Sprouting almonds

[mmmfood]

So I tried sprouting almonds. I don't have a sprouter or whatever they are so I just soaked them for about 15 hours, changing the water a few times. How do I know if this worked? They don't really look very different, I mean I expected little strings to start shooting out of them. They just look wet...any suggestions?

[shashibala]

You did it just right. You might notice a little bump right at the top of the almond, but you don't have to wait til they grow more. Once you have soaked them and they begin to germinate their nutritional value is greatly increased.
I've seen recommendations to soak them for 12 hours in one book.Alissa's book says soak for 24-48 hours and then keep them in the fridge in water. She also says change water daily and use within 5-6 days. Some people dehydrate them after soaking to make them crunchy again. I keep them in the fridge, but not in water so they're not so wet. Best Wishes!!!!:)

[mmmfood]

Yay..that is great. Is there any other nuts or seeds I can sprout without the sprouter?

[shashibala]

Oh yes!! I sprout using just glass mason jars with mesh lids to drain the water out through. I sprout sunflower seeds, just a little bit, like the almonds. For real sprouts, you know with the little sprout coming out of the seed, I like mung beans, lentils, alfalfa seeds, and for a spicy flavor, radish seeds. The method is almost always the same. You soak to wake the seeds up, then you rinse at least twice a day. You just do that until the sprouts are as grown up as you want them to be. The variable is how long to soak each seed and how long to sprout. If you use jars, keep them tilted on an angle between rinsings so they can drain. For specifics you can search this forum, the info is in Alissa's book, too. A good web site is www.sproutpeople.com. They sell sprouting stuff, but also have tons of info about how to sprout. You don't need expensive equipment unless you want it! There are so many things to sprout, many I haven't tried yet.
Good luck with your mini sprout gardens!:) :) :)

A few guidelines, you might have to experiment to see what is best where you live:
lentils soak about 8 hours, sprout 3 days
alfalfa seeds soak about 5 hours, sprout 4-5 days
sunflower seeds soak about 6 hours, sprout 1 day
mung beans soak about 8 hours, sprout 4-5 days
Some people like to keep them in the dark while sprouting. I toss a dish towel over my jars. Don't forget to rinse.:rolleyes:

[kaybee]

also--are you sure your almonds are really raw? most are pasteurized now, unfortunately.

also i think half the point of sprouting is to remove enzyme inhibitors. you'll know this is happening when you notice the water theyre soaking in is reddish brownish

[mmmfood]

Thanks for the great info shashibala! I just have one question for this mason jar method. When you say you rinse them do you keep them in water again or do they just sit in the mason jar wet?

kaybee-- darn :(

[Morn]

Once you initially soak them, They just sit in the jar wet.

you can also sprout chick peas for hummus, buck wheat, oat groats, quinoa, etc.

There are also sprouting bags you can use, or Alissa just sprouts things right in bowls and covers them with a towel. You really don't need any fancy stuff to sprout!

Have fun!:D

[shashibala]

Yeah, what Morn said! I'm having a "soupie" made of water,lentil sprouts,sunflower sprouts, onion,celery, garlic, tomato, basil, salt and pepper, and a drop of olive oil, right now. It is an acquired taste, but I like it and it makes me feel really energized. It's kind of a soup, but cool and a bit smoother, so drink it in a cup and call it a "soupie". :D
(BTW, Morn, you are an inspiration to me!)

[kaybee]

you can get unpasteurized from alissa or direct from almond growers from other websites