I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white root
shoots.

I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.

On Apr 23, 6:16*am, "john martin" > wrote:
> I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white root
> shoots.
>
> I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
> at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
> health food shops in London for sprouting) * become safe to eat raw in a
> salad? *Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/heal...salmonella.htm

--Bryan, aka Bobo Bonobo http://www.TheBonobos.com

"john martin" > wrote in message
...
>I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white
>root shoots.
>
> I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
> at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
> health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
> salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.
How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does the
mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm puzzled
by the wording on the packet.
Janet

john martin > wrote:

> I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white root
> shoots.
>
> I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
> at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
> health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
> salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.

Mung beans sprouts are what are sold all over the place for use in
Chinese dishes. They *are* the common "bean sprouts" you see in the
Markets (at least here in the U.S.).

-sw

In article >,
"Janet Bostwick" > wrote:

> "john martin" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white
> >root shoots.
> >
> > I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
> > at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
> > health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
> > salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.
> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does the
> mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm puzzled
> by the wording on the packet.
> Janet

You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!

I've done it deliberately.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:16:03 +0100, "john martin"
> wrote:

>I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white root
>shoots.
>
>I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
>at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
>health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
>salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.
>
There was a nice thread on this topic on alt.binaries.food recently.
I'm sprouting mung beans as I write this. Into the 4th day now and
the sprouts are looking good. Sprouting in mason jar, covered with
cheese cloth, rinsed each AM and PM.

Go to :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-1V4vtV8Yo

For one of many videos on DIY bean sprouts.

BTW: They DO taste better than canned. Also, while
they are nice fresh (like on a roast beef/horseradish/
sprouts/Ranch dressing on rye), most CHinese recipes
I have seen call for their being slightly cooked, which
mellows the flavor. Blanch or stirfry.

HTH

Alex

In article >,
"john martin" > wrote:

> I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white root
> shoots.
>
> I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
> at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
> health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
> salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.

You mentioned "London", so this makes me think of red kidney bean
poisoning. This has only been reported in the UK. Since it is not
fatal, usually does not require major medical treatment and only lasts a
few hours; it is suspected that it occurs anywhere red kidney beans are
eaten, but just doesn't get reported as that:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap43.html

It is caused by raw or undercooked beans, especially red kidney. It is
suggested that the toxicity is ten times higher when beans are heated to
80C. Boiling them destroys almost all of the toxin. Thus the warnings
about cooking beans in a crock pot.

As Om suggested, if the root shoots are small, you can just cook these
beans. I've eaten vegetarian chili that had a mix of beans, one
sprouted.

"Bean sprouts" are made from mung beans, so they should be fine raw, but
I have no idea when they become safe.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Dan Abel > wrote:

>You mentioned "London", so this makes me think of red kidney bean
>poisoning. This has only been reported in the UK.

Really? That seems hard to believe.

Steve

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Dan Abel > wrote:
>
> >You mentioned "London", so this makes me think of red kidney bean
> >poisoning. This has only been reported in the UK.
>
> Really? That seems hard to believe.

Did you read the cite and what I wrote (which was mostly paraphrased
from the cite)? I really know almost nothing about this. It came up on
this group once before and I poked around a little bit.

You are perfectly welcome to argue this with the US FDA (Food and Drug
Administration). Google gave me 42,400 hits for "kidney bean
poisoning", so it wouldn't be hard to check this out yourself.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
snip
..
>> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does
>> the
>> mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm
>> puzzled
>> by the wording on the packet.
>> Janet
>
> You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
>
> I've done it deliberately.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it like a
Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean packets or only
mung? I've never considered the issue of sprouted beans being harmful.
Janet

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> news
>> In article >,
>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> snip
> .
>>> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does
>>> the
>>> mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm
>>> puzzled
>>> by the wording on the packet.
>>> Janet
>> You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
>>
>> I've done it deliberately.
>> --
>> Peace! Om
>>
> I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it like a
> Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean packets or only
> mung? I've never considered the issue of sprouted beans being harmful.
> Janet
>
>
I am thinking this is a cover your you-know-what type warning
because of the past association of (other) sprouts with salmonella.

