Oats are delicious in breakfast cereals, breads, any number of dishes. While oats are not often sprouted, it can be done. If you persevere, the results are well worth the effort--chewy, nutty, and delicious!
PREPARING TO SPROUT OATS
- Rolled oats, steel cut oats, or other cracked oats are not useful for sprouting. Only whole oat groats will sprout.
- Hulless whole oats are sometimes available, but they may not sprout well. Choose oat groats still in the hull for best results.
- Oats in the hull will sprout, but the hull is often difficult to remove, once sprouted.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPROUTING OATS
- Rinse ½ cup oats and remove any debris or stones.
- Place oats in a quart-size sprouting jar or other sprouting container.
- Fill with water, cover with a sprouting screen or mesh sprouting lid. Soak up to 6 hours.
- Drain all water off the oats.
- Invert the jar over a bowl at an angle so that the oats will drain and still allow air to circulate.
- After 8 hours of draining, rinse and drain again.
- Repeat rinsing and draining 2-3 times daily.
- Tiny sprouts should begin to form in 1-2 days. At this point, sprouting is complete.
- Drain the sprouts well.
Keep in mind, sprouted grains do not store well, so sprout only what you can use immediately.
To make sprouted oat flour, dry sprouted oats in a dehydrator, oven, or in the sun, and grind into flour.
