiled oven proof dish, cover with a lid and bake for 4 hours at 250F or 130C until the bread is easy to remove from the dish.
Nutrients - Vitamin B3, B6, C, E, Beta-caretene, folic acid, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, fiber and protein.