When I serve my homegrown sprouts, guests always gawk at me like I’m a farming genius.
But truly they are the easiest, fastest vegetable you can grow at home – even if you have no yard, no balcony, no window, even if you live in a shoe!
No excuses – let’s do it!
Step 1: Rummage in your pantry and find some legumes. The easiest options are mung beans (שעועית מש) or whole lentils (NOT red lentils, which are processed). Pour them in a container and let them soak in water overnight.
Warning: using an ice cream container risks cruelly raising the hopes of certain family members.
Step 2: Pour the soaked legumes into a colander or sieve or flour sifter and place in a convenient place near the kitchen sink. Rinse them over the sink with water 2-3 times a day. No need to be precise but more often is better. Place a plate underneath, to catch the water drips.
Step 3: By day 3, you will have sprouts. You can let them sit in the colander a few days more to get bigger, but once they’re sprouted they need to go into a dark place or they will turn green and taste bitter. I prefer to put them in a box in the fridge as soon as they’re sprouted. They actually continue to grow slowly in the fridge.
But I claim no credit for their miraculous transformation.
The ready sprouts are yum and ready for storage in the fridge.
Step 4: Eat them as a crunchy snack or add them to salads and stir fries.
* homegrown lettuce and green onions (farmed hydroponically)
* home fermented sauerkraut
* homegrown lentil sprouts
* dressed with homegrown lemon juice and olive oil from our harvest last October
Thank you Hashem for this salad!
Got Questions? Just ask in the comments below
My name is Naomi and this is my tiny little farm in the heart of the rapidly growing city of Beit Shemesh, Israel. I enjoy growing, making and processing as much of my family's food and household essentials as possible, while nurturing a biodiverse ecosystem filled with beauty and life.