Many of the activities on these pages may require adult supervision.
Be sure to tell a grown-up about what you're planning and ask for permission before getting started.

Fun to grow, good for you to eat.

How to Grow Them

Put about 1/4 inch of mung beans in the bottom of a quart canning jar that has a two-part cover consisting of
a flat lid and a gold metal ring. All you need is the jar and the ring. Put the flat lid aside. Cover the beans with
1 inch of lukewarm water. Cut a circular piece of net or gauze and lay it on the jar. Screw on the ring. Leave the jar overnight in a dark place.

Next morning you'll see that the beans soaked up the water and got bigger. Drain away any leftover water. Fill the jar with fresh water and then drain that off. Now let the beans sit some more. Twice a day, fill the jar with water and drain well. Do not refill with water. The beans will sprout faster in the dark but keeping them near the kitchen sink will help you remember them. In three or four days the sprouts will be about an inch long and ready to eat. They should be kept in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.

What to Do with Them

Eat them raw, if you like. They are very good for you. One-half cup of sprouted alfalfa seeds has as much Vitamin C as six glasses of orange juice! You can also sprinkle them on your breakfast cereal or in tossed salads.

To make sprout candy, chop them up with raisins and walnuts. Add a little honey to moisten the mixture. Shape into balls and roll in coconut, powdered nuts, or powdered sugar. Experiment. Any chopped dried fruit, such as apricots, dates, and prunes, will work.

Where to Get Them

You can buy beans for sprouting in health-food stores and Chinese markets and from garden catalogs. There are many kinds of beans that will sprout, but mung and alfalfa beans seem to be the best.

Note: For instructions on making a BEAN SPROUT JAR, please click here.

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