help with growing lentils

[JimmyandSalstarteditall]

hello i tired growing lentil sprouts for our chickens, and i haven't had any success. my lentils always get musky smelling and i end up throwing them away and never have sprouts. any advise for my debockle?

 

[rjohns39]

I've only sprouted wheat--but what kind of a setup are you using? Do you pre-soak and rinse before putting them in the sprouting tray?

 

[lazy gardener]

Where did you get them? What is the date on the package? If they came from a grocery store, they may be heat treated. Have you had success sprouting other seeds/grains? Can you tell us what your method is? I've had very good luck sprouting lentils from the grocer, but it's always iffy b/c they may have been heat treated. So, if I try a few and they don't sprout, I can always cook the rest and eat them!

 

[JimmyandSalstarteditall]

Thanks for the feed back! this was my first try at sprouting anything for the chicks. i got the lentils from wally world and the exp date isn't until 5/18. and i looked over the package and it didn't say anything about heat. what i was doing is putting them in a jar of water, rinsing twice a day, and letting them sit. then i let them sit in the jar with no water, (that was what i found online to do).and all i got was icky stuff lol oh and what do lentils taste like, i never tried them.oh and last question, where do you buy wheat to sprout? many tks again

 

[Nupe]

Go to your local feed store and pick up a #50 sack of feed wheat. Most places it will be less than $15. There's a little junk in there but for the price, they sprout fine. I've also sprouted sunflower seeds and winter peas with no problems.

 

[User395221]

What sort of lentils are they? Red, brown, green?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Lentils are delish. You can get those and wheat at a health food type store that sells in bulk. Chickens love cooked wheat berries.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

After you've soaked the lentils, and then rinse them every day, do you leave the jar upside down for an hour or two to let the water completely drain? There can't be any standing water or they will rot.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for the feed back! this was my first try at sprouting anything for the chicks. i got the lentils from wally world and the exp date isn't until 5/18. and i looked over the package and it didn't say anything about heat. what i was doing is putting them in a jar of water, rinsing twice a day, and letting them sit. then i let them sit in the jar with no water, (that was what i found online to do).and all i got was icky stuff lol oh and what do lentils taste like, i never tried them.oh and last question, where do you buy wheat to sprout? many tks again

After you've soaked the lentils, and then rinse them every day, do you leave the jar upside down for an hour or two to let the water completely drain? There can't be any standing water or they will rot.

What HOAJB said. I wouldn't soak them any more than 4 hours, or over night at the very most. Then, you drain and rinse them several times/day. Never leave them in any standing water. If you got NO SPROUTS, I assume they were heat treated. The packaging will not indicate HT. sprouted lentils are yummy. They have a bit of a nutty flavor. I like to eat them when they are just barely sprouted. If the stems grow, they get tough.