Soft Wheat Berry Sprouts?? Ya Think??

[karenisraw]

I have never sprouted before and today I decided to take a deep breath and go for it. I went to whole foods and bought some soft wheat berrys and I also have some quinoa. Do you know if the soft wheat berrys are good sprouts and sprout well? Do you know how long it takes for them to sprout?

Also, I am soaking the wheatberries as we speak. After soaking them, I am not sure exctly what to do. Do I put them in a jar and add water and a cover?

Thank you much,

k :) :)

[karenisraw]

Anyone there??

[sport]

I sprouted Wheat Berries last week and made cookies and then dehydrated. They turned out to be rock hard and I have diffuculty eating them. I do not know what I did wrong. All my other sprouts turned out great.

[karenisraw]

Sport,

Do you think the cookies are hard because of the wheatberries? I plan on eating mine in salads.

Thank you for your reply.

k
:)

[exurb]

karen, quinoa is really easy, and it sprouts quickly so get it going (and you can eat it as early as tomorrow night). Some keys are to really really really rinse it first, it has a bitter coating that also protects the "fruit of the grain" from insects, etc., so you really have to wash that off. I do a soak and rinse, soak and rinse sort of deal at first, and warmish but under the critical temperature water. Then just rinse and they'll sprout tails within a day or so.

I haven't been crazy about sprouts from the wheat family, I grow wheatgrass, but really don't do much with the sprouted grain.

I sprout just about everything else, alfalfa, clover, radish, mustard, broccoli, arugula, wild arugula, fenugreek (a favorite), mung bean, adzuki bean, etc., etc.,. It's a great way to get fresh live organic food in the middle of winter. So maybe order yourself some other seeds if you're into it.

My preferred method is a mason jar with some screen under the ring lid. Rinse regularly and keep inverted at 45 degree angle in between.

In better weather I do pea shoots, barley grass, wheatgrass, and sunflower sprouts outside.

By far the most used "grainish" type sprouting thing for me is buckwheat, so I recommend you get your hands on some of that. (raw hulled buckwheat groats)

[karenisraw]

exurb,

Thank you for the lesson. I will refer to it often. I think I will start my quinoa tonight. I love sprouts in my "good stuff kibbles" veggie marinades.

k

[rawcanadagirl]

Quinoa great to sprout, because it's SOOOO fast! You will have sprouts before you know it. I use quinoa in tabouli - really delicious!

[karenisraw]

rawcanadagirl,

Oooooh! Tabouli sounds great. Yummy I think I will make that this week. I think sprouting will save me some money.

Thank you all,

k

:) :)

[sport]

Sport,

Do you think the cookies are hard because of the wheatberries? I plan on eating mine in salads.

Thank you for your reply.

k
:)

Absolutly. I can put them in my mouth and let the rest disolve and then swallow the wheat berries whole but there is no way I can crack thoese little buggers.
Quinoa is easy. Clover and alfalfa and brocoli are easy and are great for salads. Sunflower are easy to sprout but removing the black left over bits is tiresome.

[karenisraw]

Sport,

Thank you. I will certainly use this information.

k

[julesmoz]

[QUOTE=sport]Absolutly. I can put them in my mouth and let the rest disolve and then swallow the wheat berries whole but there is no way I can crack thoese little buggers.

I think you may have gotten hard winter wheat berries instead of the soft spring variety. Maybe the bulk food bin was mislabled. I've sprouted the soft ones and they're very soft and sweet! I loved 'em, though the gluten makes them chewy.

[karenisraw]

julsmoz,

I think you are right about sport's wheatberries being the hard ones. Mine specifically said on the label, "soft wheatberries". Mine just started to sprout and they are soft and chewy. I like them. They taste like cucumbers. I kid you not!

Thank you for your response.

K

[JinxieKat]

Soft wheatberries make great sprouts. Been sprouting them for years for my parrot's food. Quiona makes a great sprout too. You really only need to soak the Quiona over night then drain well and put in the fridge till you use it. Just like someone else said, rinse _very_ well. It also makes a great morning cereal with berries and honey. Hmmm...

Jinx

[karenisraw]

Thank you for all of your posts. I am happy to report that my soft wehatberry sprouts are now little young'uns. They are so cute. They taste like cucumbers.

k