--
Jean B.

Jean wrote on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:06:23 -0400:

> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> "Omelet" > wrote in message
>> news
>>> In article >,
>>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>> snip
>> .
>>>> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans?
>>>> What does the mung bean packet say specifically about
>>>> eating the 'raw' beans. I'm puzzled by the wording on the packet.
>>>> Janet
>>> You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
>>>
>>> I've done it deliberately.
>>> --
>>> Peace! Om
>>>
>> I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it
>> like a Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean
>> packets or only mung? I've never considered the
>> issue of sprouted beans being harmful. Janet
> I am thinking this is a cover your you-know-what type warning because
> of the past association of (other) sprouts with
> salmonella.

The danger of salmonella growing on sprouted beans is very real.
However, if you want to eat them essentially raw you can blanch them
without cooking by throwing the sprouts into boiling water, removing the
sprouts as soon as the water boils and cooling in cold or ice water. As
has been pointed out on this ng, that might not work for the much
thinner sprouts like alfalfa.

Of course, mung beans and other lentils, even if sprouting, should be
safe enough if thoroughly cooked like in Indian dal dishes. There's
nothing poisonous about the sprouts, unlike potatoes.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article > ,
"Janet Bostwick" > wrote:

> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> news
> > In article >,
> > "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> snip
> .
> >> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does
> >> the
> >> mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm
> >> puzzled
> >> by the wording on the packet.
> >> Janet
> >
> > You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
> >
> > I've done it deliberately.
> > --
> > Peace! Om
> >
> I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it like a
> Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean packets or only
> mung? I've never considered the issue of sprouted beans being harmful.
> Janet

I've no idea, but I've also no idea how one would go about eating raw
dried beans. <g> I've eaten them off the vine as a fresh bean while
they were still green, (they are better steamed) but that's about it.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Jean wrote on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:06:23 -0400:
>
> > Janet Bostwick wrote:
> >> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> >> news > >>> In article >,
> >>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> >> snip
> >> .
> >>>> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans?
> >>>> What does the mung bean packet say specifically about
> >>>> eating the 'raw' beans. I'm puzzled by the wording on the packet.
> >>>> Janet
> >>> You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
> >>>
> >>> I've done it deliberately.
> >>> --
> >>> Peace! Om
> >>>
> >> I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it
> >> like a Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean
> >> packets or only mung? I've never considered the
> >> issue of sprouted beans being harmful. Janet
> > I am thinking this is a cover your you-know-what type warning because
> > of the past association of (other) sprouts with
> > salmonella.
>
> The danger of salmonella growing on sprouted beans is very real.
> However, if you want to eat them essentially raw you can blanch them
> without cooking by throwing the sprouts into boiling water, removing the
> sprouts as soon as the water boils and cooling in cold or ice water. As
> has been pointed out on this ng, that might not work for the much
> thinner sprouts like alfalfa.
>
> Of course, mung beans and other lentils, even if sprouting, should be
> safe enough if thoroughly cooked like in Indian dal dishes. There's
> nothing poisonous about the sprouts, unlike potatoes.

I like to add bean sprouts to stir fries at the last minute. They add a
nice crunch.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

In article >,
Omelet > wrote:

> In article > ,
> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>
> > "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > news
> > > In article >,
> > > "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> > snip
> > .
> > >> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans? What does
> > >> the
> > >> mung bean packet say specifically about eating the 'raw' beans. I'm
> > >> puzzled
> > >> by the wording on the packet.
> > >> Janet
> > >
> > > You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!

> > I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it like a
> > Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean packets or only
> > mung? I've never considered the issue of sprouted beans being harmful.

I don't believe it's the sprouted beans. The warning is for undercooked
dried beans.

