where can I find raw chickpeas?

[jennifuh]

I mean, I am assuming the canned are cooked...I want to make my own hummus etc...

excuse please if this is a somewhat stupid or silly question...never really ate much hummus or chickpeas before.... :p

[TP]

here: http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/garbanzo.html

so far this is the only place i've found for sproutables, and i have actually been holding off buying them, and using up the organic bagged ones I bought from my HFS, even though they don't seem to sprout (only a few do). I have found that just soaking them works fine for making hummus, although I am sure there is little to no nutrition in them.. i dont know if the fact of them not sprouting necessarily means they are cooked, or what..

[Shivananda]

Hi Jennifuh,

Raw chickpeas refers to dried organic chickpeas that are soaked and sprouted for use. I get mine from the bulk bins at a natural foods co-op or at WildOats. Here's a link to instructions on sprouting them, and if you will look around on that site they also have a recipe for raw hummus. They also have bulk sproutables available, and I do buy some of their other stuff, but for chickpeas I have never found it necessary.

http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/garbanzo.html

TP, maybe check your sprouting technique??... I know if you leave them covered in water too long they will drown.... they need air to sprout, after the first soak... I find this way works well with storebought.

[jaurequi]

If you're lucky you can find raw chickpeas (fresh, not sprouted from dried) in the refrigerated section of select markets. They are a lovely light green and superior (way) in flavor and texture (soft like cooked) to sprouted.
The ones I had were in a tub (like a margarine tub) in the fridge section.

Best,

[Shivananda]

The ones I had were in a tub (like a margarine tub) in the fridge section. You sure they wer not boiled? The ones I found like that were, as were the edamame. This is not the time of year I would expect fresh garbanzos to be available.

[jaurequi]

They weren't cooked; they were 100% raw, and it was not recently I had them. Edamame is a whole utter bean :)

[TP]

TP, maybe check your sprouting technique??... I know if you leave them covered in water too long they will drown.... they need air to sprout, after the first soak... I find this way works well with storebought.

You must be right. I have only tried sprouting them in a jar so far. I soak them overnight and then rinse and drain every 8 hours or so, but there can't be very much airflow in a jar of piled up beans. I need to go apprehend some material and make my own Shivananda Sprouter! It's been on my list of to do's since you first revealed your patent pending design! :)

[honeybee joy]

I was wondering if the chickpeas in the bulk section of HFS were uncooked and raw? I have used those before and most or close to all have sprouted. I just wonder if they have been cooked above 118 degrees.

I finally found some "sprouting" garbanzos at Wild Oats. It is weird though, they seem a darker color than the ones from the bulk bin.

These are the people who make the "sprouting garbanzos".

[cattzeye]

I am lucky, I have access to several good middle-eastern markets. They frequently have fresh garbanzos (chick-peas) still in the pods. The first time I tried them, I was amazed at how different they taste from the cooked, or even the dried sprouted ones. They are really good, although they do take a while to remove from the pods. Well worth it though!

If you have any ethnic markets where you live, go in and investigate. They often have lots of different fruits and veggies not usually sold in the mainstream stores, or even health food stores. And I have found them to be much less expensive, too.

Christine

[jaurequi]

catzeye, that's interesting! I've never seen them in the pod. What did the pod look like? I lived near a Middle Eastern market and never saw them; I did, however, enjoy fava beans straight from the pod. Delicious! :)

[cattzeye]

Hi Jaurequi,

The pods are kind of small and green, and only contain 1 or 2 beans. You could ask the produce people at your market if they have them.

I've never tried the fresh fava beans. I have seen them at the market, but just haven't gotten around to trying them yet. Are they good? I think they would be. I'm guessing they're probably green? The fresh chickpeas are kind of a light yellow color, and are a little crunchy.

Christine