I love sprouts. They're delicious, easy to make and SUPER good for you. I had to get out my big book of Life Changing Foods by Anthony William for a little bit of help with this post. I know you're just DYING for some fun facts about sprouts so let's dive in!
-Lentil sprouts are energetically dense, high in fortifying protein and carbohydrates that are easy to digest.
-They're high in mineral salts.
-Sprouts' amino acids and enzymes support the brain and help pull heavy metal toxins from the brain. This helps with memory loss, brain fog, and can assist those with MS.
-They're great for skin! Especially if you have eczema, cystic acne, or psoriasis.
-Sprouts contain over 60 trace minerals including zinc, iron, and magnesium.
-Sprouts can stop infections and unwanted cell growth (like cancer cells).
-They are critical in the body's production of B12 and hold THOUSANDS of phytochemicals.
-Sprouts are phytoestrogenic and aid in the rebalancing and restoring of hormones. This supports the adrenal and thyroid glands.
-And finally, growing your own food is not only empowering, but plants have the unique ability to adapt to the needs of the individual who grows them. They pickup on the energy and emotions of their surrounding environment, so treat your sprouts with TLC when growing them. Talk to them, pray over them. Yes...I just said that. And I really mean it. All life on this planet is connected. We are connected to the plants, the animals, the water, the air, each other, and Earth itself. Our thoughts and emotions produce powerful energies that affect everyone and everything around us. But that's a post for another time.
For now, just follow the instructions below and get busy growing!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of dried red lentils, brown/french lentils, mung beans, or any other sprout-able nut/seed/bean
Water
Mason Jar
Sealing Ring
Cheesecloth
Time
Add lentils to your class jar, place cheesecloth over the top, and screw the metal ring on tight. Run cool water through the top, gently swirl the lentils around and dump out the water. Repeat his several times until the water runs clear. Add enough water to the jar to cover the lentils by a couple of inches. Place in a warm, dark area for 24 hours.
The next day, pour out the soaking liquid and rinse the lentils again with lukewarm water. Give the lentils a gentle swirl and pour the water out again, making sure most of the water is gone. Lay the jar on its side in a warm place for 12 hours.
Twelve hours later, rinse the lentils again, drain, and lay on it's side for another 12 hours. Repeat this process every 12 hours for 2 to 3 days. They'll start to sprout fairly quickly, but give it some time to grow the sprout. That's where the magical nutrients are.
When you've grown a good sprout (.5 to inch in length), rinse the sprouts one last time in cool water. Dump onto a clean kitchen towel and allow them to air-dry for a few hours. Every so often, shuffle them around on the kitchen towel to maximize drying. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. They should stay good for 5-7 days.
I like to eat these by themselves as a snack, or in wraps or salads. They add a nice crunch to anything and have a great earthy flavor. Each lentil/bean/seed will have their own flavor so its have fun exploring different beans and seeds!
This is also a great science experiment for the kiddos and they get to eat it! So fun!