Wheat Grass JUICE

Wheat Grass JUICE- THE most nutritious land vegetable

RAVI KOUSHIK THE EXPERT GIVES US HIS METHODOLOGY .
You can also check my picasa album ..link below
https://picasaweb.google.com/110138724722809258966/GrowingWheatGrassAtHome?noredirect=1
Get the whole cycle going  

Kitchen Waste --> Compost --> Grow WheatGrass --> Drink WheatGrass --> Experience improved health and vibrancy
this rhythm itself will prove very therapeutic & energising.



I) Making the juice

What you require:

1.  Wheat Grass 20 gms. per person (approx. 150 grains will give you 20 gms. of wheat grass at about 90% germination) - see procedure for growing your own wheatgrass in the next section. Or at the local grocery it is available in 20 gm. packets. The grass is 7-8 inches tall. Try to use it as fresh as possible. Otherwise store in the fridge for not more than 7 days.
2. Scissors
3. Mixer
4. Cold (refrigerated) water. The mixer action generates some heat which denatures some of the enzymes and amino acids so important to use refrigerated water.
5. Clean cloth for straining or a coffee strainer

Procedure:

1. Cut the wheat grass into smaller pieces (approx. 2 inch) so that they do not get entangled in the mixer blade. Put the cut grass in the mixer.
2. Add the cup of cold water and run the mixer for a minute.
3. Strain the juice thru' the cloth/strainer. Squeeze every ounce of this precious juice out till only a white pulp of cellulose is left behind in the cloth.

Note: It is worthwhile investing in a wheatgrass juice extractor (the masticating type). These can preserve more enzymes than the conventional mixer.

Consumption:

1. The extracted juice has to be consumed early in the morning 1/2 hour before breakfast.
2. For people on heavy medication, half the above amount should be additionally given around 3:30 p.m. (1/2 hour before tea)

Other Uses

1. If you have a scalp condition or dandruff, rub the cellulose pulp residue into the scalp vigorously everyday. You can add a drop or two of the juice if required.
2. The water that you wash the mixer with is an excellent feed for your potted plants.
3. There are many other uses but I have listed only the ones that I have tried and benefited from

II) Growing the wheat grass

What you require:

1. 9 Shallow Trays (2 inch depth) . The 1 k.g. plastic mithai boxes (approx. 8" x 10") + lids are excellent for this.
2. Good potting mix (1/2 garden soil + 1/2 compost - by volume). I grow it directly on compost
3.  Sieve (mesh size 0.5 cm. x 0.5 cm.)
4. Hand sprayer
5. Sprouter (Optional)
6. Wheat Grains (approx. 150 grains per person or a small fist full)

Procedure:

1. Sieve the potting mix. (I keep a week's requirement of sieved soil ready)
2. Soak ---> Soak the wheat grains for 12 hours in water overnight.
3. Sprout ---> Sprout the soaked grains for another 24 hours. I have found that sprouting is best done in a wide-mouthed glass jar with a cheese cloth covering the mouth of the jar & the jar itself placed at 45 degrees to allow excess water to drain away.
4. Fill a tray with the sieved potting mix (1" deep is ideal)
5. Sow --->Spread the above grains on the soil so that they are all side by side (touching each other) and not on top of each other.
6. Water by spraying with the hand sprayer
7. Incubate ---> Cover the tray with its lid and keep aside in a dark place for two days. If the soil gets too dry, you may have to lightly spray as before
8. Grow ---> Remove the lid and for the next 7 days put them in your balcony or window sill where you get indirect or filtered sunlight. Too much or the noon sun is not good.
9. Water ---> Water with the handspray every morning (and evening if it is very hot). Be sure not to over water.
10. On the 7th day you will have about 7" tall, lush green, wheat grass. Bring the tray in and have it adorn your dining table or keep it near your bed so that you can breathe in some extra fresh air.
11. Harvest ---> You can harvest (cut) it the next morning and make the juice as per procedure above. Be sure to cut it as close to the roots without pulling up lumps of soil. The part nearest the root has maximum nutrition.
12. You will be left with a thick mat of roots and soil. Put them back in your compost or of course I would love to have them for my compost.
     

Note: You need to have one tray going everyday so that you have a supply of fresh wheat grass everyday. If you soak the wheat on a monday night & follow the above procedure, the grass is ready for juicing on the following monday. So the overall time required for one batch is 10.5 days. See below for an example -


Day               Morning       Evening
Monday                                        Soak
Tuesday             Sprout               Sprout
Wednesday        Incubate            Incubate
Thursday           Incubate            Incubate
Friday                Grow                 Grow
Saturday            Grow                 Grow
Sunday               Grow                 Grow
Monday              Grow                 Grow
Tuesday              Grow                 Grow
Wednesday         Grow                 Grow
Thursday            Grow                 Grow

Friday                 Harvest



Precautions:

1. After you have cut the grass, do not reuse the soil. Otherwise you will have problems of poor growth (as the nutrition in the soil gets depleted). Also you will have fungus problems. Instead put the soil with the matted roots thru' a composting cycle.
2. Do not overwater (otherwise can result in fungus problems). Using a hand spray is ideal
3. Rats love the wheatgrass, so keep the trays in your protected window sill instead of in the garden.
4. Do not wait more than 10 days (i.e the Grow stage)  to harvest the grass. Othewise it starts losing its nutritive and other magical properties.
5. Do not store the juice for more than 1/2 hour and the cut grass for more than 7 days.
6. Consume the juice early in the morning half hour before you have anything else.
7. Save the pulp in the fridge but not more than 7 days