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Home
and Family
Mother's Lentils
by Ruth Fogelman
I do my mother's shopping a couple of times a week. This
Thursday afternoon, I sit down at her kitchen table with my
pad and pen, writing down her shopping list.
2 liter of 3% milk
2 yogurt
package of lentils
My mother has never asked for lentils in the years I've
shopped for her.
"Mum, do you really want to have to soak the lentils
overnight and then check them?" I ask, knowing she no longer
has the patience or eyesight for such processes.
"No. So get me a can of lentils, instead."
"Sorry, Mum, they don't come in cans."
"Oh, never mind, then. Forget it."
When I am in the supermarket, I see that ready-to-cook
lentils and rice do come in little packages, but they are
very expensive. I `forget it' and buy the rest of the items
on the list my mother gave me.
However, the notion of my mother's suddenly fancying lentils
remains on a slow simmer at the back of my mind, and a couple
of days later, I pick up a package of dry lentils at the
minimarket in my neighborhood. I don't buy them more than
once every few months because I rarely have time to check
them, but once I do, I sprout them.
While all raw fruit and vegetables contain the enzymes needed
for the digestion of their own nutrients, sprouts have a much
higher concentration than raw vegetables or fruit. Sprouted
lentils are much easier on the digestive system and are
preferable for those who wish to watch their weight. They
contain far less calories than their non-sprouted equivalent;
they use up their own energy in the sprouting process. During
this process, enzymes convert stored inactive nutrients into
a sort of nutritional super-fuel: carbohydrates into simple
sugars, complex proteins into simple amino acids and fats
into fatty acids which are easily digested compounds. Raw
lentil sprouts contain more vitamin C than alfalfa or mung
bean sprouts.
I enjoy sprouting my lentils, not only for the many health
benefits, but for the spiritual benefits, too. Sprouting
lentils focuses me on the daily prayer, "...and in His
goodness, He renews daily, perpetually, the work of
creation." When I harvest the tiny new shoots sprouting forth
from the lentil seed every evening and morning for four to
five days, I marvel at their overnight growth. They grow
between my morning's harvest and my evening's. I can reap a
whole cupful at a time! Sometimes two!
On Monday, I soak them overnight. On Tuesday, sitting under
my fan on a sweltering day, I check them, and dispose of
discolored ones and broken fragments, which will not sprout.
A rabbi told me years ago that tiny bugs are sometimes found
under the skin, and these are only visible as brown
coloration after the overnight soak.
I shall bring my mother a small bag of lentils, soaked,
checked and ready for use; I put a sandwich bag with a cupful
of the first checked ones in the fridge, ready to take over
to her. Even though lentil sprouts are much healthier and
easier on the digestive system, she prefers the unsprouted
ones she has cooked for so many years.
While I sit, checking two spoonfuls of moist lentils at a
time, I receive a phone call.
"Hi, Ruth. This is Malka from the Health and Beauty
Magazine. I just came across the query you sent us some
time ago, if we wanted material about sprouting lentils."
I remember the letter, sent seven months ago, with no
response.
"Yes," I reply.
"Well, we have an issue coming up shortly. Could you give us
an article on sprouting lentils?"
Could she know that this is the first time I'm sprouting
lentils in four months?
"Sure," I reply. Bless my mother for wanting lentils and
thank Hashem for His Providence.
The best time to write an article on sprouting lentils is
during the sprouting process.
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SPROUTING LENTILS
1. Soak a package of dry, green lentils overnight in a large,
covered pan or bowl. Yes, you can use any package from your
local supermarket. They will more than double in size.
2. The following day, discard the water. Clean the lentils,
discarding any discolored ones, broken pieces and stray outer
skins. Tiny bugs may live under the skin and these can only
be seen, as brown marks, after the overnight soaking. Most
broken pieces will not sprout.
3. Place the lentils in a colander on a plate or saucer and
cover with a damp tea cloth or towel in a warm part of the
kitchen. I leave it on the counter next to the stove. An
unused oven below the stove is also good, especially in
winter.
4. Rinse the lentils twice a day, morning and evening, under
cold running water. Replace colander on its plate and cover
with damp cloth or towel.
5. Repeat step 4 for two to four days. When you rinse, twirl
the lentils with your hand to circulate air and moisture, and
to harvest the sprouted lentils that would otherwise remain
covered. The lentils don't all sprout at the same time, but
can take between two to five days. Harvest sprouts when they
are between half a centimeter (1/4 inch) and one centimeter.
At this stage, they are at the height of their enzyme
activity and at their sweetest.
6. Put as much as you think you'll use at one time --
anywhere between 1/4 cup to 1 cup -- in airtight containers
or separate sandwich bags. Twist bags close, squeezing out
all air, and place the amount you'll use for one or two days
in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer. If you are
cooking them, there is no need to thaw first.
If I need to leave them over Shabbos, I harvest them right
before Shabbos and immediately after Shabbos. However, it is
preferable to start the process on Sunday, so you'll be done
by Erev Shabbos.
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