How to Grow Mung Bean Sprouts

Mung bean sprouts on rice

When people first begin learning to sprout seeds, mung beans are often their first foray into sprouting. Sprouted mung beans are used in Chinese cooking, on sandwiches and burgers, tossed in salads and added to soups and stews for added nutrition. Sprouting mung beans at home requires no special equipment and you can have fresh sprouts in as little as four to five days.

Things You'll Need

• Mung beans
• Tablespoon
• 1-quart glass jar
• 4" square of cheesecloth, double-layered
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Place two tbsp. of mung beans in a one-quart glass jar.

2. Fill the jar with water, place the double layer of cheesecloth over the mouth of the jar and secure in place with a rubber band. Allow the beans to soak in the water overnight.

3. Strain the water from the beans the following morning.

4. Set the jar on a countertop away from direct sunlight. Sunlight will cause the sprouts to green up as they grow and white sprouts are more desirable.

5. Rinse the sprouts every morning and evening, draining off the water after rinsing. To create straighter sprouts in the jar, roll the jar on the counter after rinsing to separate the sprouts as they grow. Set the jar on its side to allow for more growth.

6. Harvest the sprouts when they reach the desired size of between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 inches. This will take approximately 4 to 5 days.

7. Rinse the sprouts a final time to remove any loose seed coatings and store in a covered jar or plastic container in the refrigerator until needed. Sprouts will keep for about a week.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also sprout mung beans by placing them on wet paper towels on a plate. Cover with another layer of wet paper towels. Keep the paper towels wet until the seeds reach the desired length.

• Always use mung beans labeled for sprouting. These can be found at any health food store.

References

• University of Florida: Bean Sprouts --- Phaseolus aureus R. and Glycine max (L.) Merr.
• North Carolina State University: Bean Sprouts and Other Vegetable Seed Sprouts