Basic Juicing Tricks and Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

Ok so I have to admit that I’ve always associate the Welch’s brand with either jam, jelly, or soda. But I never really bought their bottled juices before. Maybe because they never seemed to go on sale.

Anyhow, the other day I tried a bottle of their Organic 100% Concord Grape Juice and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. So first off, you know it’s going to be good for you… definitely with all the talk of antioxidants (supposedly twice the strength of that in orange juice), and 100% organic juice with no added sugar is always a plus. They also chuck in 100% vitamin C as well, so you can doubly skip the OJ.

Some people just aren’t big fans of the Concord and similar dark varieties of grape juice. I suspect it has something to do with bad memories from artificially flavored “grape” candies and sodas. Those things are about as far away from pleasant tasting grape juice as you can get.

Continue reading “Welch’s Organic Grape Juice” …

I made several similar variations on this drink featuring bok choy and celery that I’ve called the Green Dream juice drink before discovering it in another juicing book. Ok, the green apples are a bit of a stretch for an all-green drink.

Ingredients:

8-10 stalks bok choy
2 green apples
4 stalks celery
1 parsley bunch
1/4 pound of spinach

Continue reading “The Green Dream” …

If you’ve got citrus on the brain, then this juicing recipe may be for you. Featuring all citrus fruits like oranges, limes and lemons that are high in vitamin C, it may need to be sweetened a bit if you can afford to take on the sugar. Other possibilities which might be used in addition are grapefruits and kumquats, though you’ll have to adjust the balance of sweet to sour.

Ingredients:

4 medium oranges, peeled, white pith ok
1/4 lime, peeled, white pith ok
1/2 lemon, peeled, white pith ok
1 cup of water or less
sugar to taste, optional.

Continue reading “Orange You Glad Ade” …

Broccoli just seems like a great vegetable to eat, so why not juice it as well? This juicing recipe makes use of bell peppers as well, with some carrot for sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 stalks of broccoli
4 medium carrots
1/2 medium green bell pepper

Continue reading “Broccoli Bonanza” …

The other day when I was at TJ’s I took a chance on one of their juices. This is the Ginger Lemonade from Trader Joe’s and I’m actually sorry that I didn’t pick up more than one bottle.

I’ve actually had their 64 oz. Limeade bottled juice before and was quite pleased with it (though it was a bit on the extra acidic side, necessitating the addition of a bit of sugar to it). But they actually didn’t have any left when I went down there so I tried out this Ginger Lemonade in the same size bottle for $2.99.

The juice contains mostly water, organic sugar, organic lemon juice (and also from concentrate), and organic ginger juice. It’s interesting that I think there are bits of ginger inside or something so be sure to shake the bottle.

Continue reading “Trader Joe’s Ginger Lemonade” …

I found this grapefruit-centric mixer drink in a juicing book. It also centers around pineapple and rum, with some banana and strawberries to smooth things over. I think it’d be pretty good w/out the addition of rum as well. It sort of seems like a standard smoothie mixture except that the grapefruit gives it some extra zing. Remember, the banana isn’t meant to go in your juicer… use a blender for that.

Ingredients:

1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled but pith OK
3 pineapple spears, peeled
1 banana
2 strawberries
1 ounce of rum

Continue reading “Swirling Grapefruit” …

Tomatoes are a standard favorite for many people who juice vegetables, although a lot of people just think of a V-8 when they picture tomato juice.

But canned tomato juice is often salty and loaded with unwanted additives. It’s also cooked before canning. There are tons of varieties of fresh tomatoes to choose from, so why not use them instead when they’re in season? When juiced, fresh tomatoes give off a liquid that is significantly different - much more fresh and light tasting.

In addition to being an easy addition to your juicer recipes, tomatoes also have a very useful by-product which is the pulp. It can be used for salsas or for thickening up pasta sauces. Because of this, I usually try and juice it separate from other items (unless of course, they’re completmentary to the salsa in question like onions, cilantro, or parsley).

Juicing Buddies: goes with carrots, celery, asparagus, cabbage, spinach, bell peppers, onions, parsley
Vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A, C, Potassium

With summer here, we all start to think about making up tropical juice combinations. Here’s one that features pineapple and papaya as the two tropical contributions, along with carrots and orange to smooth things over. You can also use a mango instead of papaya if you’d like, or half of both.

Ingredients:

1 papaya, peeled and seeds removed
1/2 pineapple, skin removed and cut into spears
1 large orange, peeled but pith ok
2 large carrots
1/2 lime, peeled but pith ok

Continue reading “Tropical Dew Juice” …

More Langers juice? That’s right. Lately, I’ve been getting away from the more watered down stuff that relies so heavily on concentrate. Though to be clear, many juices that claim to be 100% juice forget to mention that it’s actually 100% juice FROM CONCENTRATE. A significant difference.

The Langers Apple Juice is all pure though. They blend their apples, but it’s all apple juice with no sugar or preservatives. Tastes really refreshing and, well, “apple”-ey. I think they use Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Fuji apples to make their blends (no idea on the relative amounts, though I suspect it varies).

Continue reading “Langers Apple Juice” …

I saw this recipe in a book I have… it’s not necessarily all summer fruits and veggies but it does seem like a juice recipe to use in the summer. The cucumbers in particular just seem like a vegetable that makes a big splash after spring when it’s hot out.

Ingredients:

2 large carrots
2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 sweet apple
1/2 lemon, peeled, pith ok

Continue reading “Summertime Juice” …