How to Sprout Kidney Beans & Black Beans

Sprouts are full of vitamins and minerals and you can make this health food at home with easy-to-find household tools. There are some seeds, such as broccoli and alfalfa that make excellent sprouts. Kidney beans should not be sprouted because they contain the high levels of the toxin phytohemagglutinin. When kidney beans are eaten raw or sprouted they can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other adverse health reactions. For this reason, you should always cook kidney beans before eating them. Black beans will not yield as many sprouts as other seeds, but you can still enjoy sprouted black beans.

Things You'll Need

• Dry black beans
• Bowl
• Water
• Spoon
• Colander

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Instructions

• 1

  Add 1/2 cup of uncooked black beans to a bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups of cold water to the black beans. Use a spoon to stir the beans to help ensure they are all immersed in water.

• 2

  Soak the black beans for 8 to 12 hours before draining the water. Rinse the seeds with cold water to remove any residue. Drain the water thoroughly using a colander.

• 3

  Place the drained bowl of black beans in a location out of direct sunlight. The seeds should be kept at room temperature. To avoid contamination, you should cover the bowl.

• 4

  Rinse and drain the beans with cool water every 8 to 12 hours to eliminate the possibility of bacteria growth. You should begin to see sprouts within two to three days. Black beans do not yield a high percentage of sprouts. You will know your sprouts are ready when roughly 50 percent of the beans have a 1/4-inch sprout.

• 5

  Rinse the sprouts one last time and enjoy. You can add sprouts to soups, salads, sandwiches or just about any meal. Place all uneaten sprouts in your refrigerator and eat within seven to 10 days.