Growing your own bean spouts is surprisingly easy to do. All you need is a couple of jam jars to make loads of healthy, nutritious bean sprouts to add to salads and stir fries. Mung bean & lentil sprouts can be done together in the same jar and take about 3 or 4 days depending on the warmth of the kitchen. Alfalfa takes a day or two longer so is best grown in its own jar.
1. Add a couple of tablespoons each of mung beans and green or puy lentils to a large jam jar and cover with water. Do the same with alfalfa seeds in a separate jar.
2. Leave to soak, uncovered for 24 hours.
3. The next morning drain the seeds by holding a sieve over the top of the jars and turning upside down. Rinse several times until the water clears and then after draining thoroughly leave the jars to rest until the evening. Fill with water again, rinse and drain again and leave until the following morning.
Repeat the rinsing process twice daily until the seeds have sprouted, then store in the fridge, either in the open jar or transfer to a plastic box. They will keep for a few days but best used as fresh as possible.