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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI love wheatberry sprouts… they are so sweet and delicious! Once sprouted, I keep them in the fridge. I’ve noticed some of the seed hulls seem to be turning a blue/black moldy color. I assume this is mold and I should pick them out? Will I get sick from eating them? Also wondering… how long will wheat berry sprouts keep, and are there any tips for reducing this discoloration problem?
One last question… if I blend these sprouts, would they contain the same properties as wheat grass, or not even close?
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I just put on my first wheat berries to soak! Can’t wait to hear the answers to your questions, Indysay, as I have some of the same questions.
Were they dry or wet when you put them in the fridge? I personally would toss them out if they were turning color or look moldy. It is not worth risking getting sick over 25 cents worth of wheatberries :) I always say, “would I feed this to my baby”...if the answer is no, don’t feed it to you either. Better safe than sorry, after all, you are doing this to get healthier. :)
Here’s what I do…I do a big, final, super-dooper rinse of my wheatberries in the morning, pick out all the ones that are not totally healthy looking, and let sit in a sieve all day to drain and dry, then I put them in the fridge that evening because I don’t want them to be wet when put in there (or you could put them in a salad spinner after rinsing and spin off all the water, then put in the fridge).
I normally keep mine in the fridge up to 4 days, if they last that long because I eat them pretty quickly. I would say that I sprout 2T. dry berries and they get eaten in 1-2 days, so if you could get in a habit of starting a fresh batch soaking every other day, or every 3rd day, it’d be best so you’d have totally fresh wheatberries, which do taste better. I like them when the sprout tail is small, and no longer than the berry. If it gets longer than that, I throw it on top of soil, and spray it 2-3 times a day and eventually have wheatgrass to throw into smoothies or salads.
Wheatberries do not have the same properties as wheatgrass, so blending them would not give you the same properties, but let them grow long and cut the grass off with scissors (toss the seeds and roots) and use it that way. It’s super easy to grow, and believe me, I do not have a green thumb! ;) The green of the wheatgrass has chlorophyll in it, and that liquid sun is sooooo good for you, but start taking it in tiny amounts because it does clean out your system and you want to detox slowly. Hope this helps?
That was GREAT information Rawmama, thank you so much!! I am a “non-food-waster” at heart, and probably live on the edge more than most when it comes to old food. But… I have at least picked all the “icky” looking berries out. Because no, I would not feed that to my baby. The sprouts eventually get green shoots on them… I was wondering if these green little shoots are the same as the wheat grass, and it sounds like they are from your post…? If so, Good! I am not a gree thumb either. I would love to get the properties of wheatgrass without having to grow it in those trays with the dirst… that’s kinda what I was hoping for.
rawmama, do you grow wheatgrass without soil or it can’t be done without? I have never grow wheatgrass but I sprout wheatberries, i would like to know if it is possible to get the grass just sprouting them for long.
Wheatberries do turn into wheatgrass. ...you can also grow them without soil, but if you have mineral rich soil, that is really beneficial for the wheatberries. I have sprouting trays and if I keep them rinsed, they will grow into wheatgrass if I let them. However, I think that they tend to get moldy easier in trays than on top of soil. It’s a cool process, they will have little dew drops on the ends of the grass at one point, very pretty! I personally find it easier to just throw on top of soil, not plant, just spread on top of soil once their tail is about the size of the wheatberry. Then I spray is 2 times a day with water. They grow so easily, I couldn’t believe it! I cut off the wheatgrass to use once it is about 5 inches long, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. I throw away the berry and root part once the grass is cut…put it in a compost or on our grass outside.
I have grown my own wheatgrass, too – pretty fun! I have always kept the sprouts covered (dark & moisture-retaining) for the first few days to mimic the seeds being underground – are you saying I don’t need to do that?
thank you for the info!!!