How To Sprout Lentils (and all other beans, too!)

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How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.com

Lately I’ve been playing around with a ton of new recipes and food prep methods – sprouting, fermentation… you name it, I’m experimenting. I’ve got a batch of fermented ginger carrots going. My first batch of sauerkraut was a success, but the second failed miserably. It’s all been a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to sharing my discoveries with everyone.

So today, let’s talk about sprouting beans.

Sprouting beans is a traditional preparation method with one enormous benefit. You know the old saying “Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you fart!” Well, they have to come up with a new rhyme for sprouted beans, because sprouting seems to take away all those nasty gastrointestinal side effects that keep many of us from eating beans. (This, so far, has been confirmed by me, and the people I have fed sprouted beans to. YMMV.) I’ve heard it mentioned that sprouting beans means they digest more like a vegetable than a starch. I have no scientific proof of that, but my stomach seems to believe this is true.

The other great thing about beans is that they are crazy cheap. If you’re on a budget (and really, who isn’t?), sprouted beans are a great way to keep your nutrient intake up while the money is down.

And even more than that, it turns out that sprouting beans is incredibly easy. I haven’t managed to screw up a batch yet, and that’s saying something. So if I can do it, you can do it.

How To Sprout Lentils
(Well, really, any beans…)

First, the tools you’ll need:

Once you have your tools, place 1 cup Organic Dried Green Lentils in your jar and fill with filtered water. Cover with your sprouting screen and secure with the jar band, like so:

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.comQuick Tip: Rub some cooking oil (any kind you have handy.. olive, coconut, whatever) around the edge of the screen that will be under the jar band. This will prevent the screen from rusting.

Once the jar is filled with water, let it sit in a warm spot for about 12 hours. I leave mine on the counter near the refrigerator so it gets the warmth coming off the back of the fridge. After 12 hours, your lentils should have rehydrated, and probably doubled in size, like this:

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.com

Drain the water out of the jar of lentils. Rinse the lentils one more time by filling the jar up with water and draining them again. They should be a bit wet from the rinsing, but they should not be soaking anymore. It should look like this:

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.com

Leave them in the jar on the counter to continue the sprouting process. Rinse and drain every 12 hours to keep them moist. Somewhere around the 24 hour mark, you should see them start to sprout:

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.com

Keep rinsing and draining them every 12 hours to keep them moist. Usually, you want to keep sprouting them until the sprouts reach about 1/4″ (roughly 6mm).

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.com

I find they usually get to this length in about 48 hours, but this may vary depending on your beans or how warm your kitchen is, etc. At this point, they’re ready to use in your favorite recipe.

These instructions will also work for other types of beans. Actually, I have a batch of black beans on the counter as we speak. If you’re interested in sprouting other beans, may I suggest Sproutman’s “Turn the Dial” Sprout Chart as shown here:

How To Sprout Lentils from domesticsoul.comIt’s a neat chart that shows you how to sprout different beans, along with how many days they will take to sprout and suggestions for how to use them once they’re sprouted. There’s everything on here from broccoli to chia seeds. This could make one tasty salad or soup!

And that’s how easy it is to sprout your own beans and seeds. Keep this tutorial in mind, as I have a recipe coming up for sprouted lentil soup.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for all your tips.
    I’m a vegetarian and kicking up the nutrition as much as possible!

    Should you come across a way of thickening yogurlt Instead of gelatin please let us know!

    Appreciating your blog!

    Sheyla

  2. After the 12 hours and the rinsing do you then fill the jar with water again? I’ve tried this twice but every time the lentils begin to smell really bad.

    • After the initial soak, the lentils should not be sitting in water.

      When I rinse them, I usually fill the jar with water and then turn the jar over in a strainer to drain the water out. After that, do not add more water to the jar. The lentils will be slightly moist from the water you just rinsed them with, but that should be all the moisture that is in the jar.

      Also, if it’s still not working for you, hang in there with me for a few days. I’m going to sprout another batch myself so I can take better pictures for the post. So, the photos should help walk you through it.

      HTH!

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