Sprouts gone bad?

[Jeannine]

I am trying to grow some mung bean sprouts. These seeds were a little old, not sure how old, though. However, I've been having a heck of a time getting these things to grow!

For one, they have taken FOREVER to sprout to the size they are now (I think a week) and they have tiny, tiny tails. I've been growing them in a sprout bag.

I looked at them carefully today and they have pinkish/brown spots on them. Kinda It's dry here in Colorado, so I'm wondering if its the bag, or because they are old, or if this is just how mung bean sprouts grow. Or, if they are bad and I need to toss them.

I have gotten food poisioning twice from bean sprouts, so I'm not in any mood to try them out... :o

Does anyone have any input or advice for me?

Thanks a bunch!

[juliebove]

I don't know the answer, but were you rinsing and drying them well several times each day?

[Jeannine]

I've been rinsing 2x a day. As for the drying, because they hang in the flax/hemp bag, they dry quite nicely. I bought the bag to decrease the risk of mold & fungus.

[Anastazia]

(Green words for this post instead of my usual purple, in honour of mung beans, which I just got a big organic bag of & can't wait to start sprouting again! :D )

These look exactly like all the ones I grow...the more you rinse them, the faster they seem to grow....also, putting them in the sun a little, once they've begun sprouting, is supposed to increase the chloraphil...
(I have no clue how to spell that! Phil, do you know??? )

They don't get much bigger, if you wait too long, they get slimy if they get too old...once they're ready, if you keep them in the fridge, they'll last longer...:)

...enjoy them! I'd eat 'em! (unless they're slimy!)The little spots just happen with mung beans sometimes....were they organic seeds?

Can't wait to see if the organic ones taste different!

~Anastazia~

[FloridaPatty]

If it's in the 50's or 60's they will take a long time to sprout.

[Livin'onLife]

I also live in Colorado and have had trouble with sprouts, though I haven't had trouble mung beans. I was rinsing my sprouts four times a day and keeping them in colanders, but they still seemed to go bad. I don't have near as much trouble in the winter as in the summer. I wonder if it has something to do with a lack of air conditioning?:rolleyes:

[Jeannine]

OK, Anastazia - I ate a few! And I'm still here to tell ya about it... ;) They are definitely NOT slimy, so if that's the litmus test then they have passed.

They taste just fine, even with the spots. I can't remember if they are organic or not, usually I don't buy organic sprouts, though.

Patty & Livin'- no, I keep my house warm, plus they are in a nice warm area of the house. I think Livin's on to something - it is really dry here and I bet that contributed to their slow growth.

Thanks for help! :)

[Arky]

Are you soaking them overnight before commencing the usual rinsing routine? Dried Mung and Aduki beans really take a while to rehydrate. I always completely immerse my dried beans for at least 10hrs, before placing them in my sprouter.


J.