Consider the kitchen as one of the most precious places. Every individual learns the art of leading a healthy lifestyle from the kitchen! Food remains the fundamental needs of human beings. Gardening and kitchen go hand in hand by exploring many innovations, teaching us life skills. Homegrown food is always considered to be hygienic and healthy. Lots of innovations and experiments are done on the food that we cook. Everyone would like to have value-added nutrition in their food. Considering the bean sprouts as one of the most nutritious food that can be effectively grown at home.
Introduction
Everyone wishes to lead a happy and healthy life. To have good health, the intake of a balanced diet is essential. Consuming a wide range of different foods will give all the essential nutrients and micronutrients that the body needs. A balanced diet can include protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fibers, fat, etc. Therefore, it depends upon us what we eat, how we eat, and why we eat!
Nowadays, a health-conscious person prefers to have sprouts or bean sprouts in their diet. Bean sprouts are a good source of energy boosters.
What is the Difference Between Sprouts and Bean Sprouts?
- Sprouts are the germinated seeds which are also known as pre-mature plants.
- Bean sprouts are the next version of seed germination where tender, edible shoots protrude on the 4th or 5th day after the germination.
- Bean sprouts are indeed popular nowadays, that, we can find them garnished in most of the healthy foods in restaurants. These sprouts add flavor, texture, color, and enhance the nutritive value of the food. For the beginners who always focus on taste, they may not find this healthy food highly interesting but a health-conscious person would prefer to have such food in the diet.
Materials Needed to Start the Bean Sprouts
Three important materials required are:
- Healthy organic seeds,
- Plastic or glass or earthen or steel container, and
- Water.
How to Prepare Bean Sprouts?
Here is a brief step-by-step procedure how bean sprouts can be grown at home using a simple technique.
Choosing a healthy and organic seed always results in healthy germination. So, seed selection plays a very important role in growing bean sprouts at home.
- Take two to three spoons of good quality organic seeds.
- Wash the seeds and soak it overnight in an earthen vessel, plastic container, glass container or steel vessel.
- Drain the water completely in the next morning. Wash the rinsed seeds gently and drain again. Once the seeds are cleaned, cover the container by a piece of cotton cloth or lid and keep it in a dark room.
- Keep spraying water every day for about 2 to 3 times in a day to moisten the seeds.
- On the second day, you will see the emergence of sprouts. Continue the same process of watering gently and cleaning the sprouted seeds for subsequent two days.
- On the 3rd or 4th day, we can observe a lengthy sprout on each seed and now at this stage open the lid and expose the container to sunlight.
- On the 5th day, we can see tender leaves emerging out from the seeds which develop chlorophyll and carotenes in the following 12-24 hours. This is the right stage for harvesting the bean sprouts.
Note: If we proceed with the process to the next day or further, these germinated seeds can be called as the micro-greens.
Microgreens preparation at home by Samanvi Bhat and Shreerama K.S.
Points to Remember:
- Always choose healthy and good quality seeds.
- Don’t forget to rinse 2-3 times a day, every day till the final stage.
- Clean the seeds properly by pouring fresh water on the sprouts.
- Don’t add too much of water; Drain it at the same time keeping the seeds moist.
- Don’t add plenty of seeds. Make sure that the seeds are spread properly to maintain the spaces which in turn allows them to remain live.
“The kitchen is the instant painkiller.”
-Sneha Bhat
Conclusion
Yes, the kitchen is a treasure trove where it provides all the essentials stuffs to keep our body fit and healthy. It is we who have to decide how to keep good health by consuming healthy food. The better version of sprouts is nothing but the bean sprouts. If preparing such healthy food is damn easy then why can’t we try implementing it at home?
Sneha Bhat
snehagb@gmail.com
Really liked the article, very useful information Madam
It was a very informative article sneha…..even i never known the difference between sprouts and bean sprouts….a step by step instruction on germinating seeds…i am sure that reading your articles, everyone will get the confidence to try it in home…..keep on writing…..all the best dear….
Thank you Mrs. Cijini madam for your positive inputs… Yes,its very simple so that everyone can make an effort to try at home and enrich their food.
Very elaborately described article on bean sprouts with complete information and an easy method to grow.
Thank you Ms. Ashwini Kini for your valuable comment.