Drinking the juice of fresh wheatgrass is known to boost your immune system, thereby improving your health. Wheatgrass contains high levels of chlorophyll along with a host of minerals and vitamins which are known for their ability to boost your immune system as well as provide a quick detox.
To ensure you receive the most benefit, you will need a juicing machine known as a wheatgrass juicer these types of juicers retain the most nutrients. The best wheatgrass comes from growing it yourself because it will be fresh.
Grow it at home
Growing wheatgrass at home is actually a really good idea because you will know exactly how fresh it is as well as the exact time to harvest so as to take advantage of the highest nutritional value possible.
You need to first soak your wheatgrass seeds in water for about 8 hours, so overnight works well. If you don't want to plant the seeds after an overnight soaking, you can put them out to soak in the morning and then plant in the evening. It is best to plant the seeds in a 20 x 10 x 2 inch seed tray and for the best results, try using a moist organic potting mix. Plant the soaked seeds in the potting mix, making sure the seeds are covered with soil, then cover the tray to keep moisture from escaping. Place the tray in a dark place and water them every day.
Growing the Sprouts and Cutting the Grass
The tray should remain covered and in a dark place until the sprouts have reached 2" in height, which should take 2 -3 days. Then move the sprouts into indirect sunlight until they have grown to 7 - 8" in height. This should take 4 – 5 days. You will want to keep an eye out for mold. 65 F - 68 F is the optimum temperature for growth. Using scissors, cut the wheat grass just above the soil level. Once you are familiar with the growing cycle you will be able to time the planting and harvesting so as to have a regular supply available to enjoy the wheatgrass benefits.
Juicing Wheatgrass
Rinse the wheatgrass after harvesting and start to juice immediately. You can though, place any unused wheatgrass in your refrigerator in an airtight container. A masticating juicer is the best juicer for juicing wheat grass because it has the ability to extract the most nutrients. Some appliances are not suitable and these include centrifugal juicers, blenders and food processors as they will destroy the chlorophyll. A wheatgrass juicer is really just a different name for a masticating juicer. Half an hour is the most you should leave your juice sitting before consuming it.
Common Issues
Avoid yellow sprouts as you will find they taste different than the green sprouts and are not fresh. After making your juice, don't delay, you will want to drink it right away. You can keep your juice for a maximum of half an hour in the refrigerator, but any longer than that is not advisable as the nutrients start to break down.