Bean sprouts

Bean sprouts are typically made from mung beans.

Bean sprouts have a long history both as food and as a natural remedy. It is believed that they have been recognized in Chinese traditional medicine, in the cure of many health problems, for more than 5000 years.

In the 1700s when scurvy was a big problem for sailors who often stayed at sea for 2-3 years at a time. Captain James Cook then introduced Bean sprouts among other foods, like lemons, to fight scurvy.

As bean sprouts are very easy to grow, they neither need soil nor the sun, so they could be grown on the ships. So sailors started to eat freshly grown Bean sprouts, supplemented with fresh fruits. This is credited as the breakthrough to fight scurvy there have been one of the biggest problems at sea ever.

And over 5000 years ago bean sprouts were used in traditional Chinese medicine.

It is very easy to grow your own beans sprouts in a jar. First, choose the beans you like the most common is alfalfa and mung beans. But there is also many other options…

You only need some wide-mouthed jars. To close the top you need cheesecloth or mesh, and something to secure it with can be a rubber band.

First most important sanitize your jars, then wash and prepare the beans in a very clean area, if any bacteria goes into the jar they will grow together with the bean sprouts.

Because the beans will expand a lot when growing, never fill up more than a quarter of the jar. Cover the cover, the beans, with a few inches of water and secure the cheesecloth or mesh on top. Leave them to soak at room temperature.

After 8 to 12 hours drain the seeds and rinse them, then drain again. Then secure the cheesecloth or mesh on top again. Place the jar in a place out of the sun. It has to be upside down at an angle to allow air circulation and drainage and through the mesh. You can possibly place the jar in a big bowl.

Drain and rinse the seeds two to four times a day, make sure that they never dry out completely.

It generally takes from three to seven days, then you can harvest your homegrown Bean sprouts. Give the Bean sprouts a final rinse and leave them in a colander, until they are well drained. remember to remove un-sprouted seeds.

The nutrient fact, below, is based on 100 gram of sprouted mung beans.

Vitamins

Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 16
Thiamin mg 0.14
Riboflavin mg 0.18
Niacin mg 1.2
Vitamin B-6 mg 0.13
Folate, DFE µg 70
Vitamin B-12 µg 0
Vitamin A, RAE µg 2
Vitamin A, IU IU 31
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) µg 0
Vitamin D IU 0

Lipids

Fatty acids, total saturated g 0.039
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated g 0.056
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated g 0.068
Fatty acids, total trans g 0
Cholesterol mg 0

Proximates

Water g 84.3
Energy kcal 50
Protein g 4.3
Total lipid (fat) g 0.21
Carbohydrate, by difference g 10.59
Fiber, total dietary g 1.9

Minerals

Calcium, Ca mg 13
Iron, Fe mg 1.9
Magnesium, Mg mg 33
Phosphorus, P mg 79
Potassium, K mg 219
Sodium, Na mg 9
Zinc, Zn mg 0.9