Juicing has become a rage nationally. After Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead hit the Internet and Netflix viewing population, the level of interest in juicing doubled. Many individuals hit their local department stores an plunked down $200 or more to purchase a juicer. They juiced for a week and that was that. There was an expensive juicer collecting dust or shoved under the sink. Juicing is an excellent avenue that can boost your craving for fruits and vegetables. In addition, properties in many fruits and veggies contain high levels of antioxidants, which can become a cabinet created by Mother Nature. If you want to try juicing, but aren't sure if you'll stick with it, there is a solution. Pull out your blender and read away.
Slice your Mix
Take the time to slice your apples, peel your oranges, slice your bananas, chop your sweet potatoes, beets and carrots. You don't want to toss any whole fruit or veggies in your blender. This will burn the motor out in no time. Cucumbers, and tomatoes may be softer veggies, but you want to slice these as well. Freezing fresh Spinach and Kale as a base allows you to crumble it into the blender as a healthier base.
Use Water
So, your veggies and fruit are sitting beautifully sliced and diced in your blender. Now is not the time to just hit blend. Your blender will burn out. Grab a cup and add about a half to a full cup of water. It all depends how much veggies and fruit you put into the blender. You basically want to add water until it hits the halfway point of the veggie/fruit mix.
Toss in Ice
A cold juice just tastes better. Grab a few cubes of ice and toss it atop. Many people enjoy or prefer coconut water or coconut water frozen cubes. Feel free to toss that. Adding in a slice of lemon or lime is also deliciously refreshing.
Blend it Up
You want to start with chopping the ingredients. Select chop on the blender until you stop hearing the ice and mix blend down. From there locate a setting for liquify and you want to keep it there. Typically, three to five minutes is sufficient to blend down your ingredients perfectly.
Strain it Out
Most videos will tell you to use a cheesecloth. Personally, a cheesecloth was a bit complicated. You can hit your local dollar store and purchase a filter (yes the same one you use to drain your pasta.) Avoid the filters that have larger drains. A mesh filter would work perfect. Grab a large bowl, hold the filter above it and pour your mix into the filter. Use a spoon or fork to move the mix around in the filter. This helps to drain it faster into the bowl.
Transfer and Taste
Pour your juice into a large cup and enjoy. As far as the pulp, there are a couple of options. If you are on a juice fast, it's best to toss it. If you are simply incorporating juicing into your everyday life, the pulp can be used for cooking. If you have a mix of veggies and fruit in the pulp, store in the fridge to keep it cold. Pull out chicken, add basil and salt to the fruit/veggie mix, and add a splash of olive oil in a baking dish. Layer the
pulp out on the pan and place the chicken atop. Bake slow and steady and it adds a delicious taste to your chicken dinner. If you used just a fruit base, save the pulp to add to oatmeal.
The Final Word
Juicing has tremendous benefits. Between a natural elixir of health, it also will turn on your love for veggies. Be creative when juicing, mix and match color schemes. Kale, kiwi, broccoli and cucumber make an awesome green mix. Carrots, sweet potato and tomato make a delicious pink mix. Beets, blueberries and spinach make a purple healthy juice. Have fun with it, the more you juice, the healthier you will be!
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