woodsrunner, i do a little fix also. i put a spoon of baking soda in the soak water and leave overnite. after rinsing, i add a little powdered ginger into the pot along with the other herbs and fixings. there is an enzyme on the surface of the beans (and many other plants) that keep it from sprouting too soon. the first rain washes it away. the second then, helps it sprout. the soda helps inactivate the enzyme, as well as the soaking itself. and ginger is good for digestion, too. did you know that ginger makes a good houseplant and helps you be self-sufficient in one more thing. it likes lite shade, so near, but not in a window. it grows tall, so a deep pot helps anchor it. i get mine root at the grocery store, buying organic and checking to be sure the little knobs that will be the new growth haven’t been removed (the grocer doesn’t want them sprouting, as hardly anyone knows to buy them then.). after several months growth, they may die back. they aren’t dead, but that is a good time to harvest and re-pot.
