How to Sprout Garbanzo Beans

How to Sprout Garbanzo Beans
Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are a popular food around the world, offering a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and proteins. However, the nutritional value of garbanzo beans goes through the roof when they sprout. Sprouted garbanzo beans are not only fun to grow, the taste delicious in dips, salads, sandwiches, mixed into soups and more.

½ to ¾ c. Dried garbanzo beans
Wide-mouthed glass jar
Sprouting lid or cloth to cover jar

1) Choose dried garbanzo beans that have been picked over to remove any pieces of rock and any deformed beans. While you can sprout any type of garbanzo bean, green channa, a miniature chickpea found in Indian food stores, is the fastest and most flavorful, but any variety will work.

2) Rinse beans very well and soak garbanzo in clean water overnight, for about 8 to 10 hours. After soaking rinse the garbanzo beans well and then drain all of the water possible from the beans. Place them into a wide-mouthed glass jar in a cool, semi-lit location. Use a clean, large-mouth quart jar and a lid with holes (a sprouting lid – or make your own using a canning jar ring with a nylon stocking, cheesecloth held in place with a rubber band, a piece of wire mesh or plastic canvas, available at fabric stores). Air circulation is crucial during the sprouting process.

3) Check the bean sprouts every 6 to 8 hours, rinsing, draining and returning them to the jar. Garbanzo bean sprouts are generally tender and ready after about 1½ days; however, you can leave them up to 2 full days for longer sprouts.

4) Finish the sprouting process by giving the garbanzo beans a final rinse, removing as much water as is possible so the sprouts are almost dry to the touch, and then placing them in the covered jar in the refrigerator. Eat your sprouts within about 1 week.

Notes: Not all of these seeds will sprout at the same time. They are close enough to mix together though. You don’t have to wait for all of them to actually pop a root (sprout) - it isn't necessary and it can cause some of your seeds to over-sprout, but it is your choice. Depending on your climate and the time of year you are sprouting and most importantly your personal preference - You may Rinse and Drain again at 8-12 hour intervals for up to 6 days. However - we prefer to sprout only to the point where most of the seeds have sprouted tiny (¼“) roots, which is typically after just 3 Rinse and Drain cycles. Just for fun, taste your crop at EVERY RINSE - including the very first - just after the soak period. The soaked seeds are already alive and though they may not be their most nutritious they are still very nutritious - they are already without enzyme inhibitors (a very good thing) so they'll digest themselves and nourish you. Grow them for as long as you like (as long as you continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours) and find out for yourself when they are most delicious! If you grow for a week you'll get some plants growing as well as roots. Experiment! Have Fun! It's All Good!