Did you know, you can sprout regular lentils and you can get mung beans and sprout those...both begin to sprout in about a day! They both are the good SURE deal in sprouting. I've had miserable results with all other kinds. I sprout about one cup at a time; you can also start new ones the next day, so that you can always have ready ones, as you rotate the newly sprouted young ones, while eating the older ones. Once they sprout them, you put them in the refrigerator to slow the rate of further sprouting. RINSING is key...to keep them clean, as all sprouts are subject to mold.
Rinse your lentils/mung beans 3X in a large bowl, smooshing them against the sides of the bowl with the back of a large spoon. and then dumping the rinse water out each time through an 8-inch large-mouth strainer BEFORE sprouting them. This gets rid of the mold because the grains were stored in large silos. Many people think they are allergic to nuts and seeds and grains when really it may only be the mold on the outsides.
Use clean (i.e. filtered water) for both soaking (and maybe even for the rinsing). Also, you could add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the soaking water for the last 10 minutes, which may help to sanitize the seeds and help prevent mold.
The key is to keep both the beans fully inundated with water for the first 24 hours, and then dump the water off and only rinse them morning and evening for the remainder of the soaking days. When their tails are as long as you'd like, one inch or less, begin eating them, and store the remainder in the fridge to stop the growth; no water needed from henceforth.
For lots of tips on moving toward a healthier eating lifestyle, see our downloadable e-Book, Turbo-charged Nutrition for Peak Performance Kids.
Blessings on your good-eating endeavors!
