How to Preserve Bean Sprouts
Bean sprouts, usually grown from mung or soy beans, are filled with vitamins and low in carbohydrates. Bean sprouts are tender and delicate, though, and don't have a long shelf life. The following are suggestions for prolonging their usable lives and for having bean sprouts on hand when you need them. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Wash bean sprouts after purchasing or growing. Wash them in cold water to remove seed coats, roots and other residue that may be present. If you are using them within a day, store them in the refrigerator at 40 to 45 degrees. Place the sprouts in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel to keep them moist.
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You can also store sprouts in a bucket of icy water and change the water a few times a day. Depending on how long the sprouts were in transit or on the store shelf, they should last longer than when stored in a plastic bag.
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Freeze sprouts for the longest storage. Wash sprouts as described in Step One. Then heat one layer at a time in steam for three minutes. Cool right away in icy water and drain. Put the sprouts into plastic containers and seal.
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Grow your own sprouts to ensure that you will always have fresh bean sprouts to use. Buy mung beans, and add 3 tbsp. of them to a quart mason jar half-full of water. Let the beans sit over night and then drain and rinse everyday. Use the sprouts starting when they are about 1 inch long (about four days) or let them grow longer in the jar. Cover the jar with a cloth if you prefer white sprouts. If the sprouts grow in light they will turn green.
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Tips & Warnings
Put a screen over your bean sprout storage or growing container to make draining and rinsing easier.
Bean hulls can be removed when rinsing before or during storage. They will usually detach by themselves, but if they do not they are not harmful to eat.
