Welcome Friend! Happy you came by again.

Did you make an Easter project growing wheat grain into wheatgrass? In our Wheatgrass Easter Egg project, we grew enough wheatgrass that would cost $3 or more if you purchased at the local market. If you find it difficult to throw away that gorgeous green wheatgrass, try your hand at making Wheatgrass Juice. Here are the basics.

Basic How-To’s:

Harvest when wheatgrass is about 4-8 inches in height.

Use sharp scissors and cut just above the roots.

Wash grass blades and chop with knife into ½-1 inches lengths. This size is easiest to work with unless you are feeding them into a manual grinder. In this case, no need to cut the blades smaller.

Use about ¼ – ½ cup of wheatgrass for one serving. Use your favorite method to extract the juice from the grass. (see methods below)

For best nutritional value, drink the wheatgrass juice within 30 minutes.

Wheatgrass juice can be mixed with other juices for a better taste. There are hundreds of recipes ranging from adding lemon juice, spinach leaves, cinnamon, and a myriad of other ingredients. Choose one and give it a try!

Mortar & Pestle method:

Slow but sure, use a mortar and pestle to make wheatgrass juice. Place grass in a mortar with about one tablespoon of water.

Grind the grass with the pestle until water turns a very dark green.

Pour into a small glass the water and grass through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Place the grass pulp back in the mortar. Add another tablespoon of water and grind again until water is dark green. Filter the water again and replace grass back into mortar.

Continue this process until the water doesn’t turn dark green anymore.

The spent ground grass can be composted.

Blender method:

A basic blender can be used to make wheatgrass juice.

Place about ½ cup wheatgrass in blender with 1 cup water.

Pulverize for one-two minutes.

Strain and discard the pulp.

Manual Juicer method:

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=204681

Manual Grinder for DIY wheatgrass juice. Photo used under Wikimedia Commons GNU License

Follow the instructions for the machine you are using.

Did you know…

Wheatgrass is gluten free because it is taken from the sprouts rather than from the plant when it is old enough to produce the wheat seed.

Ancient Egyptians used wheatgrass for the effect on their health and beauty.

Wheatgrass is a good source of potassium, vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, dietary fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, zinc, copper manganese, selenium and even protein.

According to Charles Schnabel, a wheatgrass proponent in the 1940’s, “fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equal in overall nutritional value to 350 pounds of ordinary garden vegetables.”

Welcome Friends! Glad you dropped in.

This Wheatgrass Easter Egg is a great kid craft to do anytime in the spring, not just for Easter. It is inexpensive and easy to make – even little 3 year-old hands can do this; customizable to whatever you have – plastic egg, bucket, basket, whatever; quick and fun to do – who doesn’t like to play in the dirt; and very gratifying within a few days – children observe the growing seeds. If you want to do this for the holiday, you need to think ahead about 1 1/2 weeks. Easter changes every year, so be sure to check the calendar!

SUPPLIES:

» Leak-proof Easter container – pail, bottle, cup, plastic-lined basket, etc. (I’m using a large plastic easter egg I found at my local dollar store. It came with a lid.)

» Plastic wrap or plastic lid

» Potting soil or vermiculite (I used potting soil from my last year garden pots.)

» Whole-wheat grain (I used 30 year old wheat I had in my food storage.)

» Water

Items needs for making wheatgrass easter egg project.

Soil, whole wheat grain, container, plastic wrap or cover, and water. That’s it!

Wheatgrass Easter Egg INSTRUCTIONS:

1. One to two weeks before Easter, fill container with soil or vermiculite to 1-2 inches below the top of the rim. Gently pat down.

Little by little putting soil in to within 1-2 inches of rim.

Gently pat soil. (You can talk or sing to it too if you want!)

Don’t have to get all dirty!

2. Sprinkle a layer of wheat over the soil.

Sprinkling wheat grain on top of the soil.

The layer of wheat stays on top of the soil. Do not cover the seeds with dirt.

3. Pour water into container until water is barely visible beneath the wheat. Note: Drain or “bail” out some water if you accidentally add too much and the seeds are swimming.

Be slow and careful when pouring water into your container.

bailing out too much water from seeds and soil.

Be careful to bail out water if you get too much. Don’t want the seeds to drown!

4. Place lid or plastic wrap over the wheat.

5. Place container in a sunny spot (not in direct sunlight).

6. After 2-3 days, small sprouts should appear. Remove plastic top.

Little wheatgrass starts are popping out.

Take lid or plastic off when you see the wheat growing. Put in good sunlight (not direct-sunlight).

7. Watch your wheatgrass grow.

NOTE: During this process, if wheat appears to be dry, mist lightly with water.

8. In 7-10 days, you should have a velvety grass patch!!

Be patient and watch your grass grow. For fun, get a ruler and mark how far the grass grows in a day.

I initially did this project with a group of women. We tied pretty ribbons around the eggs and shared them with family and neighbors to watch grow.

Wheatgrass Easter Eggs are ready to give away with ribbon around them.

Put a ribbon around the egg and give to another to let them see the seeds grow. Or keep for yourself and enjoy measuring how much the grass grows in a day! Or make a fairy garden in the grass!

9. Add smaller plastic eggs or other little Easter characters in the wheatgrass, if desired. After the wheatgrass had grown in the egg that I kept for my own family, I placed in the grass colorful plastic eggs filled with jelly beans and other Easter favorites. IDEA: It could be fun to create a fairy scene.

A byproduct of this activity – Wheatgrass juice

Instead of throwing away your Wheatgrass Easter Egg, you could try making wheatgrass juice. You’ve got a good little crop to give it a try. Wheatgrass is gluten-free and is touted as one of the best super foods. Many believe that it can detoxify the body and improve digestion. Learn some basics about preparing this superfood by clicking here.

Wheatgrass Juice Basics