Vital and full of valuable nutrients, sprouted seeds are a small treasure for the body. Including them in the diet is a good way to consume fresh vegetables and to be rewarded not only with its delicate flavor but also with its antioxidant and revitalizing power.
Sprouted seeds have been part of ancient culinary cultures around the world. But what happens during germination so that so much energy is concentrated in them?
The seeds, when soaked, double their volume, the shell softens and opens, and enzymes are activated thanks to water and oxygen.
A few days after keeping them in a humid and warm environment, the shoots rise towards the light in a process of intense metabolic work that transforms and increases nutrients that store the grains inside.
Properties of sprouts
These nutrients are what the plant needs to grow, but in the sprouts they are spectacularly activated, they are more available and easier to digest.
Carbohydrates are predigested by enzymeswhich transform them into more assimilable simple sugars. Fats are transformed into fatty acids and proteins are decomposed into simpler chains and, therefore, more usable.
Vitamins multiply equally and minerals become easier to assimilate. Besides chlorophyll is activatedwith high antioxidant power.
Health benefits of sprouts
Its health benefits are notable. Your regular consumption regenerates the intestinal flora and improves digestion. They are restorative, remineralizing and detoxifying, they stimulate the metabolism and pancreatic juices, strengthen the defenses and barely provide calories…
Its growth energy benefits us, especially during seasonal changes.
Also They are purifiers of the organism, enhancers of breast milk production and regulators of the endocrine system. In addition, they increase muscle tone, reduce bloating… and have proven rejuvenating effects.
Use of sprouts in cooking
Although it is not always easy to find a variety of sprouts on the market (mung bean sprouts, green soybeans and alfalfa sprouts are the most common), we can germinate a wide variety of seeds that will enrich our menus.
Most seeds can be germinated. including cereals and legumeswhich could be considered categories in themselves, with different soaking and growing times.
- Seeds: fenugreek, radish, beet, onion, leek, sunflower, pumpkin, mustard, sesame, watercress, alfalfa… Soaking must be gentle so that they do not mold and rot.
- Cereals: wheat, oats, buckwheat, barley, millet and rice. They need a little more soaking, except for oats.
- Legumes: lentils, mung beans, soybeans, chickpeas, beans… They are harder, so soaking has to be much longer. It is advisable to blanch them slightly after germination. Sprouts are easier to digest than dried.
They can be part of different dishes: salads, sandwiches, omelettes, vegetables, cereals…
We will avoid prolonged cooking so that they do not lose their qualities, adding the sprouts moments before serving them.
The best way to take advantage of the nutritional value of legumes is to eat them raw sprouted. But if we want to cook dried beans, They can be germinated slightly beforehand.: they will be more digestive and nutritious and they will cook more quickly.
A very original way to use spices is to take watercress, radish, mustard, onion or fenugreek sprouts. They will provide a delicious touch.
If we mix several types of sprouts, we will not only discover new flavors but also a new aesthetic, also complementing each other nutritionally.
We suggest mixing sprouts alfalfa with cabbage and lentil sprouts. Or offset the spicy flavor of radish, onion, leek or mustard by combining them with cereal or legume sprouts. Sprouted carrot combines very well with alfalfa, cabbage or mung beans.
Caution: Although most seeds can be consumed as is, people with sensitive stomachs can blanch the legume sprouts beforehand (1-2 minutes), given their antinutrient content that germination does not completely eliminate. For the same reason, seeds that do not germinate should be discarded.
It must be taken into account that nightshade seeds (tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato, etc.) are toxicand are not valid to germinate.
Germinate at home
- In jar: Put a small amount of seeds in the jar (a quarter of the jar) and cover it with 3 times its volume of water. It is stored in the dark at 15-20ºC and left to hydrate overnight.
The next day, remove the water, cover the jar with gauze or cloth and store it away from light.
Once a day, drain the water, strain it and cover it again and leave it in the dark.
