Beansprouts

i am sure all of us have experienced the frustration when beansprouts are needed as a condiment and the bag of beansprouts,bought from the supermarket, is discolored, broken and the roots are at least 1/2 inch long. I feel like i am doing prison duty taking the roots off and i needed my mom more than ever, cos she is one who will patiently do this duty for me. Having seen my friend sprouted a batch of perfect beansprouts, gave me the inspiration to give it a try. The first batch was a total failure and i learned alot from this failure. The second and third batch turned out fine and i am now sprouting my fourth batch so that i can cook curry noodles when the beansprouts are ready.




Ingredients:

1/4 cup mung beans
a square one gallon ice cream tub
a bag of pebbles about 3 - 5 lbs
a strainer
few layers of kitchen towel

Method:

Wash the beans thoroughly, and sort out any discolored or defective beans.

Place the beans in the tub, cover them with water, and let them soak overnight in a dark place.
Sprouting in light allows a green color to develop and most people prefer white sprouts.

The next morning, drain off the water using the strainer. Sort beans again, there will be immature beans that have not been soaked through.

Wet the kitchen towel and place on top of beans, then place the bag of pebbles on top. Cover the tub and place in a dark cabinet.

Each day rinse the beans and developing sprouts with lukewarm water, pouring off the excess water each time, rince once in the morning and then in the evening.

By the fourth day the sprouts should be at least 1 inch long .(the beansprouts can be eaten at this stage but i prefer them to be about 2 inches in length which will take another 3 - 4 days)

When the sprouts reach the desired stage of development, wash them in cold water to remove seed coats, fibrous roots, and other residue.

The sprouts are best eaten soon after washing, but can be stored for several days in the refrigerator at 40-45°F.

Serves