I have sprouted some mung beans as per advice found here before. They sprouted very well, but after six days are still only about 3/4 inch long. Is this right? Shouldn't they be longer? Should I keep this jar in the sun? It has been in a totally non-sunny spot. Your advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you.

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), June 03, 1999

Answers

Sounds like they are doing just fine. I would not put the jar in the direct sun since the sprouts will start to do the chlorophyll thing and you lose the root (which is part we want to eat).

I use a wide-mouth quart jar with a sprouting lid (not necessary but handy when you rinse them) and wrap the jar in a towel. Soak my mung beans overnite then drain. Begin a twice a day rinse cycle until they are the size I want to eat. Then bag them and into the fridge.

Search around on the web for "bean sprouting" and such. Maybe also check some vegetarian sites and see what they have to say. If there is a locally-owned health food / natural food store around, maybe see what info. they can give you. A book and lids with different size holes might be worth a few dollars in the long run.

Sprouts are good food !

J

-- j (sandpine@juno.com), June 03, 1999.

It would be good to EAT the sprouts before six days. They are probably turning into little plants by then. The best nutrition is when they are sprouts. The internal changes are already happenening in them as soon as you can see a little root. I leave them in the cupboard and use them out of the jar for a day or two, then stabilize them at that point of growth by putting the jar in the refrigerator. (Cold really slows the growth.) The peak nutrition may be in the 2nd day of sprouting. I cannot recall but will try to find that info. (No time just now. Preparing for the Y2K Expo. here tomorrow.) Shivani

-- Shivani Arjuna (Dsmallwrtr@aol.com), June 03, 1999.

Forgot to say that the two days and then into frig. is for mung and other beans. If you are sprouting something you want to develop chlorophyll (sunflower or wheatgrass "planted" on a trayto grow to 3-4", alfalfa, clover, etc. then after the initial sprouting you will want to have them in the sun, as many days as they take to reach optimum. And if in a jar (alfalfa, clover) you need to be sure they stay moist while yet getting a bit of air, and that they do not overheat. In a jar for a few days like this, rinsing a couple times of day very important for moisture and to prevent souring.

-- Shivani Arjuna (Dsmallwrtr@aol.com), June 03, 1999.

It's my understanding that the storebought mung bean sprouts are done in the traditional asian way -- with a weight on top of them, such as a sand-filled bag. The sprouts struggle and put out a longer stalk that way.

-- flora (***@__._), June 03, 1999.

Here's the address for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's extensive sprouting site.

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/horticulture/g886.htm

-- Kay (jkbrooks@bellsouth.net), June 03, 1999.

Thank you all so much! As usual you keep me buoyed!

-- citygirl (citygirl@idirect.com), June 03, 1999.

I have found it best not to put them in the sun as they get green and subsequently, become a little bitter. Put them in the fridge after the second day.

Gerald

-- Gerald R. Cox (grcox@internetwork.net), June 03, 1999.

Try: www.sproutpeople.com

-- Texas Terri (DeepInTheHeart@Texas.com), June 03, 1999.