If you are on the raw food diet, it is most likely that you are asking yourself, “why sprouting?” Sprouting if very important to the raw food diet since food is sun-dried and is not cooked over 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Similar to myself, I started the raw food diet to get optimum health and lose some unwanted pounds but was not sure what sprouting was and why it was necessary. All I knew was that I was losing pounds and felt healthier than ever, so if I needed to sprout my food to get these results I would continue to do it.
Being the truth seeker than I am, I started to research the reason for sprouting from many resources either written or voiced. The results are amazing! At first I thought it was just a process to get the nuts softer and to sprout the legumes so that they can be eaten. The process is much more than originally thought though.
First of all, one needs to know that sprouting begins with germination. As an aspiring gardener I can firmly tell you that germination is the process of all fruits and vegetables either done through sprouting, in the garden soil or the pre-stage of the foods purchased in the grocery store. Most beans, seeds and nuts can be germinated.
In my house I love to germinate and sprout foods since it is so much fun to watch and then eat. To germinate a bean, seed or nut one will need a jar, bowl or sprouting jar from a local health foods store. In my house we prefer to use a canning jar that used to contain some of my grandmother’s homemade dill beans. It is just a normal canning jar with a metal screw rim. It is nothing fancy although there are options out there that are more intricate.
When first starting the process of germination, start with rinsing about two tablespoons of the bean, seed or nut in a colander with regular water. A little will go a long way! Then, I place the rinsed item in the jar. Fill the jar with filtered water to the rim. Take some pre-cut cheese cloth and place it tightly over the top of the jar and screw the rim on the top. Cheese-cloth is great since it will allow air circulation that is necessary, never use a normal canning lid just the rim. If you have no cheese-cloth, it is easy to use an old pair of nylons or just leave the jar without any top. Just make sure there is air flow. Then, flip the jar over and remove all the water.
Set the jar in a dark corner. In my house, we like to place a kitchen towel over the top and down the sides. This will increase the growth process just as if it were in the garden soil growing. Then, twice a day pour some water in the jar, flip it over and then remove the water. On the last day, take off the towel and let a nice green leaf grow while sitting in the sunlight which is called sprouting. The most popular sprouted legumes are alfalfa sprouts and mung beans. Germination takes around three to four days so it is a shorter process than one thinks. After germination place the item in a sealed container, it will last for at least one week in the refrigerator.
These germinated beans, seeds or nuts are great in all recipes, on top of salads or just as little snacks. But why do this process when you can just eat the food plain? Well, by allowing the germination process to begin, you are allowing the food to unlock the nutrients that it contains. If using legumes (beans), this process makes them soft. In fact, the cancer preventing vitamin C is increased just by germinating and sprouting actually brings out higher levels of Riboflavin, niacin and other B vitamins stated by numerous research articles by Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. In fact, Dr. Paul Burkholder of Yale University found that the sprouting process will actually produce a 100% increase of Vitamin B which is not found by cooking in high temperatures.
In my opinion, sprouting is so much fun to watch, especially for children. It is not only fun but also cheap! In my grocery store I have purchased half a pound of mung beans for around $2.00. My family eats sprouts about three times a week and we only sprout two tablespoons a week. Sprouting does take up a little space on the kitchen counter however it is much cheaper than purchasing from the grocery store. In addition, sprouting released rich-nutrient enzymes that I prefer to energize my body with each week. It is a no-lose situation and everyone should try it at least once.
