DIY Wheatgrass Juice
Growing your own wheatgrass for juice is not only cost effective but it's also a fun way to teach kids about hydroponics with minimal messes.
Wheatgrass has long been studied for it's health benefits like lowering blood pressure, eliminating toxins, boosting metabolism and even lowering cholesterol. So why spend $4 a shot at your local juice bar when you can make your own for way less! Now I know what you're going to say, I don't have a juicer! You don't really need one. In all honesty, I used to have a juicer and I couldn't get over the amount of waste it produced! If I'm going to take in all the calories anyways, I at least want to feel get full doing it! But that's my opinion. The short version to this story is that I sold mine. You will how ever need a food processor or blender which most of us have or we can pick one up for cheap at our local thrift shop.
Other supplies needed will be; wheatgrass seeds (I purchase the red wheat seeds on amazon), A container to grow in like a shallow 1-2 inch deep tupperware container, water and cheese cloth! If you have a larger family that would also enjoy the benefits of wheatgrass juice you can find whats called "Fodder Trays" on amazon or home and garden stores. I switch back and forth depending on how my time I have.
To be begin you want to soak your seeds for about 6-8 hours in equal parts water. You can do this in the container you plan to grow in or in a cup if the container has drainage holes.
For a small square tupperware container I do 1 cup of seeds and enough water to cover them which is about a cup. Mix them so there's no air trapped below. Now even if they're organic you still want to do this because it's not so much about washing them as it is giving your seeds a jump start to growing! You can skip this part and jump right into watering but you're going to notice it takes much longer for the grass to grow.
(If you look closely you can see the seeds just starting to sprout after soaking)
After your seeds have soaked you want to drain the water and spread them as evenly as possible, cover with a see-thru lid or saran wrap then let sit on a counter space until they begin to sprout.
Once you see they have started sprouting it's best to move them into a sunny window and remove the cover to prevent mold growth. A little white fluffy mold is normal in the beginning but it will dry out in a couple days and go away.
Now all you have to do is water it daily. I like to keep mine either in the kitchen or a bathroom where there's running water so I don't let it dry out by accident. To water it in the first couple days until the roots attach together, you lightly water using either a spray bottle or the tap but being careful not to leave too much water in the bottom. I usually drain of 90% of any extra water in the bottom. This process gets easier the more it grows because you will have what looks like turf after just a few days and the seeds wont spill everywhere.
After about a week or so you should have grass! Remember that the amount of time depends on a lot of factors like temperature, sun and watering. There's no wrong way to do this unless you over water and grow mold... don't use moldy grass! Or if you don't water enough and the grass just wont grow.
When 50% of your grass begins tipping over in height, this is the time to cut! Just take a clean pair of scissors and snip off what you need.
To turn your grass into juice you, you're going to do a ratio of 1/4 cup of water to 1 cup of grass in your blender or food processor. The grass is loaded with water so you don't need a lot. Then blend for about 3 minutes. Next you will want to line a small colander with a couple pieces of cheese cloth to strain out the tiny pieces of grass. That's it! You made yourself your very own wheatgrass juice! I take mine daily in shot form. I'm not overly fond of the taste like most and sometimes depending on my mood I'll mix my shot into a smoothie to mask it.
What You will Need:
Wheatgrass Seeds
Cheese Cloth
A Blender or Food Processor
water
Tupperware container
Instructions
1. Add 1 cup of wheatgrass seeds and 1 cup of water and 1 cup of seeds into a shallow 1-2 inch deep tupperware container. Let soak for 6-8 hours
2. Drain off excess water, level your seeds and cover with a see-thru lid or plastic wrap. Water as needed.
3. Once seeds sprout, remove lid and water several times a day.
4. After grass begins growing, move to a sunny window and continue watering
5. When 50% of the grass begins tipping over, trim the grass low to about 1 inch.
6. Add 1/4 cup of water and 1 cup of grass clippings to a blender and blend on high for 3 minutes.
7. Remove and strain thru cheese cloth.
TRY to enjoy it! It's good for you!
*Tip: If you don't want to waste the water in this process, do what I do and use it to water other plants in your house!
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Be sure to check out my store from the links at the top of the page!
Other posts you might like
Check out our store! For over 10 years we've been handcrafting things like Soap, Bath Salts, Salves and we even make gift baskets! Shopping with us is supporting small farms and Mom and Pop shops! You can find all our products in the link above or the drop down bars in the top right of your phone. Thanks for reading!
To be updated with future blogs and sales, follow us on Facebook!
When you use retail links in our blogs, we may earn a small commission. We do not accept money for paid reviews.