Can you juice wheatgrass in a regular juicer?

[rawkchicster]

I know they make special juicers for wheatgrass, but could you technically just juice it into your green juices with a normal juicer?

[Revvell]

In a single or double auger style, yes.

[rawkchicster]

yeah, that's what i was afraid of... we have a centrifugal. Does anyone know WHY you can't?

[Revvell]

It's not that you CAN'T, yet, the high speed of the juicer negates the nutrients in the wg. It's happening with the rest of your greens as well.

[Stina]

My landlady has done small amounts of wheat grass juice in her Champion for decades. She cuts it really short so it doesn't wind around the thingey and just includes it in with her carrot juice. I'd like to try it. If it works, I'd just order boxes through the local hfs. Shasta out of the Ashland Oregon just love their grass!

[raweater]

It's not that you CAN'T, yet, the high speed of the juicer negates the nutrients in the wg. It's happening with the rest of your greens as well.

Actually it pretty much is that you can't. Have you ever tried a centrifugal juicer? If you put wheatgrass or leafy greens in a centrifugal juicer it throws out the items in the pulp bin untouched. The reason is there is about an 1/8" gap preventing the entire food item from getting thrown in the pulp bin, so for example with a carrot, it will turn it to juice until it's 1/8" thick where it's thrown in the pulp bin.

Since all grasses and leafy greens are less than 1/8" think, they all instantly get thrown in the pulp bin unjuiced.

There can be exceptions if you pack the greens along with other things, but it's still very inefficient, and anyway centrifugal juicers destroy most of the nutriton of the juices they make.

I got a centrifugal juicer a few years ago and highly recommend AGAINST them for any kind of use. I now have a Green Star which is miles better.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i have a champion and i've tried doing wheatgrass. you go through a whole lotta grass to get a little juice, unlike a juicer made for wheatgrass.

it can be done... just not well. (with a champion)

[rawkchicster]

argh.... and we're just starting a mini-juice feast.... and we only have a centrifugal. It really seems like it makes a lot of juice when I run greens through with celery... and the juice tastes "greener" than at whole foods, too. Is it hopeless, or worth a try?

[raweater]

I see all these people talking about "juice feasts", are you all making the same typo and actually mean "juice fast"? If not, what's a "juice feast"?

It seems everyone talks of "juice feasts" on this forum yet I've only heard of juice fast, so is it some extreme coincidence that everyone makes the same mistake in the same word or is there really such a thing as a "juice feast"?

About the centrifugal juicer, you can still use it but the juice out of it is similar to pasteurized juice (not much nutrition left) and for leafy things it won't get much juice out as was already said.

[EZ rider]

I see all these people talking about "juice feasts", are you all making the same typo and actually mean "juice fast"? If not, what's a "juice feast"?See this thread: http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=36638

[raweater]

Thanks, I was really starting to think everyone was making the same typo! But knew a coincidence like this would be nearly impossible.

[mel_s12]

what about just blending wheatgrass in a smoothie? Wouldn't that be better in terms of eating 'whole foods' anyways?

[Revvell]

what about just blending wheatgrass in a smoothie? Wouldn't that be better in terms of eating 'whole foods' anyways?

I don't think it blends well although I've not tried it. Just keep picturing this lump of grass wrapped around the blades.

[nene]

I Don't Hear Of Anyone Eating Wheatgrass Can It Just Be Ate?

[michigan roman]

i grow the wheat in 5" of soil in cheap plastic dish pans , very easy / quick (6 days) .
then into a blender half full with water i cut into half inch bits (so the grass dont wrap around blade) about 150 blades of grass i cut off at soil level with scissors . blend a minute then strain thru fine metal kitchen strainer . many add lemon juice to improve taste .

[Revvell]

I Don't Hear Of Anyone Eating Wheatgrass Can It Just Be Ate?

No, but it can be chewed and then discarded. Let your teeth be the masticators and get the juice out; discard the pulp. Good for teeth, gums and digestive system.

Revvell

[BubbleHead]

I Don't Hear Of Anyone Eating Wheatgrass Can It Just Be Ate?

Hi Everyone, I recently joined this forum.

Nene,
We humans can't "eat" wheatgrass, but it can be chewed. I've tried it and it's . . . tedious. Better to juice it. Juice a carrot with it if you really cannot get comfortable with the taste.

I had a Sampson juicer that worked well with wheatgrass. Unfortunately I broke it when pureeing frozen blueberries. I replaced it with a Green Power Gold double gear juicer I purchased used on eBay.

I've never owned a centrifugal juicer, but a friend of mine has one. I tried it with apples and am glad I never owned one. When I juice apples with my Green Power Gold juicer, the juice comes out white with the slightest tint of red from the peel. Using my friend's centrifugal juicer, the apple juice comes out dark brown, like an apple that was sliced and left on the counter all day.

