I have been experimenting with sprouts lately. Most recently I've been sprouting mung beans.
Last week I had a salad with a larger than usual portion of bean sprouts. I spent the next day with a delicious case of food poisoning. I don't have any proof that the sprouts were the cause but I have since read online that sprouts are prone to bacterial contamination and they were the only potentially risky thing I ate that day.
My process is simply:
- Rinse the beans,
- Place them in a mason jar with a mesh lid
- Cover with water,
- After one day drain the beans,
- Twice a day, rinse them with fresh water and allow to drain,
- Eat the sprouts after 3-7 days.
If bean sprouts do have an elevated risk of bacterial growth, how can I minimize that risk?
Best Answer
Some of my local supermarkets stopped selling sprouts because bacterial contamination was so widespread, but that's probably more of a problem for big batches. I'm thinking that the best things you can do at home to prevent unwanted bacterial growth might be:
I generally follow these rules when I'm sprouting and haven't had a problem.
As a relevant side note I believe the beans themselves contain their own endophytes, or native microbes that live inside, which is something to consider when sprouting. Not all bacteria/fungi are bad, and having more of the good ones there could prevent pesky pathogens (which reinforces my suggestion of using "good beans").