How to Sprout Dried Lentils and Beans & Why You Should

 I started sprouting dried lentils when we first heard about the new restrictions on grocery shopping due to the covid-19 pandemic. In this house, we go through quite a lot of fresh produce each week and I wasn't sure how often I would get out to pick up our most loved greens. I put some seeds in pots in hopes of growing some lettuce, herbs and spinach, despite the overcast winter weather we were having, but I was looking for something that would take less time. I did some research and voila! Sprouting dried lentils, beans and peas takes only 3 days! I tried numerous different kinds of died legumes, and came up with my three favorite to share with you. So here they are!

The top three for me were:

1. Green Lentils, delicious on salads, sandwiches, wraps and cooked in soups and stews.
2. Chickpeas, worked really well in my Olive Oil Hummus
3. White Pea Beans, delicious in my White Bean Soup

These are the ones shown in the photos here, but feel free to try any dried legumes you like, the process is the same for all.

The star of this test was most definitely green lentils. They sprout quickly and can be eaten right away on a salad or sandwich, or cooked into your favorite soup, stir fry, or stew. They can last 3-4 days in the fridge after the sprouting is complete and they are just so darn pretty.

How to sprout dried beans, peas and lentils:

1. Before you can begin the sprouting process you must soak your chosen dried legume. In the bottom of a 16 oz glass jar add 1/4 cup of dried beans, peas or lentils, add water filling the glass jar about 3/4 full. Cover with cheese cloth (or other thin breathable cloth) and secure with either a rubber band or, as shown in the photos, the cover rim without the lid inserted. Let sit in a window for as least 12-16 hours.
2.  When the soaking process if finished, strain the legumes and rinse before placing back in the glass jar and covering with cheesecloth again. Back in the window it goes to sit and soak up the suns rays. Repeat the rinsing process every 4-6 hours or so. This keeps them fresh!
3. After 3 days of sitting in the window with routine rinsing, the beans and/or lentils should have sprouted! Lentils can be rinsed again and placed in the fridge if not being use right away. Larger beans and peas will need to be boiled before consumption. Each legume is different as far as how much time they need to boil, but the idea is to boil them until they are no longer hard on the inside. These can now be used in your favorite dishes, or place in the fridge for 3-4 days! 

Day 1 (after soaking): Notice that they have nearly doubled in size.

Day 2: Tiny little sprouts appear.

Day 3: Look at those beauties!

Day 3: A closer look

As a test, I left the green lentils in the window a couple extra days (5 days in total) and they continued to grow, however; they needed to be eaten right away after the 5th day and did not store as well in the fridge, so keep this in mind when testing this out yourself.

Day 4 (lentils only):

Health Benefits

• Increased amounts of vitamins and minerals. By sprouting legumes you are not only growing them in size but also in nutritional value.
• High levels of iron and copper boost blood circulation
• High levels of vitamin C build up the immune system
• Great for digestion with high fibre. They also contain high content of living enzymes which help boost metabolism and break down food for assisted digestion. 
• Contains omega-3 fatty acids which reduces cholesterol and benefits heart health
• Sprouting of the legume breaks down sugars reducing intestinal gas
• Alkalizing to the body, reducing acidity.

The list goes on, but these are some major benefits to your health! I hope this was helpful for you!

If you would like to see more inspiration be sure to check out grace.and.jack on Instagram !