using wheatgrass

[rkk]

Hi all,

I am wondering about wheatgrass. I have seen organic wheatgrass boxes at a few health food stores (which look like the picture attached). I am wondering how to use them, since I have a juicer at home which juices fruits, veggies, and wheatgrass.

Do you just cut off a few inches off the grass, and throw it into the juicer? Will the grass regrow itself in a few days? Since it comes packed with a bit of soil at the bottom, do I have to add any water to the soil or nutrients? How long will each back of wheatgrass in soil (that is sold in the HFS) last for? I am assuming that I keep it on my countertop and not in the refrigerator, so that the grass will keep growing and not freeze in the refrigerator.

Sorry if these are basic questions, but I am clueless here to how this works.

[rkk]

Also, I am wondering... is wheatgrass an acquired taste? I have tried it a few times a few years ago, and it churned my stomach, as it has this sickly-sweet taste that makes me feel nauseous. Is this something I will eventually learn to like? I have heard great things about it, so I don't know if the taste eventually becomes pleasant.

[Veronica01]

I wouldn't juice wheat grass in a regular juicer, you need a high power or wheat grass juicer. The blades are really strong and fibrous and can get stuck and damage your machine.

They're really strong smelling. If you've ever taken a tiny bit of water and blended greens in a blender and smelled it... you might be naseous... chlorophyl is extremely strong and naseating by itself.

[DebB]

We're just now drinking the wheat grass juice from our first tray of w.g.

Even though I have a Champion Juicer, I chose to blend it and strain it through a nut milk bag using my BlendTec. It's just what I felt needed to be done... I used as little water as possible just to get it going.

I read that a 20x10" tray will yield 12 shots. So, I took all the juice when finished and divided it into 12 portions. I froze it.

Our next tray will be ready in 3-4 days. I let the first tray grow again after I cut it, and I'm glad I did as it was slated for our compost pile. It's about 3-4" tall again since I cut it last weekend.

I don't know about it being an aquired taste. I'm trying to imagine ever getting used to this taste. I plug my nose and down it. So sweet tasting even with my nose plugged. But - we're going to grow and drink everything we got in the kit and take it from there... *Ü*

[Colorawdo girl]

Wheatgrass shots to me are yukko. I drink them anyway. Nauseated yes. The mere smell sends me. I know how great it is for me so I tolerate it. Have it when I am drawn to it. Other times not. I usually chase it with something even tho it is best by itself on empty stomach.

A noseplug surely might help...haha

The little squares in HFS...wont grow that I know of.. Keep them in fridge n cut as you need them. Snip with scissors n juice.

Growing your own is a whole nother thing. Sure there is a ton of info on it.

[Pistachios]

I find that blending WG with other greens such as lettuce, vegetables or fruits in smoothies make it palatable, with the WG taste hardly noticeable

[RawSar]

Do you just cut off a few inches off the grass, and throw it into the juicer?
If there is any mold above the soil you want to cut just above the mold so you don't juice the mold. Otherwise cut as close to the soil as you can.

Will the grass regrow itself in a few days? Since it comes packed with a bit of soil at the bottom, do I have to add any water to the soil or nutrients?
Once you have cut the grass I don't believe you should let it regrow and juice again. I always give back the tray and soil to where I bought it from. You will want to water it a couple times a day until all grass has been cut.

How long will each back of wheatgrass in soil (that is sold in the HFS) last for? I am assuming that I keep it on my countertop and not in the refrigerator, so that the grass will keep growing and not freeze in the refrigerator.
The trays I have bought have lasted me up to a week if I water them and they get natural light. I've never put my trays in the fridge.

[Bookish Lass]

After I cut a tray, I usually set the tray on the floor for a couple of days and let the cats nibble on what's left of the wheatgrass. :)

[Tsurugi_Oni]

I'm actually growing wheatgrass atm.

I usually just cut off about a 1/2in width of grass. Wash off the bottoms, and pop it in your mouth. Just keep on chewing, making sure to reform the ball every once in a while to guarantee you're chewing all of the grass.

No electricity, no waste. I'll do this in the morning en route to fishing, and I swear by the time I get to the spot I can feel the effects.

(PS: I don't think it's possible to adjust to that sickly sweet taste.)

[RaeVynn]

We started by adding wheatgrass (WG) to Green Smoothies (GS), then progressed to cutting it half and half with water, and now we've even been known to "slam" straight shots (useful if you visit a juice bar).
You might try pouring your shot of wheatgrass into some freshly juiced apple juice. DH loves his that way! He will also drink it straight, more than I will. I like it about 1/3 water, 2/3 WG.

[ruffsongraw]

maybe i am a big weeenie, but i take mine in capsule form. OR i at least mix died WG posdwer into a yummy taste-camouflaging smoothie....
but if you all can handle it like that, well WooHoo!! : )

jen

[rawgreenwitch]

My husband the raw green monster and I use wheatgrass for everything from eye care, sinus care, scalp care, nail care etc.....
We also use the wheatgrass pulp to rub on our skin: very healing.
2oz of wheatgrass juice per day gives you the nutrition, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and healing / rejuvenating quality of more than 5 lbs. of vegetables.

Green Blessings,
Raw Green Witch

[rkk]

Wow, thanks for the great info. I have the omega 2005 juicer, which juices fruits, vegetables, and wheatgrass, so using WG in it wouldn't damage anything.

I think I will have to read more about wheatgrass. Sometimes I wonder if we should really be consuming it in juice, since our primitive ancestors wouldn't be naturally consuming it (as grass is indigestible due to the cellulose). But then people say it's really healthy, and I'd certainly like to have radiant health. The mixed green powders taste just fine to me, but I wonder if the fresh juice would have much more nutrition than dried, since the juice brimming with alive nutrients that haven't been altered.

I wonder why the grass only lasts a week or a certain number of shots. The grass on one's lawn seems to last many months even though one keeps mowing the lawn, so I wonder why the grass in the little box with soil wouldn't keep growing as well after you cut some off.

I probably should try mixing WG in some other juice to see if I can stomach the taste better.

[Tee42]

I love wheatgrass juice and have three trays of it that will be ready to harvest this weekend. I use a manual juicer and am happy with it for the price I paid. I'd drink several shots a day if I could grow it and juice it fast enough.