We still haven’t figured out the best uses for sprouted grains, but that hasn’t stopped us from sprouting them. According the internet, there are nutritional changes in the grain upon germination that are good for us peeps. Sprouted grains and beans are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, enzymes and phytochemicals. Of 
course, we can’t vouch for any of this, but it makes a certain amount of sense that a germinating seed is full of - and has unleashed - the energy that the plant will use to grow, flower, seed and die.
In culinary terms, the sprout has been relegated to that unwelcome wholesome flavor on cafe sandwiches. But our friend Jess once brought a pile of mung bean sprouts to a potluck and sauteed them in sesame oil and garlic. She served them to us warm. That was the revelation that led us to sprout. That, and the many, many pounds of grains that took over kitchen early this year. (An aside: Wheatgrass juice is simply sprouted wheatberries, just like the ones shown here, juiced. Another aside: Malted barley, the very heart of whiskey and many beers, is sprouted barley that is then kiln dried, a process which allows the yeast to access the proteins better. Cool, huh?)
It could not be easier. All you need is a jar, a rubberband and cheesecloth or something like it. A scrap of a rag will do.
- Soak the grains/beans overnight
- Rinse
- Put them in a jar
- Cover the jar with the cheesecloth/cheesecloth substitute
- Turn upside down in a bowl, so that it’s not directly perpendicular, but at a slight angle, so that the water can drain.
- Rinse twice daily (Just inside the jar. Simply fill the jar with water - through the cheesecloth - and drain.
- Soon, you’ll see sprouts. Let them grow or don’t. You can eat them as brand new sprouts or let them get taller and greener
- If you want a nice green sprout, keep them in very indirect sunlight during the sprouting and intial growth. Put them in direct sun for the last bit.
Oh, and please let us know if you have any good ideas for how to use sprouts.
I made this recipe from 101 cookbooks with sprouted wheatberries (still cooked, but for about a quarter the time since the sprouting took care of most of it), and with Liberte yogurt and whatever fruits/ nuts I have on hand, it is absolutely delicious, with none of that wholesome taste (while still being so). Tasty way to wake up, that’s for sure.
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/wheat-berry-breakfast-bowl-recipe.html
I too have been sprout obsessed this winter. I think that it has something to do with the sudden appearance of wheatberry in my CSA box, and then the amazing Baer’s Beans at Sherman
Anyway, I’ve been baking a lot of wheatberry bread and I am happy to pass along the recipe I’ve been basing mine off of, as found by our Jen, randomly surfing for things to do with the endless supply of sproutage: http://breadmakingblog.breadexperience.com/2009/02/sprouted-wheat-bread.html
I cannot recommend the red spring wheat flour that is at Sherman highly enough, too. It is fantastically fine.
Mwah! J
I have some sprouted bread rising away as I type. I sprouted chickpeas, lentils, barley and buckwheat all together in a big container. The Globe of all places has a recipe and it’s really great bread. I use quite a bit of ww bread flour with the sprouts.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/03/04/sprouted_bread/