Ema wrote on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:36:03 -0500:

> On 10/4/2010 3:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> Hello All!
>>
>> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and,
>> indeed, it has long been a problem with bean sprouts but it
>> has become impossible to buy loose sprouts. The price of a
>> package makes using sprouts excessively expensive for me
>> since I most often just cook for myself and would need about a
>> quarter of a bag. I've known about the bacteria problem
>> for many years and, for twenty years, I have always quickly
>> blanched them before using, even in salads.

> Right now, I wonder if I should be concerned. I eat bean
> sprouts raw most of the time and I never thought about
> salmonella. I eat them raw in pho, noodle salads and in plain
> old salads.

> When I buy them in the store, they come in a bag (99 cents)
> and they look too old to eat when I buy them. At the Asian
> market, they are very fresh, they are also loose and you can
> buy as much as you need.

> I am not sure how long they last. They are good in omelets,
> if you have any left over.

Unfortunately, my favorite Chinese markets have started bagging them
too. I cannot buy less than about a pound and it is seldom that I want
more than a quarter of that. I was warned over 30 years ago by a
bacteriologist friend about the dangers of uncooked sprouts and started
quick blanching them then. As long as you put them into boiling water,
take them out as soon as the water boils up, and dump into cold
(preferably iced) water, there does not seem any harm to the texture for
salads and sandwiches. I blanch them even for stir-fries since the
cooking time is short.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not