If you came here looking for advice on how you can benefit from the power of juicing, then you have come to the right spot. This article is packed full of great ideas and suggestions, as well as information on how juicing at home can benefit you and your health.
Peel citrus fruits before you put them in your juicer. The thick peels of citrus fruits will make your juice taste unpleasant, provide no real health benefit, and can even be harmful. The greatest benefit from citrus fruits comes from the white pith just below the peel, so be sure to retain that when juicing.
Use the ripest and sweetest apples when you make apple juice. Make sure to get rid of the bruises if you plan on using bruised apples. Try apples, such as Fuji, Gala, and Rome for your juice. Those apples are some of the richest and sweetest tasting available.
If you want your juice to be very smooth and free of pulp, try using a coffee filter or cheese cloth to strain it after it comes out of the juicer. Also keep in mind that the softer the produce used, the thicker the juice tends to be for example, tomato juice.
If you’re serious about juicing, you should dedicate a cool, dark area of your house to storing produce which can be kept long-term. For example, apples can be kept in the garage over the winter as long as they’re not allowed to freeze. Just wash them, get rid of any bad ones, and store them in a covered but breathable container.
You don’t have to buy a fancy juicer to start juicing, you can use a blender or food processor just to get the hang of it. In fact, a food processor can do just as good a job as a juicer! I also picked up an inexpensive citrus juicer, though, as I found doing it manually hurt my hands.
Don’t just make fresh juice, keep the choices fresh as well. When you go to the farmer’s market, produce stand or grocery store, look for new fruits or vegetables you haven’t tried before. Not only will you bring much needed variety to your juicing, but also discover new and exciting produce to add to your meals.
Juicing will lead you to more ingredients than just produce! Try spices like cayenne or cinnamon, or nutrition-packed additions like spirulina. You can even put a little honey and yogurt in once in a while for a sweet, smooth treat. Make sure to use only non-fat, unsweetened dairy to keep the resulting produce healthy.
When juicing leafy vegetables like spinach, ball the leaves together. If you form your vegetable leafs into a ball, like crumpled paper for instance, you will give a more solid mass for the juicer to work with. This will prevent small pieces of leaves from showing up in your juice and affecting the consistency.
Leaving some seeds in your juicer is perfectly fine! Larger seeds such as cherry pits or sometimes citrus seeds might actually damage your juicer, though, so it’s best to consider the size and firmness of the seeds in the items you’re juicing before throwing them in whole with reckless abandon!
While you can keep the skin on fruit like apples or pears when you juice, some fruit actually have toxic skin. For example, citrus zest is fine for you, but the white part is bitter for a reason! Mango and papaya also have skin which is toxic to humans, so don’t include that in your juice.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is that a great way to add sweetness to all kinds of juice is through the use of apples. This is important because you can avoid using pure sugar or artificial sweeteners and use something that has its own health benefits.
Drinking juice that is at room temperature is better for digestion than drinking cold juice, so leave your fruit and vegetables out overnight to ensure that they’re warm enough when you begin to juice them. If you want a cool treat during the summer, pour your juice into ice cube trays and suck on the cubes you create! You can also freeze the juice and eat it like ice cream.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is to use a variety of ingredients, not only to keep yourself interested, but also so that your body gets the best variety of nutrients. This is important because your body needs many different types of nutrients from many sources in order to function properly.
While carrots are indeed a high glycemic vegetable, studies have shown that carrot juice can actually help keep blood sugar levels stable. Including it in your juice, can sweeten up bitter vegetables like dark leafy greens, plus, it adds a smooth texture to the drink. Even a diabetic can appreciate that!
One great way to get kids involved in juicing is by having them pick the fruits and vegetables you use! You can take them to a farm to choose their own apples, or to a farmer’s market. Give them each $5 and let them pick whatever they’d like to try. Have them choose one or two ingredients and then you can supply the base, like leafy green vegetables. Don’t ever say they chose the wrong thing, just use less of it so no one will notice if it’s not tasty.
You don’t have to know a lot in order to juice. Part of the fun is experimenting and learning what you like and don’t like. This article has shown you just how easy it can be to start in the process, but the fun part is up to you.
