Vegan DIY: Making Your Own Mung Bean Sprouts

This is how your pot should look like
after two days.

Sprouting your own seeds is a necessary skill if you really want to become a sustainable vegan. Sprouting is not rocket science and anyone can do it. But why should you eat sprouts? Sprouts contain a lot of enzymes than most uncooked fruits and vegetables. It is also a good source of protein which vegans like me need in order to prevent our muscles from wasting. The process of sprouting also breaks down the seed which means that the digestive system has less work thus making it a great food for people who have gut problems.

You can buy ready-to-eat sprouts in the wet market but there is a higher risk of contamination due to improper food handling. Personally, I enjoy making my own sprouts because I know that that they are clean and I can munch on them raw.  I can also make sure that the environment where my sprouts grow us clean so I know that it is safe to eat them. I use clean water and make sure to drain it constantly.

There are many techniques on how to sprout your seeds. And the technique varies depending on what seeds you want to sprout. For this tutorial, I will focus more on sprouting mung beans.  I tried sprouting mung beans in the past but was never really successful. I tried the usual method of soaking them in a bowl full of water but after a day, it emitted a foul smell. Even replacing the water did not help remove the odor so, in the end, I have to throw everything out. Well, the technique that I am about to share with you is a no-brainer that when I discovered it, I had this now-why-haven’t-I-thought-about-it-before moment. Below are the steps on how to sprout mung beans fool-proof.

1.)    Clean mung beans and remove the dirt and other debris.

2.)    Soak the mung beans in a bowl of water and leave it at room temperature overnight.

3.)   Drain the liquid the next day and transfer the contents to a clean pot lined with a clean cloth at the bottom.

4.)    Set the pot on top of a bowl. The bowl will catch the water dripping from the pot so that it does not stagnate on the bottom of the pot.

5.)    Pour water over the pot every two hours and drain the water that has collected inside the bowl.

6.)    Cover the pot using a clean cloth (I used a clean pillow case for my mung beans).

7.)    Make sure that the mung beans are always moist and that the liquid in the bowl are always discarded.

8.)  Let your mung beans grow until it grows to a 1 to ½ inch long. It can take 24 hours or longer for the mung beans to germinate depending on where you live. Here in the tropics, it will only take 24 to 48 hours for the beans to sprout to the desired length.

9.)    Clean the sprouts and remove the seed coat.

10.) Store in the fridge until further use.

There you have it. Making sprouts is easy (and hygienic, too!) and you can make your own whenever you need them.

XOXO, 

Ang Pobreng Vegan