Juicing Wheatgrass

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Wheatgrass is a complete food and an excellent source of vitamins C, E, K, and B complex (including B12). In the minerals department, it is rich in calcium, cobalt, germanium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein, sodium, sulfur, and zinc. It is often called “Liquid Sunshine” because of its very high content of chlorophyll, which is the green pigment that harnesses the sun’s energy.

Let’s go back in time and visit my very first experience with juicing wheatgrass at home. First of all, I planted, prayed, and grew a large tray of my very own wheatgrass. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own food. It was so lush feeling when I would lightly graze the palm of my hand over the tips of the blades. I was so excited that I could hardly stand myself.

When the day came to harvest the grass, I dove in cutting, cutting, and cutting. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Before I knew it, I had “mowed” the whole tray of grass! Then it hit me, (silence… long stares… silence… long stares) now that I had mowed all the wheatgrass, I realized that I was going to have to juice it all or it would go to waste. Not such a brilliant move on my behalf.

So, I pulled out the juicer (as shown in photo) and went to town juicing, cranking, juicing, cranking, and juicing with a bit more cranking. Soon I had roughly eight ounces of fresh wheatgrass juice. I sat back and admired the deep rich green fluid sitting in front of me.

NOTE TO SELF AND OTHERS… DON’T DO THIS

Then ANOTHER light went off! I remembered that once you juice something you ought to drink it immediately to get the most of the nutrients that it has to offer.

In a flurry, I scooted my stool up to the counter, took a deep breath, and started to down the juice. It wasn’t easy, but I was bound and determined not to let a drop go to waste. Mission accomplished, green mustache and all.

I started to clean up the mess, pondering over all that I had gone through to make a cup of wheatgrass juice. It smelled so wonderful in the kitchen. I am a huge fan of freshly mowed grass in the summer.

It wasn’t too much later when IT hit me. It started with a dull headache; then I began to feel a tad uneasy on my feet…dizziness was sitting in.

Then I became nauseous. Man oh man, was I dying? “Bob, I think I need to get my will in place.” I kid you not; I spent most of the day hugging the great white throne (toilet) hoping, praying, pleading for my body to bring that juice back up. No luck, my body doesn’t like to bring things back up. So I spent a few days in deep “detox” as it worked its way through my system.

So, what’s the take away from my little experience? One should only drink ONE or TWO ounces a day. And if you are new to introducing such powerful nutrients to your body, it is best to take it even slower.

Start with only a one-ounce shot a day and according to your tolerance level, slowly work up to two ounces two or three times a day. Oy-Vey! So that’s my story. Please learn from it and don’t do what I did. I took one for the team.

Where do you get Wheatgrass?

You can grow your own, as I did or you can purchase it at a health food store and even sometimes at a healthy restaurant. A lot of these places will sell a large tray of ready to use wheatgrass. I have seen small containers for sale at Whole Foods and even at a general grocery store. Just watch for quality and make sure that you don’t see mold down at the base of the blades.

Before You Start Juicing

• Check the wheatgrass before juicing it to make sure that it is free of any mold, which spreads easily among the sprouts.
• Yellow sprouts should be avoided as they will have an altered flavor.
• Try to choose the freshest sprouts for the best taste.

How to Juice Wheatgrass

Manual Juices

• These are juicers specifically designed to work with the nature of wheatgrass. They press the grass instead of grinding them and applying centrifugal force.
• Manual grass juicers also ensure that heat and oxidation are kept to a minimum, to preserve the many benefits of the juice.

• Avoid juicing wheatgrass in a blender or processor, because the rapid movements will oxidize the chlorophyll.
• Do not use a centrifugal juicer. A centrifugal juicer extracts the juice using a metal blade which spins at high speeds against a mesh filter. Centrifugal force is what brings about the separation of the juice from the flesh. The pulp spins into a separate basket, while the juice runs out the device’s spout. Can you imagine trying to extract juice from a blade of grass this way?

How to Enjoy a Shot of Wheatgrass

First of all, it is important to note that wheatgrass should be enjoyed immediately after juicing it. Wheatgrass juice has a robust and unique flavor that many find unappealing at best, completely unpalatable at worst.

To make the juice more palatable, you can dilute it with water, vegetable juice, or fruit juice. BUT, if you want to go for the gusto, put a little hair on your chest (kidding!), and down a shot of this nutrient-dense flooding nectar, swallow the juice in one quick swoop and then bite down into a fresh cut wedge of an orange. This will knock down that bitter, eyelash curling flavor. Then sit back and feel the energy flow through your body!

Let’s Go Shopping

Manual Wheatgrass Juicer

• Handy Pantry HJ Hurricane Stainless Steel Manual Wheatgrass Juicer
  • Stainless Steel Construction.
  • Easy to Clean – Dishwasher Safe.
  • Easily Mounts To Countertops – fits countertops up to 2 1/4″ thick.
  • Non-Toxic / ­Won’t Rust.
  • Juices approximately 1 oz per minute.

Tags: Juicing