Lentil Sprouts

A craze for making homemade sprouts started in the late 1970s. My friends and I began sprouting mung beans, alfalfa and radish seeds for sandwiches and sprinkling on salads. 

We'd purchase seeds at a health food store, soak them in a Mason jar of water, rinse and drain, then set in a window and repeat rinsing with fresh water several days until spouting, then stored them in the refrigerator. I refer to those days as my "Mother Earth Days" as I was in to many things homemade: sewing, growing a garden, even raising chickens.

I recently discovered regular soup lentils, which I always have on hand sprout in a similar way.  They're delicious on regular sandwiches or pocket bread sandwiches and sprinkled in salads.

I bought three, wide-mouth lids made for sprouting different size beans or seeds, similar to these. They screw on jars and have a screened top for easily adding water, turning over and draining.

Lentil Sprouts
1 quart jar with lid with holes for draining water or
a screen or mesh cloth to put over the top and secure with a rubber band
1/3 to 1/2 cup dried lentils
water

Place lentils in jar and cover with 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of water. Set over night and lentils will swell. Drain water, then add fresh cold water, shake to rinse beans, and drain.

Set on window ledge or counter and rinse and drain twice a day until seeds sprout, about 5 days.  Keep rinsing and draining until beans sprout and fill the jar, then refrigerate for use.

Use on sandwiches or sprinkled on salads.  Can also be added to stir fry dishes.

Sprouting seeds is a great project for kids or grand kids!  Health food stores carry various sprouting seeds, and now days they be purchased online.  Makes one quart.

Cost of 1/3 cup of  dried lentil about .30 cents or less.

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