Buckwheat Sprouts

I received this post about buckwheat sprouts from the Food Matters site, and was amazed by the health benefits.  First of all, I thought buckwheat was a grain, but it's not.  I really don't care that it's gluten-and-wheat-free, but I do care that it's a complete source of protein, has all the B vitamins, is high in calcium, cleanses the colon, balances cholesterol, neutralizes toxins, and alkalizes the body.  As the site says, it's also full of rutin, which is helpful for those with varicose veins or hardening of the arteries, because it actually strengthens capillary walls.  Our brains are made up of 28% lecithin and buckwheat sprouts are rich in lecithin, making this also a powerful brain food.  All in all, buckwheat sprouts are a superfood.  Buckwheat groats are simply hulled buckwheat seeds.  How easy is it to sprout buckwheat groats?  SUPER easy.  The hardest part was actually finding them, but I finally found some at Whole foods in Annapolis, although they were not organic.  There are all kinds of contraptions you can sprout with, but I love that this method only takes a fine mesh colander.  I'm going to buy a little plastic mesh colander for these because I'm guessing that over time, the metal colander will rust, not sure.  p.s.  I think this would be a fun project to do with kids of all ages.
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HOW TO MAKE BUCKWHEAT SPROUTS

Place 1.5 Cups of buckwheat groats into a bowl and cover it with 2 to 3 times as much room-temperature water.
Mix the seeds so that none are floating on top.
Allow seeds to soak for about an hour.
Rinse and drain the water in a colander and let them stand in the colander (with the colander resting over a bowl) on the counter.
Rinse 3 times per day with cool water, for two days.
When rinsing sprouts, use a little water pressure to make sure you are rinsing them well.  I also shake the colander a bit to rotate the groats in the colander.
You may notice a gooey substance on the buckwheat, which is starch.  Make sure that you wash this off thoroughly.  I found no gooey substance.
Sprouts will form after only a day or two.
After a final rinse, dry the sprouts by laying them on a clean, lint-free towel.
Let sprouts dry on the counter for 8 hours or so.
Never refrigerate wet sprouts.
Sprouts are ready to use, or you can refrigerate them in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.  Here's how to use your crop:

• Pack sprouts into sandwiches.
• Blend with fruits and vegetables for green drinks or smoothies.
• Eat cold as a cereal (with nuts, dried fruit, plant milk, agave syrup or maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon, etc.)
• Sprinkle on top of other cereals.
• Throw into salads just before eating.
• Buckwheat sprouts are best eaten raw.

Notes:  My buckwheat groats sprouted after only one day, and by the second day the little sprouts were pretty long (see photo below).  Check out Sprout People for a LOT more info. on sprouting everything and anything.  They are also a source for organic buckwheat groats (hulled seeds).

Here are the sprouts by day two, ready to dry.