How to Grow Bean Sprouts at Home

Mung beans are little green olive coloured legumes popular in Southeast Asia and India. Used in both sweet and savoury dishes, this versatile legume has a subtle sweet flavour. 

Rich in protein, fibre, antioxidants and a host of other health benefits, mung beans can be easily sprouted and are most commonly known as bean sprouts. Crunchy and delicious in stirfry's, salads and noodle dishes such as Pad Thai or Pho, bean sprouts are so easy to grow at home. 

The problem with the store-bought variety is that they usually come packaged in plastic and typically only last a couple of days before becoming slimy and soft. Depending on the season, they can often be hard to find and pricey. I also find that the packets often contain more sprouts than I need.

Like any fresh foods that can be eaten raw, sprouts can carry a risk of foodborne illness if they are contaminated. It wasn't long ago that there was a health warning issued for bean sprouts due to the dangers of salmonella and E. coli. supplied by certain producers.

For fresh, crunchy sprouts that you can grow at home, follow the steps below. 

How to sprout mung beans easily at home

Salad spinner method

Prep

1. Rinse 1/4 or 1/2 cup of mung beans in a colander/strainer until water is clean, pick out any cracked/split or bad bean (throw the rinse water on your indoor/outdoor plants)
2. Place rinsed mung beans in the colander, close the salad spinner with the lid and soak for 24hrs

Day 1 - Morning

1. You should already see little sprouts appearing! Drain and rinse the mung beans thoroughly with clean water
2. Place a dampened piece of clean muslin or cloth at the bottom of the colander/strainer insert and place rinsed mung beans in a layer on top and fold the remainder muslin/cloth over the top of the mung beans
   
   Tip: For shorter, fatter sprouts, use a plate or bowl to weigh down the sprouts. The less space to grow, the thicker the sprouts. 
   
   
3. Cover the bowl
4. Store bowl somewhere dark such as a cupboard. The sprouts will become bitter of they come into contact with light

Day 1 - Evening

1. Fill the salad spinner bowl with fresh cold water to rinse the mung beans and lift out the strainer and discard the water (watering your plants in the process)
2. Place strainer back into the bowl and cover again. Place into a dark cupboard

Day 2 - Rinse and repeat twice a day, morning and night

Day 3 - Sprouts might be ready for eating, if not, rinse and repeat, morning and night

Day 4 - Should be ready to eat!

Tips

• Store the sprouts in an airtight container in the fridge. I prefer using a glass container
• Only sprout as much as you need, as they are best consumed within 2-3 days
• Blanche sprouts in boiling hot water for a few seconds if you are concerned about bacteria.

That's it! Super easy and affordable, no more soggy, slimy sprouts! Next time you fancy sprouts in your stirfry or Pad Thai, give this a go.