Rapidly germinating sprouts of lentils, alfalfa, mung beans and Co. are healthy and delicious. Especially in winter, when there is not much to harvest in the field, in the garden or on the balcony, it is worthwhile to grow sprouts. How you can easily grow sprouts yourself and what healthy ingredients are in them, we explain here.
Ingredients of sprouts
Sprouts contain many vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids. As the seeds sprout, the nutrient content increases greatly. This is especially true for the following vitamins:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Niacin
- Vitamin E
The content of minerals also increases during germination. Especially this applies to:
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Iron
Sprouts contain high quality protein but few calories. The breakdown of complex carbohydrates to simple sugars during sprouting reduces the flatulence effect, especially legumes. The content of phytic acid, which reduces the absorption of some minerals, decreases.
Instructions: grow sprouts yourself in three steps.
Either use a special sprouting device or simply use a weck jar as a sprouting jar. Turn the jar upside down and tie it with a gauze cloth to allow the water to drip off.
- Soak most of the seeds overnight first and then add them to the sprouting jar. The seeds should not lie on top of each other here, so that they still have enough space to develop.
- At first, a dark place is favorable, but from the second day the seedlings should be exposed to light, but not direct sunlight.
- At room temperature of 21 ° C, the sprouts are ripe for harvesting after 2 to 5 days.
Proper care of the sprouts
Proper care is important to prevent bacterial and mold growth. This includes rinsing the sprouts two to three times a day on a sieve or in the sprouter with lukewarm water.
Be sure to blanch sprouts of soybeans, peas and chickpeas before eating. Blanching completely breaks down the hemagglutinins they contain. Hemagglutinin is a protein in the membrane envelope and causes red blood cells to clump together.
Blanching in boiling water for about three minutes also renders harmless enzymes in legumes that inactivate protein-splitting digestive enzymes.
Which seeds are suitable for sprouts?
The following seeds are good for sprouting:
- Barley
- Wheat
- Rye
- Corn
- Oats
- Flax
- Buckwheat
- Sesame
- Lentils
- Peas
- Chickpeas
- Soybeans
- Adzuki beans
- Fenugreek
- Alfalfa (alfalfa)
- Mung beans
- Radish
- Mustard
- Sunflower seeds
Sprouts can be used in many ways, for example, in salads, in cereals, on bread, as a filling, sprinkled over soups, in cottage cheese and dips.
Tips for storage and consumption.
Storage of sprouts should be airtight, for example in a glass jar or plastic bag, in the refrigerator for no more than two days.
In hot dishes, you should add the sprouts only at the end, so that the vitamins are largely preserved.
