Making your own cheeeeeep seed sprouter.

[Shivananda]

At last, through the miracle of modern technology, the long awaited ShivaSprouter*, tuhhh dahhhhhhh....

Sprouting is one of the easiest, fastest, and cheeeeeepest ways to add amazing living enzyme power to any diet at all. And it's way fun to do, and you don't need fancy equipment to do it. Here's how to make a very effective little sprouter for alfalfa, clover, radish, and broccoli seeds, etc. for nada, bupkis, and/or zero money. And there's really nothing cheeeeeeper than free gratis neato stuff, which is exactly what the ShivaSprouter* is.

1) OBTAIN Get your hands on a suitablly sized disposable plastic container for carryout food (takeout, take away, whatever you call it). What you want is the rigid flat tray kind with a clear snap-on lid used by better deli counters, gourmet shops and restaurants. Whole Foods sushi counter has little pretty ones with flowers on them. Most places they are just white or black. It doesn't matter, they all work. The small ones are best for learning with, but the dessert plate and dinner plate sized ones are great for more volume and also stack nicely in a small space.

- A possible obstacle, is you just don't have anything like that lying around the house, and all things considered, you are very unlikely to have access to any soon. Solution: Go to a deli counter that uses them and smile and tell them you need a few for a school project for your kids, please, and thank you very much. . :)

2) PREPARE This is the only technical step - If you have an electric drill available to use, put a 1/16 drill bit in the chuck. If you don't have a drill, go find someone who does. If you don't know anyone who does, find something like an icepick or something pointy that you can use to poke some holes in one end of the container about as big around as a pencil lead. Bigger and the little seeds might fall out. Smaller and it takes too long to drain the water. 1/16" is just about right.

3) DRAW - Draw a line or scratch a line or imagine a line across one end of the bottom part, about 1/4 - 1/2" up from the bottom. This will be the lowest you will make any drain holes, because the finished ShivaSprouter* should be able to retain a little water on the bottom whenever you want it to.

4) DRILL - Drill or dig or chew a bunch of holes across the end, above that line, in 2 or 3 or 4 rows or waves or stars or any pattern you like is really fine just so water will be able to drain out of the ShivaSprouter* when you tip up one end. When this step is done, relax and have a smoothie, the hard stuff is all over now. Whewww!!

5) SOAK - OK, when you have recovered, put some seeds in the ShivaSprouter* and add enough water to cover them and slosh them around a little and swirl them with your finger and notice what interesting patterns they make until you get bored and then put the tray down flat on the drainboard of your sink until the excess water has drained out and then snap on the clear lid and put someplace cool and dark for 8 hours or so. This is the SOAK phase of sprouting, and the seeds should be in water and wet, wet, wet. This wakes them up and soaks away the enzyme inhibiters that keep the from sprouting too soon. I do it at Shivananda Towers by putting the ShivaSprouter* on top of the dinner plates in the dish cabinet and closing the door.

6) RINSE & DRAIN - After the initial soak time, seeds need to stay damp, but also require air to keep growing, so they can't stay in soak water. Just take off the top of the ShivaSprouter*, place it upside down on the drainboard, then run some water over the seeds several times, sloshing them around and then draining off the excess. The last time, place the bottom inside the lid, but cocked up at one end so all but a touch of water will drain out into the lid. When this is complete, shake out the water from the lid, snap it firmly back on top of the tray, and place back in a cool dark place. Repeat 2 or 3 times a day for the first 2 days or so.

7) LIGHT - Starting about the third day, leave the ShivaSprouter* out where the sprouts can begin to get some light to start the photosynthesis process so they will green up. Do NOT put in direct sunlight or they will shrivel and burn up and never forgive you.

8) EAT - Once they are big enough (maybe 4 - 5 day) and you just can't stand waiting any more, grab some sprouts and eat them. Put them on a sammich, fill an avocado with them and sprinkle with lime juice, put them on a salad, add them to smoothies or a green juice, just eat them plain. I especially like them on an almond butter sammich with a little tamari sauce, but then, I'm strange. If there are more than you can eat all at one time, rinse and dry them well (between layers of paper towels, or with a salad spinner) and put in a sealed plastig bag in the fridge. They will keep up to 2 weeks.

