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Growing Mung Bean Sprouts

Growing bean sprouts is not only an easy project that saves money, it also results in an abundance of fresh vegetables. With a few key materials and a little bit of time, you can grow mung bean sprouts in very little time.
Active Time20 minutes
Inactive Time5 days
Total Time5 days 20 minutes
Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Keyword: grow mung bean sprouts, growing bean sprouts, growing mung beans, how to grow bean sprouts
Yield: 1.5 lbs
Cost: $2

Equipment

  • colander, or any container with a drainage hole
  • large bowl to hold the colander
  • paper towel (or cheesecloth, gauze, etc.)
  • lid (or thick towel) to cover the bowl

Materials

  • dried mung beans or any other bean (ex: lentils, black beans, etc.) See Note 1

Instructions

  • Wash the beans once or twice, removing any bad beans. The amount of beans you will be sprouting should not fill more than a quarter of the container you will be using, as the mung beans increase in size dramatically.
  • Lay a lightly dampened paper towel (or cheesecloth) on top of a colander. You can also substitute any other container with holes at the bottom for drainage.
  • Pour the mung bean seeds on top of the towel and spread them out so that they lay evenly.
  • Rinse the seeds thoroughly with water. Let the excess water drain off and place the colander in a larger basin. Cover the colander with a towel or lid and store it in a dark area (ex: cupboard). Storing the beans in a dark place ensures that the beans do not turn green or bitter.
  • Water the seeds as described in the previous step at least twice a day. The beans should be watered in roughly 12-hour intervals (ex: once in the morning and once in the evening). In the beginning, do not shake or disturb the beans too much when watering so that they grow straight. Note 2
  • Repeat the watering process for a maximum of five days or just before the sprouts begin to grow leaves.
  • Rinse the bean sprouts thoroughly with water and let them dry completely. Add the mung bean sprouts in a plastic bag with some paper towels before storing them in the refrigerator. They should last for up to a week. After about a week, the bean sprouts will begin to wilt and turn brown.

Notes

  1. If you would like to use other bean varieties, you can stop growing the beans after 2-3 days.
  2. You can also place a flat plate and heavy object on top of the sprouts to help them grow even straighter. As long as the rinsing in the first few days is gentle and does not move the bean sprouts around too much, they should grow straight without any extra weight on top.