> I've no idea, but I've also no idea how one would go about eating raw
> dried beans. <g> I've eaten them off the vine as a fresh bean while
> they were still green, (they are better steamed) but that's about it.

The toxin is called:

Phytohaemagglutnin (Kidney Bean Lectin)

and it is destroyed by heat.

Here's a slightly different cite:

http://www.foodreference.com/html/ar...poisoning.html

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
snip
> I like to add bean sprouts to stir fries at the last minute. They add a
> nice crunch.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
That's my favorite place for the mung sprouts too.
Janet

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
>> In article > ,
>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:

snipped>> > I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is
it like a
>> > Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean packets or
>> > only
>> > mung? I've never considered the issue of sprouted beans being harmful.
>
> I don't believe it's the sprouted beans. The warning is for undercooked
> dried beans.
>
snip
> Here's a slightly different cite:
>
> http://www.foodreference.com/html/ar...poisoning.html
>
> --
> Dan Abel
> Petaluma, California USA
>
Thanks for that. That clarifies the bean part of the issue. I suppose if
you are constantly rinsing the beans while sprouting them, the toxin will
wash away? But what about the little beans that remain attached to the
sprouts?
Janet

James Silverton wrote:
> Jean wrote on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:06:23 -0400:
>
>> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>> "Omelet" > wrote in message
>>> news >>>> In article >,
>>>> "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
>>> snip
>>> .
>>>>> How were you originally going to use the soaked mung beans?
>>>>> What does the mung bean packet say specifically about
>>>>> eating the 'raw' beans. I'm puzzled by the wording on the packet.
>>>>> Janet
>>>> You CAN cook sprouted beans you know!
>>>>
>>>> I've done it deliberately.
>>>> --
>>>> Peace! Om
>>>>
>>> I imagined you could, but am puzzled by the packet wording. Is it
>>> like a Surgeon's General warning that is posted on all dried bean
>>> packets or only mung? I've never considered the
>>> issue of sprouted beans being harmful. Janet
>> I am thinking this is a cover your you-know-what type warning because
>> of the past association of (other) sprouts with
>> salmonella.
>
> The danger of salmonella growing on sprouted beans is very real.
> However, if you want to eat them essentially raw you can blanch them
> without cooking by throwing the sprouts into boiling water, removing the
> sprouts as soon as the water boils and cooling in cold or ice water. As
> has been pointed out on this ng, that might not work for the much
> thinner sprouts like alfalfa.
>
> Of course, mung beans and other lentils, even if sprouting, should be
> safe enough if thoroughly cooked like in Indian dal dishes. There's
> nothing poisonous about the sprouts, unlike potatoes.
>
Oh, I didn't mean to downplay that realness. But I do think that
is why they say to cook the things. The sprouts are edible raw,
aside from that.

Actually, now I am wondering about all the raw sprouts one sees
piled next to Pahd Thai etc. One would think that restaurants
would not want to risk their customers coming down with
salmonella. (And it is quite obvious when the sprouts have been
blanched.)

--
Jean B.

"Chemiker" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:16:03 +0100, "john martin"
> > wrote:
>
>>I forgot some mung beans that I was soaking and they have put out white
>>root
>>shoots.
>>
>>I know that some people sprout pulses and beans to put in salad *raw*, but
>>at what point do mung beans (and others such as alfalfa- widely sold in
>>health food shops in London for sprouting) become safe to eat raw in a
>>salad? Since it says on all the packets not to eat raw.
>>
> There was a nice thread on this topic on alt.binaries.food recently.
> I'm sprouting mung beans as I write this. Into the 4th day now and
> the sprouts are looking good. Sprouting in mason jar, covered with
> cheese cloth, rinsed each AM and PM.
>
> Go to :
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-1V4vtV8Yo
>
> For one of many videos on DIY bean sprouts.
>
> BTW: They DO taste better than canned. Also, while
> they are nice fresh (like on a roast beef/horseradish/
> sprouts/Ranch dressing on rye), most CHinese recipes
> I have seen call for their being slightly cooked, which
> mellows the flavor. Blanch or stirfry.
> HTH
> Alex

Many thanks to all. the above video makes the sprouting process seem
trouble free, but i've never seen those jars in london or the U.K. Do they
have a specific name for those lids or jars or does anyone know where i
could order some from?

