My (list here) didn't sprout - really raw???

[molliegirl]

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Just went to the health food store and bought:

quinoa
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds (hulled)
pepitas
flax seeds

All raw of course. Have soaked them all over 8 hrs, and so far nothing has sprouted. Should these all sprout? Especially the quinoa: does this mean these products aren't raw? I'm sure the answer will be different for all, but any info you have would be appreciated.

[TaupeRawMan]

Hi MG -

personally, I have had no problem with sprouting quinoa, sunflowers and flax. I have never been able to sprout pumpkin or sesame (brown). I have read that pumpkin are very difficult to sprout and that it is fine just to soak.

[saxmaam]

If all you've done is soak them, you just haven't finished the process. After the soak, you would rinse and drain 3 times a day. I've generally got good-sized sprouts in 3 days, give or take.

Most of the things on your list I have no experience with sprouting, though. Sunflower seeds, yes.

[NoGMO!]

approximate timing, consider the temperature and humidity in your sprouting environment.

quinoa - soak 2-4 hours /sprout 2-3 days
sesame seeds - soak 2-8 hours / sprout 1-2 days
sunflower seeds (hulled) - soak 2-8 hours / sprout 1-3 days
pepitas - soak 4-6 hours / 0-2 days
flax seeds - no soaking / sprout 0-5 days

get a sprout chart... Ann Wigmore, the Sproutman, Mark Braunstein all have good ones.

* btw, pumpkin/pepita and sesame; only expect 1/8" sprout - don't over sprout sesame or it will taste bad.

[molliegirl]

Thanks guys... One last question though... If I leave damp seeds on my kitchen counter in this weather, even with the a/c on, they start smelling sour/ moldy. Should I sprout them in the fridge??

[acjazz28]

...get a sprout chart... Ann Wigmore, the Sproutman, Mark Braunstein all have good ones.


I have a sprout chart I found on the internet...hope it helps!

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll227/ambreec28/sprout-chart.jpg

[saxmaam]

Thanks guys... One last question though... If I leave damp seeds on my kitchen counter in this weather, even with the a/c on, they start smelling sour/ moldy. Should I sprout them in the fridge??

The frequent rinsing is supposed to prevent the mold, but when it's warm it seems like you need to rinse many times a day. That's impractical when one is at home, and impossible if one has to be gone all day for work. I've had some good success by putting GSE (grapefruit seed extract) in the rinse water.

I just looked GSE up on wikipedia, though, and maybe that's not such a good idea:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit_seed_extract

The fridge is worth a try.... but I imagine that I would forget to rinse them in that case.

[Conscious Midwife]

Quinoa sprouts for me in 2 days or less

I leave refridgerated on a plate with a very shallow amount of water.

I only soak my pumpkin seeds

[carolg]

Been hot here and sprouting in dark cool kitchen quinoa. Also separately a mix of alfalfa, radish, cabbage and some other seeds sold in one package. Looking great and would not refrigerate till the end. After seeing tails about 2 days later, let the sun hit the glass jar so that they sprouts can get more green going on their tails or maybe called leaves. I do have a wide mouth jar and a sprouting screens bought for this purpose only. Larger jar easier to see them grow with more room. I love big as best so half gallon jars or even quart are my smallest size.

Got mung beans and next to sprout. I don't love garban. Local sells sprouting seeds.

carolg

[LovingLife]

I've had flax seeds sprout in the fridge when I wasn't even trying to sprout them. I've just soaked them for an hour or something -- used what I needed, then refrigerated the rest. I'll have long white sprouts after a day or so. So yes, they sprout fine in the fridge.

[pinkkpanthur]

I'm brand new to sprouting, but it seems so cool!

Question: I tried to sprout some chickpeas last week and it worked, but they went bad really fast and they tasted funny. I originally soaked them for about 36 hours (which I read somewhere) and let them sit for three days after that before they started turning brown and I had to refridgerate them. But I got no green stuff, just white sprouts. And they taste really starchy and almost mildly spicy. Is that normal?

Thanks!

[pinkkpanthur]

Oh yeah and this might be a dumb question, but ... you are supposed to eat the bean as well as the sprout right?

[TaupeRawMan]

Hello pinkkpanthur -

when I have done them in the past, I have soaked for about 8 - 12 hours, rinsed, drain for a few hours, rinse, drain, rinse until the tails are as long as the sprouts. The beans will be a golden color, not brown. You eat the bean and sprout.