How to Germinate & Sprout Nuts, Beans & Seeds

From The RAW 50 by Carol Alt

One of the reason raw foodists eat so many seeds, beans, and nuts is because they are not only versatile, but also veritable troves of nutrition. Valuable as they may be, Mother Nature has seen to it that they are tightly locked. Fortunately for us, releasing their enzyme inhibitors and freeing their nutrients is simply a matter of immersing them in water, which can be done by germinating or sprouting. Seeds and beans can be germinated, and given more time they can be sprouted. Nuts germinate, but most will not sprout.

Most raw foodists take germinating for granted - It is something they do routinely, and it is essentially a once and your done deal: you soak, walk away, then come back and after rinsing, you can now use what you soaked and what has germinating in your absence. Sprouting takes a little more time, but is still a fairly simple process.

Unless they state otherwise, the recipes in this book assume that you are germinating all seeds, beans, and nuts

Remeber to use only dried, raw, and preferably organic seeds, and nuts. Roasted, canned, jarred, or otherwise processed products (which, by definition, are cooked) will not germinate.

Germinating, Step by Step

To begin the germination process, rinse the beans, nuts, or seeds; place them in a glass bowl or jar with under an inch of purified water; and soak them at room temperature for the amount of time indicated (see separate post for germinating & sprouting times). Cover the glass jar or bowl with cheesecloth or a stocking to keep the bugs out.

After they have soaked for the appropriate amount of time, rinse and drain the germinated beans, nuts, or seeds with purified water a couple of times. They are now ready to eat or use in any recipe. They can also be dehydrated after germination for use in foods such as granola.

The one, two, three of sprouting

To turn germinated seeds or beans into sprouts

1. Put the germinated beans or seeds, such as chickpeas or almonds, in a sprouting container or bowl, making sure that they are well drained and well ventilated. Again, cover the container's open end with a fine mesh stocking or cheesecloth.
2. Set the sprouting container on your counter and allow the beans or seeds to sprout for the required time (see separate post for germinating & sprouting times).
3. Rinse the sprouted nuts or seeds with purified water a couple of times for good measure, and drain well.

You can either eat your sprouts right away or store them for up to 5 or 6 days - after that point they are likely to become bitter. Always store sprouts in an airtight (not vacuum-sealed) container in your refrigerator.