In 4 or 5 days we will have the sprouts. When they are ready, we must put the jar in a place where sunlight reaches it so that the sprouts activate their chlorophyll and turn green.
To preserve them, it is best to put them in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator, with kitchen paper on the base or a thin cotton cloth that absorbs moisture. - In germinator: The seeds are placed in the lower saucer of the germinator covered with water.
The next day they are rinsed and placed on the next level, while the lower level is filled again with soaked seeds.
Once the sprouts begin to germinate, they are raised to the next level, which offers the sprouts ready for consumption.
7 types of sprouts: properties and how to prepare them
mung beans
Those of green soybeans are the sprouts richest in protein after yellow soybeans and very easy to digest.
They also provide vitamins A, C, and B (B1, B2 and B3), fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and copper.
These sprouts are easily prepared, as all you need is let the grains soak for 4 to 8 hours inside a boat. Afterwards, the water is removed and the boat is placed upside down and inclined. They are washed two or three times a day and in 3 or 4 days they are ready, although first you have to remove the skin. green with water.
Its crunchy texture is ideal in saladbut it is also exquisite cooked in soups and oriental dishes.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is one of the most complete sprouts, rich in amino acidssuch as tryptophan (essential for the brain to secrete serotonin) and lysine (synthesizes proteins and metabolizes carbohydrates and fatty acids).
His perfect ratio between calcium and phosphorus helps strengthen bones. It also contributes iron, phosphorus and sulfur as well as vitamins A and E.
If it is allowed to sprout with indirect light its vitamin C content increases; if it germinates in the dark is richer in B vitamins.
They germinate in seven days. Crispy and with a pleasant licorice flavorare suitable for salads, sandwiches, omelette…
Onion
Onion sprouts have the same virtues as this one: they constitute a ideal ally against infections and strengthens the lungs. They are also rich in vitamin C and zinc.
To germinate the seeds, a germinator or a glass jar is used. In this last case you have to put some seeds covered with 3 times their volume of water. It is stored at 20 ºC, the water is removed and it is left well covered with gauze, in the darkrinsing the seeds 2 or 3 times a day.
Very tender and fresh spicy flavorthese sprouts enrich the salads and the vegetable fillings.
Lentils
Very pleasant flavor, they have large energetic and nutritional properties. When the lentil grain germinates, the starch is broken down into sugars, while the proteins are predigested and, therefore, more assimilable.
The enzymes are still alive, the vitamins proliferate and the minerals They maintain their organic state, so they assimilate better. Low in fat and rich in fiber, they provide iron, zinc, manganese, copper, vitamins C and B1.
They germinate in three days and they are very tasty carved in pâté or sauceor combined with any seasonal vegetables.
Wheat
It is the optimal way to eat whole grain wheat because starches and proteins are predigested and assimilated better.
At the beginning of its germination antioxidant vitamins C and E increase by 600%while phosphorus, magnesium and calcium that contains they triplestrengthening bone health. To a lesser extent, it also provides B complex vitamins, as well as potassium, iron and zinc.
Its flavor is sweet and pleasant. With them you can make breads and nutli or combine them with vegetableslike green beans or chard. They keep up to 8 days in the refrigerator.
Soy
white soybean seeds They are a very complete food rich in proteins of high biological value, but poorly digestible and tend to acidify the blood. With germination its assimilation improves significantly.
They are very rich in fiber, calcium, magnesium and iron as well as in vitamins A, C (multiplied by 7 with germination) and group Bespecially in B2, and B3.
The sprouts can be taken blanched or in soups, omelettes, in roasts and Asian dishes.
They take four days to germinate and It is best to eat them fresh.
Mustard
Belonging to the cruciferous family, like cabbages, their sulfur compounds (responsible for the spicy flavor) are the same ones that provide protection against the risk of suffering from degenerative diseases and cancer.
The portion should be small, as it provides a spicy flavorreminiscent of watercress, but more exciting and juicy. These sprouts are a real delight in salads, sandwiches, soups and in fittings. They require six days to germinate.