"Moe DeLoughan" > wrote in message
...
> On 4/17/2013 11:50 AM, andy ston wrote:
>> Recently seeing someone sprout some mung beans in a jar at home, we
>> thought
>> we would have a go. But we have just seen printed on a Waitrose packet of
>> already sprouted beans, that they are not to be eaten raw.
>>
>> Yet we are told from other popular sources, that when raw they contain
>> the
>> most nutrients.
>>
>> As far as we understand it, most health problems are likely to come from
>> fields where fecal matter is used as fertilizer.
>>
>> We have found all the dried mung beans that we can see sold from
>> Supermarkets and Health food shops in our area in North London (U.K.) are
>> coming from China.
>>
>> Is there a period of time that if we kept the dried beans for, any
>> bacteria
>> such as e-coli and salmonella etc etc would not survive this dry
>> environment, and thus would be safe to sprout eat raw.
>>
>> If not, is there anything else we can to with the dried beans to eat raw
>> sprouts them safely? Thanks.
>
> ...The following steps are suggested for those who want to produce sprouts
> at home:
>
> 1. Buy certified (pathogen-free) seed* AND
>
> 2. Treat the seed by heating on the stovetop for five minutes in a
> solution of 3%
> hydrogen peroxide (available at most drug stores) preheated to 140°F
> (60°C).
> Use a clean, accurate cooking thermometer (preferably digital) to reach
> and
> maintain this temperature during treatment. Typically, the small seed
> volumes
> used for home sprouting can easily be contained in a small mesh strainer
> and
> immersed directly into the heated peroxide solution. Swirl the strainer at
> one minute intervals to achieve uniform treatment. For larger volumes,
> stir the seed occasionally during the heating process to ensure uniform
> temperature during treatment. Always discard the peroxide solution after
> each seed batch as its effectiveness will rapidly decline.
>
> 3. Rinse the seed in running tap water for 1 minute. In addition, we
> recommend
> that you place the rinsed seed in a container with enough tap water to
> cover
> the seed plus one inch. Then carefully skim off all floating seed, seed
> coat fragments, and other debris and dispose of them. Although skimming
> can be a
> tedious process, research has tied most contamination to these materials.
>
> 4. Sprout the seed in clean, sanitized containers, well away from areas of
> food
> preparation, pets, and high household traffic.
>
> To sanitize sprouting containers:
> Follow the directions on the bleach container (use plain, not scented
> laundry
> bleach) for sanitizing kitchen surfaces. Use 3/4 cup of bleach per gallon
> of water
> (3 tablespoons per quart) and soak the container for at least 5 minutes.
> Then
> rinse with clean water.
>
> 5. Follow precautions for consumption as below.
> If sprouts are made in the home and eaten raw, young children, elderly
> persons,
> or persons with weakened immune systems should NOT eat them.
>
>
> * Current sources include Burpee Seed Co. (http://www.burpee.com) and
> Sprout People (http://www.sproutpeople.com).
> If you are buying seed to sprout at home, make sure to specifically
> request pathogen-free certification, as the seed is not marketed as such.
> Certified organic sprout seed is available from several sources, but the
> term “organic” does not
> necessarily mean that the seed is pathogen-free or that it has been tested
> for pathogens. At the same time, this does not suggest that organically
> grown seed poses any elevated risk of illness.
>
> http://www.foodsafetysite.com/resour...lfaSprouts.pdf

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Moe thank you for your detailed response. You have certainly educated us all
on how to be 100% safe.

However I've since found out that most people who sprout, simply go ahead
without these precautions.

May I ask your personal opinion, if generally speaking someone is in
reasonable health; would you think it an acceptable risk just to keep the
dried beans in storage at home for several months and then just soak and
sprout. Or is this a risk you think not acceptable? Thanks.