Note 1) Only use certified organic seeds. Conventional seeds are often chemically treated and not intended for human consumption. The best source is often the bulk section of your local natural market. Or look for purveyors of organic seeds for sprouting online.

Note 2) Use only enough seeds to very, very lightly cover the bottom of your ShivaSprouter.* A couple of teaspoons of alfalfa or clover seeds will FILL a dinnerplate size sprouter when you are done. And 10 cents worth of broccoli seeds will give you a crop of tangy sprouts in a week that contain more concentrated healing nutrition in them than a pound of broccoli.

OK, Got that? Anybody can do it. It's fun, kids love to do it (and to eat up the finished sprouts) and you can really do it anywhere. Now go do it. :)

*These instructions for the ShivaSprouter copyright 2006 under all international conventions by Shivananda Deva, of Shivananda Test Kitchens (STK), high atop the world famous Shivananda Towers, right near the beach in sunny Lynn, Massachusetts., USA. Permission to use these directions for personal health and hilarity is freely given, and also to circulate them to everyone you know as long as you do it joyfully, and include this notice so they know whose fault it is. For commercial use, please contact ShivanandaDeva@aol.com and bring lots of money.

[rawpriestess]

this is an excellent idea,

thanks Shivananda for sharing this wonderful and truly inexpensive way to sprout

Dragggon says it's also an excellent way to start seeds for your gardens too.

[Shivananda]

One of many possible additions to my previous post is that while many sprouts are just duck happy in water with no soil at all, a few seeds need something to dig their toes into for anchors before they really do well... sunflower and buckwheat are the most top o'the mind in this regard. And both are best purchased as unhulled seed for best results for green sprouting purposes

Some sprouters use old sponges or pieces of old towels for a base for this kinbd of sprouting. Personally I just use a 1/2" layer of sphagnum moss or my usual perlite/sphagnum mix to give them a start.

Plus, of course, you need to take the clear top off the ShivaSprouter once the sprouts are beginning to knock heads against the lid.

[jenna rose]

I'm a very visual person. Is there any way I can see a picture or two of your ShivaSprouter? :)

[Shivananda]

OK, I'll post some pictures, once I can work out the logistics.

[lil fairy z girl]

Shivananda,
i love your post :)
i was going to use an ice pick, but i used an axe instead, well it is sharp and pointed, the only trouble is my seeds have fallen out. do i get any compensation from the makers of the ShivaSprouter*???

no seriously though, thank you for the modern technology. you never know you may get me into sprouting yet :)

best wishes
sal
~*~*~*

[mindelicious]

I have one issue when I am sprouting. What is the best way to get rid of all those skins that fall off. I have just been going through and picking them out but it takes so much time!! Anyone have any tips or tricks? And how can I incorporate them into the ShivaSprouter

[Shivananda]

Hi Mindelicious,

Here's how I get rid of those pesky hulls... when the sprouts are ready, I put them into a big bowl, fill it with cool water, then swoosh them around in the bowl while I let a little more water flow in from the tap, tilting the bowl back and forth to allow the overflowing water to carry the hulls with it. They are a little lighter and float up and over. And I just keep doing that until the sprouts are reasonably clean. But don't obsess over it, the hulls you miss are edible.

Get the picture?

[mindelicious]

I did try that once but I buy bottled water cause my tap water is nasty (I rent so I can't put a system in) so I ended up using so much water--but it really did work, maybe I need one of those brita filters you put on the end of the faucet....going to the store!!
Thanks!!

[Shivananda]

OK, without much water there is a slightly different way that is mork work, but doable.


Slosh the sprouts around as above, then reach in and grab tufts of sprouts that are loose from the hulls and pull them out and put in a strainer. Gradually you can work your way through the whole pile that way.

OH, and I almost forgot... after you drain the sprouts, spin off any remaining water in an herb spinner (like a salad spinner, only smaller), or blot dry with towels before putting them in a ziploc bag or airtight container to put in the fridges. They actually stay fresh longer if they are not wet when you put them away.

[ShelShel]

This was an amazing post! Thanks for that detailed info, it was greatly appreciated. I'm going to go start sprouts tomorrow. ShelShel :)

[kmik]

I'd like a picture too please! :)

[VibraTechJulie]

Shivananda,
Patiently waiting for that pic, too.
Raw Blessings,
Julie