By Stacey Abell for The Burlington Beacon
Give your palate a refreshing break this winter with homemade fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and methods, and I’m going to share what I’ve learned with you.
First off, let’s get something out of the way: you don’t need juice to detox your body. I'm not a medical professional, but all reputable sources seem to agree that for most of us our kidneys, liver, skin, and lungs are detoxifying around the clock without any need for special diets or supplements. Secondly, juices are not meal replacements. While they may be full of vitamins, they don’t contain the protein and fiber needed to repair cells, build muscles, and keep you full.
So why make your own juice? Frankly, I do it because I like experimenting with different flavor combinations and enjoying the delicious results. Juices are not a magical elixir but can be an occasional companion to an otherwise well-balanced diet.
Let’s talk about equipment. There are two types of juicers on the market: centrifugal and masticating (or “slow”) juicers. The centrifugal juicers have the advantage of being widely available at a low price point. However, they don’t extract as much juice, so you’ll have to use more produce. They are also not great at processing leafy greens, such as spinach and kale. The masticating juicers are much more expensive, but they maximize the amount of juice you’ll get out of those fresh fruits and veggies.
I unearthed my old centrifugal juicer from a seldom-used cabinet and put it into service for a couple of weeks. I was continually frustrated by the amount of waste. What’s a novice juicer on a limited budget to do?
I discovered that if you have an average kitchen food processor, you’re 90 percent of the way to producing your own freshly made juice. There’s a little more prep involved than with juice machines, but the results are worth it. You’ll need to make sure that any ingredients on the firm side, such as apples and carrots, are cut into bite-sized chunks. I also found that it helps to add a little water, around ¼ cup to start. Once you have everything processed, you should have a thick slurry with no lumps or chunks.
The extraction process involves a little bit of elbow grease, but think of it as upper body strength training. First, you’ll need to go to your local fabric store and pick up a length of curtain sheering. A half-yard should be enough to produce a couple of straining cloths. You’ll need as fine a mesh as possible, so I don’t recommend cheesecloth. Place your fabric in a medium bowl and pour your mixture in. Gather up the edges of the fabric and twist and squeeze to get out every last drop.
I found that I was able to produce almost twice the amount of juice with this method when compared to the centrifugal juicer. Plus, I found that the food processor and bowl were much easier to clean than the juicer.
As for the fabric, it can be hand-washed in hot water and hung to dry. Although I haven’t tried machine laundering, I would assume that laundry detergent and fabric softener would lead to some off-putting flavors in your juice. If you feel the need to use soap, a mild detergent such as Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Soap should do nicely. A mild bleach solution could be used if additional stain removal or sanitizing is in order.
When using citrus fruits and pineapple, make sure to remove the rind. It is up to you whether to peel items such as apples or cucumbers. At any rate, all produce should be well cleaned. And if you’re working with beets, use gloves. As an added bonus, the leftover pulp from your juicing efforts can be used to add extra fiber to muffins, bread or cookies. Now, let’s get to some recipes!
Beta Carotini
1 large carrot, cut into ½ inch slices
½ medium sweet potato, cubed
½ inch slice ginger root
½ apple, any variety, sliced
¼ fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1/3 cup water
Pinch of curry powder (optional)
Green Cooler
1/3 cucumber, cut into ½ inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 apple, golden or green, sliced
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
½ lime, peeled
¼ cup of water
5 mint leaves (optional)
Blueberry Bliss
1 cup blueberries
¼ fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 mandarin orange, peeled and separated into sections
¼ inch slice ginger root
Splash of lemon juice
¼ cup of water
For the above recipes, place all ingredients in the food processor and let it run for about 2 minutes. Strain through mesh fabric and squeeze to remove as much juice as possible. Each recipe yields one serving.