High speed centrifugal juicers incorporate air (oxygen) into the juice, oxidizing the juice immediately, making it rather unhealthy to consume. (I don't want to start an argument here, but the reason antioxidants are good for us is because they *fight* oxidation.)

Single auger juicers like the Sampson and twin gear juicers like the Green Power Gold run as slow speeds, so they don't incorporate air into the juice that they squeeze. If someone owns a centrifugal juicer because it was inexpensive or it was given to you as a gift, you might want to consider checking eBay every day for a few months as I did, to purchase a slow speed juicer you can afford. Your health is worth it.
Namaste,
Mark

[jackieboomboom]

i'm new to the rawfoodtalk message boards (but not to the lifestyle). why is there so much judgment here? just because someone doesn't have the best juicer doesn't mean we can be elitists. some of us can't afford $1,000 juicers. You blend wheatgrass in a blender and water and its fine. you just might need to go to the bathroom soon after.

And your talk of how unhealthy centrifugal juicers are is ridiculous. Eating a hamburger is unhealthy. Not using the wrong type of juicer. How can you be healthy physically when you pass judgment on others like that?

Also, you can get a manual wheatgrass juicer for $30.

Sorry for the harshness.

xox
jackie boom boom

[Revvell]

I don't see judgement of others. We're talking about what works best and alternatives. Just a conversation is all.

Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black with judgement, eh?

Revvell

[Aleesha Sattva]

i didn't read any judgement either. ya you can use other methods to get the juice from wheatgrass... i know my vita-mix does a fine job.

but just because i choose to own higher quality items, so they last me 25 years instead of replacing them every few months/years... that doesn't make me an elitist. it makes me wise and an avid lover of the environment. (why buy twice what i can buy once)

[jackieboomboom]

fair enough. well, i *choose* to get a greenstar juicer, so just send me $1,000 and i will head straight to the store and get one. just kidding

[Revvell]

You can get one for around $400. Save the other $600 for the fruits and veggies you'll be juicing in it.

[Aleesha Sattva]

mmm $600 to spend on fruit... i'm in heaven!!!

[Revvell]

Nod,nod,nod. :D


mmm $600 to spend on fruit... i'm in heaven!!!

[steveoregon]

There's an interesting youtube video HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vk9XYOkkv8) of someone who used a regular blender to juice wheat grass. After blending the wheat grass for a bit, it came out as a gooey blob. But then he strains/squeezes it with a nut bag. A LOT of juice comes out. Seems to work.

[Arky]

The video is helpful, I guess, but his logic about oxidization is, frankly, somewhat flawed. Just because the chlorophyll has not turned brown does not prove that the juice has not suffered some oxidization. It's all a matter of degree. He also drinks the wheatgrass straight down, without thoroughly ensalivating it, which is a big no-no and may lead novices to experiencing unnecessary nausea or stomach upset, which would be a great pity, since a regular wheatgrass 'habit' is a positive thing to have. All the same, credit to him for offering some positive help to others in the same boat.


J.


P.S. if his presentation style is anything to go by, he's a huge fan of David Wolfe!

[Aleesha Sattva]

There's an interesting youtube video HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vk9XYOkkv8) of someone who used a regular blender to juice wheat grass. After blending the wheat grass for a bit, it came out as a gooey blob. But then he strains/squeezes it with a nut bag. A LOT of juice comes out. Seems to work.

what is regular about a vita-mix? that's what he's using!

when i use my vita-mix with some water added and blend it up... the grass has almost no colour left... ALL the colour (chlorophyll) is in my jug! take a look at the pics (in my signature link) and see what i mean :)

[steveoregon]

what is regular about a vita-mix? that's what he's using!

Ah yes, I missed that - you can barely see it in the background (actually more than one type), but the container is classic VitaMix.

Steve

[Aleesha Sattva]

it was the container that i saw... not the unit. i know my wonderful-amazing-fantabulous-can'tlivewithoutit-Vita-Mix container! heehee

obsessed with it? yup!!!

[harlamar]

I think you can. I juice wheatgrass all the time, and with my blender, i shake it around a little at the beginning, when its chopping up the large pieces (like you do with a coffee grinder - just keep your hands out of it, and save on health insurance short term (http://www.goldenrule.com/health/short-term-health.shtml) ). Well, it works for me!

[revdrcyn]

I successfully juice wheatgrass in my Omega 8006 all the time

My centrifugal juicer, however, is another story. The owner's manual says you can "wrap" the wheatgrass in a lettuce leaf and juice it, but that had never worked for me, so I stick to the masticator/auger for WG.