Bean sprouts have an inedible hull that must be removed before eating the sprouts.
Bean seeds have small hulls on the seed that holds the germinating plant in place until it sprouts. After it sprouts, the hulls still cling to the small plants. The hulls are similar to popcorn hulls, and are undesirable to eat because they can get stuck in your teeth and taste bitter. Before serving fresh sprouts, remove the hulls from the sprouts by using a rinse-and-soak method. The best container for this is a salad spinner, but you also can use a colander or bowl. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
Salad Spinner
1. Place the sprouts inside a salad spinner, and put the spinner inside its solid base. Break up the clump of sprouts by pulling the strands apart with your fingers.
2. Rinse the sprouts with water. Move the sprouts around with your fingers to ensure every sprout gets wet. Fill the spinner with water. Some hulls should start to float to the surface of the water. Turn off the water when the spinner is full.
3. Continue to pull the sprouts apart with your fingers. Repeat this process to loosen all sprouts. The looser the sprouts are, the more hulls will rise to the surface of the water.
4. Pour out the water every few minutes to remove the hulls from the spinner. Fill the spinner with water again, and continue to separate the sprouts to release the hulls. Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the amount of hulls removed from the sprouts.
5. Drain the water from the sprouts. Spin the sprouts through the spinner to remove excess water from the sprouts. Replace the sprouts into the original container and store in the refrigerator until you want to use them on food.
Colander
6. Place the sprouts in a colander. Place the colander inside a larger bowl. Loosen the sprouts with your fingers.
7. Rinse the sprouts with water, filling up the bowl while rinsing. Continue to loosen the sprouts. While the sprouts loosen, the hulls will rise to the surface.
8. Remove the colander from the bowl, and drain the water from the bowl. Replace the colander inside the bowl and fill with water again. Continue the rinsing, spreading and draining process until you are satisfied with the amount of hulls removed from the sprouts.
9. Drain the sprouts and replace in the original container.
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