Simple Mung Bean Sprouting and Nutritional Value

[clawnz]

My preference is to only sprout one type of seed at a time.
With mixed seed diff types take diff time to germinate and this can lead to issues.
Mung Beans are very cheap and a 500g bag will make a huge amount of fresh sprouts.


Below is my simple set up. You do not need to buy fancy units.
The secret is to keep the seeds moist and not soaked, do not let them dry either.
I only ever use them fresh as that is when they at their best.

Below that are the Nutritional details I have collected. There are more details that can be found on line.

This is for a small amount of beans, which I will give them over about 4/5days.
Rinse and Soak 4/6hrs Drain. Place in the dark,with good air flow.
Seeds need to be fresh and not treated. Mine come from Human Bulk Store.

Day 1 Rinse and Drain Put in dark. You can start using them from now. I do not, I wait till they are like Day3 and use them as they grow.

Day 2 Rinse and Drain Put back in dark.



Day 3 Rinse and Drain Put back in dark.

Day 4 Rinse and Drain Put back in dark. As you can see close to 100% strike rate.

I like to use sprouts fresh.
Mold is a big danger and if you are in any doubt do not feed them for your birds.
Taste and smell will tell you when they are not right. If you want you can buy a bag of sprouts, taste them as a reference.

Now this is what is in the goodies.

Good points
Low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Low in sodium
Very high in dietary fiber
High in iron
Very high in manganese
High in magnesium
High in niacin
High in pantothenic acid
High in phosphorus
High in potassium
Very high in riboflavin
High in thiamin
High in vitamin B6
Very high in vitamin C

Bad points
Very high in sugar

Another site:

Vitimins A. B1. B6. B17. C.

Zinc. Minerals. Amino Acids. Protein. Phytochemicals.

There are a few other sites that list other trace elements.

And here is Roxy enjoying a few fresh sprouts.

 

[Aussie Ben]

Thanks for posting this process Clawnz. I haven't done much of this before, but now I feel comfortable to at least give it a go.

 

[Spiritbird]

It is not only good for our birds but we can eat them also. I do sprout in a jar with a mix I purchase at avain naturals on the web. They do well. Thanks for sharing your very informative sprouting process.

 

[Aussie Ben]

Sorry, I'm a noob at sprouting lol. I have a few questions.

When you put them in the dark ( I spose a cupboard will do?) do you need to cover them or anything? Or just let them sit open?

Also, How long would a batch last in the fridge after sprouting?

Do you need to use distiled water or is tap water fine? Our tap water is clean, but it is treated with chlorine and a few other chemicals, will this affect sprouting?

 

[Aussie Ben]

So I picked up some mung beans. I have rinsed and drained and put in a dark place. I just used ones in a sealed pack from the super market.

I found ones that are already sprouted, Is it okay to use those as well?

 

[Spiritbird]

AB I would not use the already sprouted beans. In the first soak I put a few drops of grapefruit seed extract to retard any growth of mold. I have said this before but I do not trust just any seed from a store I purchase at the Avain Naturals site on the internet. They have a seed mix for small birds and larger birds and I use them both. It is fun to do this and so good for our feathered family.

http://www.aviannaturals.com/sprouts.html In addition I believe any sprouted seeds should be organically grown for the safety of the bird.

 

[Mel]

I usually have covered SS containers scattered over my kitchen bench top, I sprout a few different ones but all in seperate containers. AB GSE is almost impossible to get here at the moment in liquid form but if you can get hold of it its fantastic stuff. I use filtered drinking water and until I find GSE I use water guard which you can get from pet stores.
I buy my beans from the health food store - you can get them unsprouted.

 

[DustyBZoo]

I have good luck with lentils as well. They sprout fast and last a long time in the fridge. I use mason jars with cheese cloth rubberbanded for the lid.