I take the point about salmanella growing on sprouting beans. if i were to
blanch them how long should i put them in boiling water for? wouldnt that
take the 'crunch' out of the sprout? on the packet it simply says 'do not
eat raw'. as someone pointed out, with the sprouts i still have the little
mung bean attached there. so if i wanted them crunchy for salads i still
feel unsure about eating the raw mung bean....sigh

In article >,
"john martin" > wrote:

> Many thanks to all. the above video makes the sprouting process seem
> trouble free, but i've never seen those jars in london or the U.K. Do they
> have a specific name for those lids or jars or does anyone know where i
> could order some from?

Cut a piece of metal window screen that fits the top of the jar and
secure it with a canning ring.

Always worked for mom.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

john wrote on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:29:54 +0100:

>I take the point about salmanella growing on sprouting beans. if i were
>to blanch them how long should i put them in boiling water for?
>wouldnt that take the 'crunch' out of the sprout? on the packet it
>simply says 'do not

I think I have mentioned that I don't time the blanching of *bean*
sprouts. All I do is toss them into fully boiling water. When the water
boils again, I quickly drain the sprouts and put them into ice-water (or
at least cold). I'm not aware of any tests but the method should work
since salmonella grows on the surface.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> john wrote on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:29:54 +0100:
>
> >I take the point about salmanella growing on sprouting beans. if i were
> >to blanch them how long should i put them in boiling water for?
> >wouldnt that take the 'crunch' out of the sprout? on the packet it
> >simply says 'do not
>
> I think I have mentioned that I don't time the blanching of *bean*
> sprouts. All I do is toss them into fully boiling water. When the water
> boils again, I quickly drain the sprouts and put them into ice-water (or
> at least cold). I'm not aware of any tests but the method should work
> since salmonella grows on the surface.

You do this with commercial ones or just home made ones?

All this talk of sprouts set me a craving. :-)

I was at the Asian market last month and bought a bag of mung beans and
stuck them in the pantry. So, now I have a quart jar sitting on the
kitchen windowsill with a plastic sprouter lid I happened to have on
hand and 1/2 cup of well rinsed mung beans soaking in a widemouth quart
jar.

I'd planned to eat them raw with a bit of dressing, and/or rapid stir
fried.

I may start a second jar in 3 or 4 days, but I'll have to make a second
lid out of some metal window screen. I have canning rings and some
aluminum screen out in the storage shed.

I've never tried sprouting before, but mom did it a lot many moons ago.
If this batch of mung beans works out, I plan to try others such as
lentils, sunflower, alfalfa and radish, and maybe some pea. It'll add
some nice variety and nutrition to this low carb diet.

The more veggies, the merrier. <g>

Sunflower sprouts are to die for. I've purchased them in the past from
Sun Harvest.
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.

Omelet wrote on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:54:27 -0500:


> You do this with commercial ones or just home made ones?

Commercial sprouts only.

When my kids were at home, we grew our own mixed sprouts sometimes but
the general family vote was that it was too much trouble.

That brings back my own childhood memory of growing water cress and
mustard from seeds on a dampened cloth. They were good in salads.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Omelet wrote on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:54:27 -0500:
>
>
> > You do this with commercial ones or just home made ones?
>
> Commercial sprouts only.
>
> When my kids were at home, we grew our own mixed sprouts sometimes but
> the general family vote was that it was too much trouble.
>
> That brings back my own childhood memory of growing water cress and
> mustard from seeds on a dampened cloth. They were good in salads.

From what I've seen of the basic instructions, it seems like no trouble
at all...
--
Peace! Om

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
-- Anon.