Chickpea Seeds

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans and gram, are regarded as beans, but botanically are neither beans nor peas. The chickpea is a tender annual legume, a bushy plant that grows to about 18 inches tall and has pairs of dark green, compound leaflets that look like vetch. Chickpeas have swollen, oblong pods to about 1 inch long and nearly as wide that contain one or two large, cream-colored, pea-like seeds each.
These are a staple in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking. They can be used as a shelling bean or a dry bean. They are an excellent choice for climates with problems with drought, but they won't do well in extreme northern climates.
Soaking and sprouting chickpeas makes them easier for most people to digest. It enhances their amino acids, vitamins, and protein content. They are wonderful smashed into "living" hummus, or just as highly nutritious snack food. Sprouted chickpeas are used just as the tip of the root (the "tail") emerges from the seed, indicating that it has germinated. The seeds increase noticeably in size. They have a definite crunch factor that works very well in salads and makes them a terrific and healthy snack. They can be mixed with dry spices and enjoyed on their own.
Garbanzo beans are a cool weather crop. Direct seed at or slightly after date of last frost in full sun. They do best when day temperatures stay between 70-80 degrees F and stay above 60 degrees F at night.