How to Sprout Chickpeas (the easy way)
Discover how quick and easy it is to sprout chickpeas at home in 4 easy steps. Sprinkle them in salads, wraps, curries or make your own sprouted hummus.
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Equipment
- Wide mouthed mason jar
- Piece of cheesecloth and rubber band or a sprouting lid
- Strainer or sieve.
- Bowl.
Ingredients
- 100 g (½ cup) Raw dried chickpeas
- fresh cool water as needed
Instructions
- Soak.Add the chickpeas to a clean bowl and top them with a good couple of inches of cold water. As they are soaking up the water, they will expand, so using plenty of water is essential. Leave them out on the countertop to soak for 8-12 hours or overnight.
- Rinse and Drain. Rinse and drain them over the sink using fresh, running water using a sieve/strainer. You might give your chickpeas a little shake and a stir whilst you're there to help them aerate. Look them over and remove any that are split, damaged, discoloured or that have dark spots and discard those. Chickpeas can spoil relatively quickly, so it's important to rinse and drain them well every 8-12 hours (morning and evening), to help them stay fresh and clean. Gently throw off any excess water and leave them spread out in the sieve, placed over a bowl to catch the drips. This allows air to circulate underneath.
- Sprout. The sprouting process takes 2-4 days and needs only 2 minutes of your time each day until grown and ready to use. Leave away from direct sunlight to sprout, and cover them with a piece of kitchen paper to keep any little bugs away. Rinse and drain your sprouting chickpeas 2-3 times each day with cold water.
- Harvest. You can harvest your chickpea sprouts when they have germinated and the tails are just a few millimetres long, the width of the chickpea or more. Once sprouted, give your chickpeas one last thorough rinse and drain. Remove and discard any that are discoloured, that have dark spots or look odd to you.
Notes
Tip:
Their outer skins will softenand loosten while sprouting. You can discard those or not, and it's up to you. I prefer to leave mine as the jackets add texture, fibre and look earthy and pretty.Storing
Store in a lidded container in the fridge to keep fresh for up to 3 days. I like to give them a rinse and drain to refresh them before using.How to tell if they spoiled
If you suspect your chickpeas have gone bad, don't eat them. Instead, discard them straight away and clean the bowl and sieve/colander thoroughly before using them again. The telltale signs to tell if chickpeas have deteriorated and gone off are usually a strong sour or unpleasant smell. The chickpeas or the shoot may show signs of mould, they may have dark patches, and they may feel soft or soggy. The tails can appear darker and dull if spoiled. Healthy sprouts which will have a bright colour and crisp, crunchy feeling. See the Food Safety information at the bottom of the blog post for more details. Tried this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below