How to Safely Sprout Pinto Beans

Assemble the sprouting container according to the manufacturer's directions. A typical container has a tray to allow water to drain away from the beans . Some sprouters are stackable to allow for several trays to stack on top of each other. Containers vary from small household drinking cup sizes to larger 10-by-10-inch sizes with dividers for sprouting more than one type of bean at a time. Homemade sprouters are an option: Just place a mesh screen on top of a bucket or jar.

Soak the beans in cool, 70 degree Fahrenheit, water for 12 hours in a large plastic bowl. The process of soaking the pinto bean is what makes the bean come to life. This is why dry beans keep so well and never sprout on their own: They are dry. The soaking of the beans allows the bean to begin the sprouting process. The beans will soak up the water so it is important to add enough water to kick start the sprouting process in the beans. As a rule, add two to three times more water than the amount of beans you have.

Rinse the beans thoroughly before transferring to the sprouter. The process of rinsing the beans allows fresh water to enrich the beans and makes the sprouting of the pinto bean possible. Rinse in a new, clean plastic bowl. The rinsing process is a key component to successfully growing pinto bean sprouts and combines with draining to achieve the full sprout in only a few days.

Drain the pinto beans. When putting the beans into the sprouter they will automatically drain off or you can use a household strainer to drain them thoroughly before placing the beans into the sprouter. Once the beans are in the sprouter future rinsing, and draining, should only take place in the device and the beans should not be taken out of the sprouter until the sprouts are ready for harvest.

Repeat the rinse-and-drain process every 12 hours until the desired sprout size is complete. Typically three or four rinses and drains should result in the correct size sprout. But the number of times you rinse and drain the pinto beans will depend on the climate the beans are in as well as the brand of beans. The total process should not take more than five times of rinsing and draining the pinto beans.