Hi and a big salute to all mothers.
It takes so much of effort to set everything right and even more effort to get the feel of satisfaction that everything has been set right.
After I had shared the home made baby food of sprouted cereals on this baby blog, I had a feeling that something is left behind. I wanted to include the method of germination of the cereals too in that post. I had left it untouched because the post would go on never ending. So here is it. The process is without the sprout maker device. I never bought any sprout maker since I had learnt the art of sprouting the cereals with out it.
Basically, the process of germination is very simple. It involves soaking the cereal in water for a certain period of time, draining the water and storing the cereal in a closed container for another period of time for the sprouts to appear. The method of germinating for all the cereals I have done is the same; but the time period is different for each. That is the basic idea.
I have tried sprouting only 3 of the cereals; wheat, ragi and green gram. I usually push this work for weekends. Not that I have ample time during the weekends; but it is a belief in me that weekends are more of free time. So you would read further in terms of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
This is the easiest and can be done in a jiffy. Hassle free process when it the turn of green gram. I usually take about half a kilo of the quantity.
– The same night, I mean Friday, before retiring for the day, drain all the water out. Wash the green gram well and spread it in a wide container. This container has to be closed tightly. Leave it overnight.
There you are with the sprouted green gram. Expose it to sunlight for about 3 to 4 days. It is ready for storage now.
Ragi when soaked in water gives a weird smell which I do not like. Well, it goes off when dried under hot burning sun, so no worries. I take only half a kilo at a time for sprouting.
– On Friday night, wash the ragi and soak it in water for the entire night. Remember to take a big vessel and lots of water. (Because I never come out of bed on the midnight to check if the water is all absorbed or still there).
– Saturday night, drain all the water and spread the wet ragi in a wide container and close it tightly.
Dry the sprouted ragi under sunlight and store it in an air tight container.
Wheat is the messiest of all. I hate doing this. But I compromise for the sake of my baby. So weird!!!. When wheat is soaked in water, it gives a smell which feels like hell in the nostrils. And to add to it, wheat needs 32 hours of soaking (2 full days and 1 night).
– Begin the soaking on Friday morning. You will have to change the water by afternoon so that the smell does not prolong with the same water.
– By Friday night, drain the water. Wash the already soaked wheat to remove the weird smell due to soaking. And soak it again in fresh water. Remember, it is already night, so add enough water well above the level of wheat.
– Saturday night, put everything into a sieve and drain all the water. Wash the wheat thoroughly before spreading it on a wide container. Close the container and leave it over night.
Some sprouts get sticky and get attached to other wheat cereals. That is how it is. If you wait for some more time, you will be able to see longer sprouts. I do not prolong. Just finish it off by putting it in my terrace under the sunlight. Once dried, the smell goes off.
And this again became a very lengthy post. Hope it was helpful.
Hi doesn't Ragi sprout more than this as shown in ur pic?