raw-food UPDATE: Sprouting - Questions/Answers

the following is a compilation and re-working of material from multiple
veg-raw posts. The base post was a reply to some questions on sprouting,
with followup material added. This dates from the very early days of veg-raw,
May-June 1995. I have reworked the material into a potential SF-LiFE
newsletter article. I hope you find it to be of interest.

Tom Billings
****BEGIN UPDATE POST****



SPROUTING: QUESTIONS/ANSWERS


The material below is a re-working of material originally posted to the e-mail
list, veg-raw. It consists of questions and answers on some common situations
that may arise in sprouting.

Q: I use a commercial, plastic, multiple tray (type) sprouter, and I notice
that sprouting rates are uneven. I find that pre-soaking the seeds, overnight,
helps promote even sprouting. Comments?

A: Due to their design, uneven soaking, hence uneven sprouting, can occur with
these sprouters and thus pre-soaking the seed is a good idea - separate, even
soaking promotes more even sprouting.

Q: I want to grow large amounts of sprouts, so as to increase the % of sprouts
in my diet. I typically grow sprouts for 3-5 days in the tray sprouter. Any
suggestions for increasing production? The tray type sprouters seem too small
and limited to produce large quantities.

A: First I would note that you are growing sprouts for 3-5 days, so they are
relatively long. You can eat sprouts when they are short, and that is an easier
approach. Now, to your question: Ann Wigmore suggests using 7-10 half gallon
jars (~2 liters each - large jars) for a large scale sprouting setup. She
discusses this in her book, "The Sprouting Book".  Certainly 7-10 large jars
serviced 2-3 times per day will require some time, as well as a substantial
amount of counter or shelf space. Another option to consider is an automatic
sprouter; more expensive but possibly easier.  One can grow large quantities of
(short) sprouts using the cloth method - simply use larger bowls and cloths.

Q: The price of sprouting seeds at the health food store is very high. How can
I get seeds at lower cost?

A: Buy in bulk, in 5 pounds (2.5 kg) or larger containers.  Here in California,
bulk seeds are readily available in health food stores, supermarkets, and by
mail. For example, bulk wheat ("berries") range in price locally from $0.29 per
pound (non-organic) to $0.65 per pound (organic); 1 pound = approx 0.45 kg. You
may have to search for bulk sources in your area.

Q: I remove the hulls from my alfalfa sprouts, by swishing the sprouts in a
large bowl of water. How do you get rid of hulls?

A: Hulling is generally not necessary if you eat your sprouts when short;
however removing the hulls is a good idea for alfalfa and clover greens (as
the hulls will spoil and decay in the sprouter). The method you describe -
swishing in water - is pretty much standard.

Q: I find grain sprouts to be tough, fibrous, and sometimes bitter (except
wheat which is usually sweet). Suggestions?

A: These problems are greatly reduced if you eat the sprout when the root shoot
is about the length of the soaked seed (1-2 days sprouting time for most
grains). Also you are not limited to grains and pulses: try sunflower seeds,
sesame seeds (eat when short - can be bitter when long), almonds, fenugreek,
soaked nuts, and so on.

Q: What sprouts do you consider to be staples for the diet?

A: Depends on your tastes. My staples are wheat, mung, sunflower, sesame, oats
(for sprout milk), almonds. Also eat soaked walnuts, other soaked nuts on
occasion.

Q: What changes in  nutritional content occur when seeds are sprouted?



A: This is a rather complicated topic; Viktoras Kulvinskas discusses this at
length (with lots of data) in his book, "Sprout for the Love of Every Body".


Q: I find that legume (pulse) sprouts give me flatulence. Is this due to the
legume skins? Comments?

A: The skins are not the major source of gas in pulses; in India some pulses are
skinned and then cooked (dahl) and they still produce gas. This topic is
addressed in some detail in the article "Enhancing the Digestion of Sprouts".
Basically, the easiest way to reduce flatulence is to add anti-gas spices and
digestive aids; see the mentioned article for more information.

Side discussion. In the veg-raw posts, I described lentils as a 'coarse' food.
This produced a discussion on the properties and nature of lentil sprouts.
Portions of that discussion are as follows.

Re: meaning of brown lentils being coarse food. I interpret it as meaning that
it is coarse in digestive effect: potentially unsettling, tending to produce
lots of gas, the opposite effect of a soothing food (like, for example celery
juice with lemon or lime added: that is a soothing food). After eating lentils,
you might "feel" them - not heavy, but rough or coarse. These post-digestive
effects can be subtle, and you might not notice it if you regularly consume
lentils. By the way, I find that if you eat lentils with turmeric and a bit of
cumin seed, it seems to digest much easier, with less gas - that was the point
of my post.

Re: possibility of excluding legumes from the diet. If one excludes all legumes
from the diet, there are still a large number of grains and other seeds one can
sprout. However, most people thrive on variety; a diet that excludes legumes
might be too limiting for many people.

Re: which types of lentils are easiest to digest? The small green lentils are
lighter and easier on the system than the brown lentils. Also, small red lentils
are lighter than and easier to digest than the brown. (When sprouting red
lentils, be sure to get whole lentils, not split ones.) It appears that the
smaller the lentil, the easier it is to digest. Further confirmation of this
comes from a batch of very large green lentils I bought some time ago - they
were larger than brown lentils, and also very heavy, very hard to digest.

Q: How can I sprout sesame seeds?

A: They can be sprouted using the standard jar or cloth methods. Soak seeds
overnight, then allow to sprout in cloth or jar; I let sesame seeds sprout
for 1-2 days. For sprouting to occur,  use only unhulled sesame seeds; hulled
won't sprout (although you can soak hulled seeds overnight then eat). Sesame
seed sprouts get bitter quickly, even in refrigerator. Recommend that sprouting
+ refrigeration time total be 1.5 days or less (2.0 days maximum), to avoid
bitterness. (There is a black sesame seed, and if you can get it unhulled, it
will usually sprout nicely. The problem with the black sesame seeds is that
it is often difficult to tell if it is hulled or unhulled.)

Another note on sesame seeds - I tried an "unusual" combination of tastes and
found it very nice: add 1 rounded teaspoon of whole coriander seed (or fennel
seed) to 1/3 or 1/4 cup of dry sesame seeds, then soak and sprout as usual
(coriander/fennel probably won't sprout). Then eat with a bit of raw honey -
unusual, but very nice  (Ayurveda says coriander seeds are good for the eyes and
a digestive aid; they have a mild flavor. Fennel is tridoshic - said to be
good for everyone, in moderation.)

Tom Billings