Gardening for Those with a Short Attention Span (a.k.a. Sprouting)

In my pantry, there is always an excess of dried beans, lentils, and peas. Maybe because they're basically free and I always intend to make things with them, but then forget that in order to use them they generally need to either soak overnight or simmer for a LONG time and remember this only when I'm trying to make supper. So much for planning ahead. Well, I decided to be proactive with my stash of dried lentils. I sprouted some. This is bound to be a new regular occurance in the Kelley home. And since I don't really have the brainspace for gardening that extends further than herbs and sprouts, this is perfect. In order to sprout lentils (or basically any other kind of seed, legume, or grain) you'll need just a few simple things:

1) lentils, etc.
2) a mason jar with ring
3) cheesecloth, a lid for the mason jar with little holes all over, or like me, a (new) knee-high nylon from the box that I keep by the dryer to catch lint coming from the hose. ( I know, it should pipe outside. It doesn't.)

Start with just a tablespoon or two of lentils (I used about 1Tb, for reference), pick out any cracked or deformed lentils and put them into your jar, cover with lukewarm water, place lid on jar, and soak overnight 8-12 hours. Rinse and drain through the cloth 2 times a day for the next 3 or so days until your sprouts are about an inch long (for lentils). Rinse again, and eat. Raw or cooked (preferably raw) these are great for you. Cheap. Simple. As nutrient rich as you can get. Fantastic. In the time it took me to write this, all of my sprouts have been eaten. By me, of course, because Corbin wasn't interested and John wasn't here. They taste like garden fresh peas, and they're very tender and crunchy. Mmmm.