How DO you sprout mung beans and any azuki bean sprouting?

[HLing]

From the Manhattan board, a search for organic sproutable mung bean got me curious. Is it difficult to sprout mung beans at home? How is it done, and how do you keep the bugs out?

Also, as I picked up some orgaic Azuki beans, I saw that they were labelled "sproutable". Yet, I've never eaten, or even seen azuki bean sprouts. Has anyone had some? Or is there a reason that they are not as widely availabe as mung bean and soy bean sprouts?

[rexsreine]

If you want the mung beans to sprout "straight'' (like you buy in the stores), they have to be sprouted under pressure. Years ago, I had some kitchen gizmo that allowed for this. It was basically a metal cylinder with an open wooden support at the bottom and a perforated plastic cylinder inset. The soaked beans went in the plastic and that sat on the wood support. You put a piece of cheesecloth over the beans and a clean weight on top, rinsed as usual for a couple of days. For the weight, I had a scrubbed and boiled smooth rock. Sprouts were straight! I think you could rig up something similar by making perforations with an awl in a cheap plastic container. You'd have to put it in the oven to keep out of the light (which was what the metal cylinder did) so the sprouts stay their typical white color. Sounds weird, I know, but it worked for what I considered to be "real" mung bean sprouts.

[lagatta]

Yeah, I've managed to get them a bit thicker by putting the lid of an old Le Creuset pot atop a mound of sprouts (in the cupboard), but they aren't straight, but curl all over the place.

I don't like the ones in most shops as they are too long and old - I like to eat the seed before it splits - very nutritious. But I only eat these in salads, not cooked in stir-fries.

Looking for more hints! I would like a gizmo, but it has to be a simple one like you had.

[boogiebaby]

My mom would put mung beans on a shallow tray, cover them with a wet towel and let them sit on the counter for a couple days. If she wanted bean sprouts, she'd leave them a bit longer, but just keep the towel damp.

[lagatta]

I've just started to do some mung sprouts (organic beans are easy to find in natural food shops here) after a very well-informed staff person suggested it. I don't find the sprouts one finds in most East/Southeast Asian shops fresh enough. A wide-mouth Mason jar with a cheesecloth is an excellent idea... Thanks!

[sarahbartos]

You can find out pretty much anything you've ever wanted to know about sprouting from sproutpeople. They sell organic seeds for sprouting, including a lot of things you'd never imagine you could make sprouts from...like alliums.

http://www.sproutpeople.com/

[HLing]

Thanks all for your input. I'm going to start some azuki bean sprouting!

[shallots]

Start with a small quantity of beans.
Don't do this when you're going away for the weekend.
Keep them in a very dark place and make sure it doesn't get hot.

I've found it easier to sprout in spring and fall than in summer. Summer heat and light can make for nasty surprises.

[GeekVanessa]

I use a mason jar that is covered with some screen held on with a rubber band.It takes about 3 days and I rinse them about 2 or 3 times a day.

[tartetatin]

Sprouting mung beans is fairly easy - I recall my mum doing it when I was a child. She put the beans in a large measuring cup and covered the top with a piece of cheesecloth (she used a large elastic band to fasten it). She rinsed the beans a few times a day and drained them, and kept them in a dark place - under the sink or in a dark cabinet. They usually sprouted in about 3 days I think. Very fresh.

[MikeG]

I you use cheesecloth, you can just use the ring from the Mason jar lid to hold it all together a little more securely...