Help! Sprouted chick peas from the store

[DrPr]

Someone brought me a container of sprouted garbanzo beans. Does this mean I do not have to soak them or anything before trying to make raw hummus, or should I be soaking them in water? They don't actually have sprouts on them, but are labled sprouted. Thanks!!!

[RowanC]

If they're sprouted, they've already been soaked, I assume.

[rawpriestess]

I agree with Rowan C, if they are sprouted, then they have been soaked.

[sport]

But if they are sprouted would they not look sprouted. I can not understand why it would be otherwise. You can not always trust labels. Maybe you could contact the distributer and ask. Are they soft or hard and is there any indication of the shelf life. I would think that if they are sprouted then it would be less than a week and if it is a long shelf life then you can assume that they are not.

[Shivananda]

It means they have been soaked (thereby removing natural sprout-inhibiting enzymes) and the sprouting process has begun... the internal chemical change that converts stored starches into sugars, etc....even if there is no more visible a sprout than just a tiny little "tail."

Garbonzas, in particular, are sold at such an early stage because they are already large, and because the sprouts grow rapidly, even in the refrigerator. So in order to have a viable shelf life of a few days in the store, they have to start out very, very new.

Besides, I think most people prefer to add the beans to their salads, or make hummus out of them before they get much of a tail on them. I know I do. I use other things, like sunflower and buckwheat, when I want crunchy green sprouts.