Juicing Tips
With our “non-stop” lifestyles, juicing is a wonderful way to be sure and get your fruits and vegetables. It is also just a tasty and easy way to feel better and get our daily nutrition.

Below are some tips for making juice just as tasty as possible and easier for you.

Get the freshest, cleanest vegetables possible. This is the hardest of all the tips. How long have the vegetables been in the market?? What are they sprayed with? Have the apples been “gassed” to make them turn red and yummy looking?? We have a Farmers Market but you have to get to know them, too. The produce that they sell could be sprayed just as much as the retailer’s.

Carrots should be very orange. Pale orange carrots are usually very dry and taste bland. I cut the tips and tops off and scrub them vigorously. I do not peel them at all.

Beets should be as dark purple as possible. Trim off tops, tips and the peel the whole outside as thin as possible. It is not easy to get all the dirt off of beets, so I just peel thinly and cut into quarters.

Spinach may be purchased in the bags that are used for salads, but I prefer the “bundles” so that I can look at the leaves and make sure they are good and green and have a wonderful color. You don’t want leaves that are discolored or overly bug-bit.

Choose watercress and parsley that is fresh and has a good color. I choose potatoes that have no eyes or dark spots. Peel thinly.

I use a Champion juicer and you have to quarter apples and potatoes. When you are using a juicer, make sure that the leafy vegetables go in first and the harder vegetables go in after. If you don’t do this the juicer will clog up faster and you may have to pull out the screen and clean it off.

I put in a handful of spinach or parsley and then add carrots or beets. It pushes the soft vegetable through and keeps the screens working. I juice apples next and leave 2-3 carrots for finishing up. It will juice them and then you will be sure that all the other vegetables are sorted through.

Don’t push the plunger too hard. Carrots and beets may have to be pushed with regular pressure, but if you push really hard and go to fast you will end up buying more right away. I learned the hard way. Push gently but firmly and let the screens do the work. It is a really good aerobic workout!

Use glass containers if you can. I use plastic pint and gallon containers, but the beet and carrot juice stains them badly and no amount of cleaning will make them look good. I am used to it, but you may want to use glass so that they don’t stain. Also, watch your counters and floors. Carrot and beet juices stain FAST. I wear old clothes and use old cloths for cleaning up. Wipe up the counter as you go.

Keep your juice refrigerated. Otherwise it will sour and may go bad quickly. There’s no point in juicing if we let the nutrients fade and the flavor turn against us.

Shake very well before you drink. If you don’t, all the solids will fall to the and the last drink will be really awful.

I keep my veggies in a cool dry place but you can always store in your crisper in your refrigerator…just remember NOT to overbuy. It is worth it to buy more often and buy less so that the veggies don’t get old or soggy.

Experiment. I have played with the amounts of greens and the amount of apples, etc. Find what you like and add seasonal stuff like cherries, strawberries and ripe cantaloupe. Use what you like and have fun with it.

Don’t think of this as work. It is fun and wait until you discover how much better you feel!
- posted by Shar @ 3:13 PM