How much wheatgrass does it take to make a shot?

Wheatgrass shots have become a popular health food in recent years. Made from the young grass of the wheat plant, wheatgrass is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Many people start their day with a wheatgrass shot as a nutrient boost. But if you’re new to wheatgrass, you may wonder how much it takes to make a shot.

In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about making wheatgrass shots, including how much wheatgrass you need per shot, the best way to prepare it, and the potential health benefits. We’ll also provide some tips for growing your own wheatgrass at home.

What is Wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass refers to the young grass shoots of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. It is harvested before the grass reaches full maturity, when the grass is still soft, bright green, and full of nutrients.

Wheatgrass differs from wheat malt, which is made from sprouted wheat berries. Wheatgrass is the above-ground grass leaf, while wheat malt comes from the sprouted seed itself.

Wheatgrass is popular as a health food due to its high concentration of nutrients, especially vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It contains chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins A, C, E and B complex, iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

Benefits of Wheatgrass

Some of the potential health benefits linked to wheatgrass include:

• Improving immunity due to high vitamin C content
• Reducing inflammation because of antioxidant activity
• Increasing energy levels when consumed before or after exercise
• Detoxifying the liver and blood
• Improving digestion and reducing constipation
• Alkalizing and detoxifying the body
• Providing nutrients that fight oxidative stress and cell damage
• Improving skin health when applied topically or consumed

However, many of these purported benefits are anecdotal and need more scientific research. Overall, wheatgrass is an extremely nutritious food that can boost your nutrient intake when consumed as part of a healthy diet.

How Much Wheatgrass for a Shot?

There is no official guideline for how much wheatgrass you need to make a shot. However, most sources recommend using around 1-2 ounces or 30-60ml of fresh wheatgrass juice per shot.

Using 2 ounces or 60ml per shot on the higher end ensures you’ll get a concentrated amount of nutrients in each shot. It also produces a reasonable sized shot that is easily consumed.

Metric Conversions

1 ounce	= 28 grams
2 ounces	= 56 grams
1 ounce	= 30 ml
2 ounces	= 60 ml

The table above shows metric conversions for 1-2 ounces of wheatgrass in grams and milliliters.

How Many Shots from One Tray?

If you’re growing your own wheatgrass at home, you’ll need to know how much you can harvest from one tray. The yield of wheatgrass depends on several factors:

• Growing method (soil vs. hydroponic)
• Tray size
• Wheatgrass variety
• Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor grow

Most sources estimate you can get between 15-30 single 1 ounce shots of wheatgrass per 10×10 inch tray of wheatgrass grown in soil indoors. With a larger tray outdoors, you may get a higher yield.

Growing Your Own Wheatgrass

Growing wheatgrass at home is simple with a few key supplies.

Steps:

1. Fill a shallow tray or pot with a soilless potting mix. Use a high quality organic potting mix formulated for seed starting.
2. Spread wheatgrass seeds evenly across the soil. Use a seed density of about 2 tablespoons per 10×10 inch tray.
3. Lightly water the wheatgrass seeds to moisten the top layer of soil.
4. Cover the tray with plastic wrap or a humidity dome to retain moisture.
5. Place the tray in indirect sunlight around 70°F. Check daily and water just enough to keep the soil moist.
6. Once sprouted in 4-7 days, remove the cover and water 1-2 times per day.
7. Harvest wheatgrass when it reaches 6-8 inches, typically 7-14 days after sprouting.
8. Use scissors to cut the wheatgrass just above the soil line. Juice immediately or store chilled.

Growing wheatgrass is very low maintenance once sprouted. With the right conditions it will grow quickly and can be harvested multiple times from the same tray before re-planting.

Juicing Wheatgrass

To release all the nutrients from wheatgrass, it’s best to juice it. Wheatgrass juicers are small, inexpensive machines designed specially for juicing wheatgrass.

You can also use a normal centrifugal juicer, but some nutrient loss may occur due to the high speed blade.

To juice wheatgrass:

1. Harvest 1-2 ounces of wheatgrass per shot.
2. Rinse under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Feed wheatgrass into your juicer, adding 1-2 ounces at a time.
4. Run pulp through the juicer a second time to maximize juice output.
5. Drink wheatgrass juice immediately for best flavor and nutritional value.
6. Store any unused juice in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

How to Take Wheatgrass Shots

When taking a wheatgrass shot, use the following tips:

• Dilute it – Straight wheatgrass juice has an intense, bitter flavor. Dilute with 1-2 oz water or juice.
• Follow with fruit – Chase it with a slice of orange or lemon to help mask the bitterness.
• Do it fast – Shoot back the juice quickly rather than sipping to avoid lingering bitterness.
• Rinse after – Swish some water in your mouth after taking the shot.
• Add to smoothies – Add 1 oz wheatgrass juice to fruit and veggie smoothies.

It may take some time to acquire the taste for straight wheatgrass juice. But the bitterness comes from the high concentration of nutrients and chlorophyll in wheatgrass.

Storing Wheatgrass Juice

For best quality, wheatgrass juice should be consumed immediately after juicing. However, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To maintain nutritional value, store wheatgrass juice in an airtight container and fill it to the very top to minimize air exposure. After 24 hours, some enzymes in the juice will start to degrade.

If the scent, color, or taste of the juice changes, it’s best to discard it rather than drink degraded wheatgrass juice.

Freezing Wheatgrass Juice

Freezing is another option for preserving your wheatgrass juice. Again, use an airtight container filled to the top. Glass jars or mason jars work well.

Wheatgrass juice can be stored frozen up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.

Freezing maximizes retention of nutrients like vitamins A and C. But some loss of certain enzymes will still occur.

Drying Wheatgrass

You can also dry fresh wheatgrass leaves and powder them to use in supplements, smoothies, and other foods.

To dry wheatgrass:

1. Harvest wheatgrass when 6-8 inches tall.
2. Rinse and pat dry with a towel.
3. Use a dehydrator or warm oven to dry the wheatgrass leaves.
4. Process the crispy dried leaves into a fine powder.
5. Store the wheatgrass powder in an airtight container.

Dried wheatgrass powder will maintain most of its nutritional value for 6-12 months. You can take it as capsules or add it to foods and drinks.

Potential Side Effects

When consuming wheatgrass, some potential side effects include:

• Nausea
• Headaches
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Allergic reactions
• Mold contamination (from home grown wheatgrass)

Start with a small dose and gradually increase. Avoid wheatgrass if you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should exercise caution, as not enough research has been done on its safety during pregnancy.

The Bottom Line

When making fresh wheatgrass shots at home, you’ll need around 1-2 ounces or 30-60 ml of wheatgrass juice per shot. Most 10 inch trays of home grown wheatgrass will produce 15-30 shots.

Look for bright green, sweet smelling grass when harvesting wheatgrass. Juice it right away for maximum nutritional potency. Wheatgrass juice can be consumed immediately, stored chilled up to 3 days, or frozen for 6 months.

Drink your daily wheatgrass shot fast and chase it with something sweet to mask the intense bitterness. While wheatgrass may not be the tastiest superfood, its stellar nutritional profile makes it worth the effort.