Lulu Roberts is a Northern California resident who has published a cookbook and taken courses in raw and vegan cooking. One of the elements emphasized in courses Lulu Roberts attended at the Living Light Culinary Institute involves making use of sprouted seeds and legumes.
Easily cultivated indoors using a mason jar, sprouts can be generated from a wide range of ingredients, from onions to lentils. Whatever the source, it’s recommended to use sprouting seeds from trusted organic sources. One issue is that a number of packaged foods, particularly imports, are irradiated to prevent any sprouting before purchase. In addition, sprouting seeds should be verified as salmonella and E. coli free, as you don’t want to ingest potentially harmful pathogens or bacteria that flourish within a sprouting environment. Commercial beans typically do not have any such guarantee, as they are intended for boiling, not sprouting.
Once a reliable source of sprouting seeds is found, soak those seeds in water, typically at a one-part seed to three-parts water ratio. The seed are then placed within a mason jar and covered with water. The jar can either be left open, covered with a natural fabric such as cheesecloth, or capped with a sprouter lid. Follow a sprouting chart as an approximate guide for how long to leave the sprouts soaking.
After the recommended time, drain the sprouts, add cool fresh water, and rinse it out again. This process of draining and rinsing should be done about twice a day, with sprouts beginning to appear after 24 hours. Sprouts are typically harvested when they reach a length of from half an inch to two inches. They can then be added to salads, sandwiches, stir fries, or simply eaten raw. The key is to give them a final rinse and then spread them on a clean towel to dry for an hour before storing. A glass storage container, with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture, is an ideal storage medium. Refrigerating them will keep the sprouts fresh and edible for a week.
