choosing fruits – Juice Health Benefits & Recipes

04 May

Best Bananas for Banana Juice and How to Choose Them

By choosing the best bananas for juicing, a smoothie made fresh in your kitchen from any combination of other additional fruits can be a refreshing and nutritious treat, especially on a warm day.

Banana Varieties

Usually harvested and shipped while green, the potassium-rich tropical fruit is one of the few in which better flavor develops when ripened off of the bush. There are hundreds of varieties of bananas, the Cavendish being the ever-popular yellow specimen on display in our supermarkets. Other bananas that have made their appearance in some United States markets include the red banana, which is shorter and sweeter than the Cavendish, and the large, firm plantain, favored for cooking in Latin American cuisine.

How To Pick A Ripe Banana

When browsing the produce aisle, look for plump bananas and consider how soon you will be using them. Peak ripeness is evidenced by yellow skin flecked with brown specks. If you do not intend to use the bananas in the next couple of days, opt for those that still bear green tints at the ends and along the edges. These still require further ripening to yield optimum flavor and texture. While ripening, keep bananas stored at room temperature, uncovered. Once ripening is complete, bananas may be stored in the refrigerator. Cool temperatures will cause the peel to turn dark brown, however the flesh will remain unchanged for several days.

Avoid any fruits with dark, soft blemishes that are indicative of bruising. Once bananas are cut and exposed to air, they will begin to brown immediately. You can retard this process by brushing the exposed banana with lemon juice.

Making Banana Juice?

Bananas actually do not yield any significant amount of juice; attempts to juice one will likely result in a blob of mush which can clog some juicers. This makes bananas ideal thickening agents for combination fruit juices or smoothies, and they provide enough sweetness that adding sugar becomes unnecessary. Juice other fruits in along with the banana and you will be rewarded with a smooth, refreshing and flavorful beverage. Pineapples, oranges, strawberries, melons, grapes, blueberries, papaya and kiwi all marry well with bananas, use any combination that your creativity conjures up. You can add a little zip by throwing a lime into the mix.

If you have an abundance of ripened bananas, you can freeze them to try another trick. Place frozen bananas into a juicer that has a blank plate or a homogenizing function. The pulp tube will present the purest, smoothest and healthiest banana ice cream that is free of added fat and sugar.

Choosing the best bananas for juicing and combining them with other fruits in your juicer is the perfect way to enjoy the luscious flavors, bright colors and healthy benefits of fruit.

01 May

Best Peaches For Peach Juice And How To Choose Them

There are few things more refreshing on a hot summer afternoon than a tall glass of homemade peach juice. This sweet and aromatic treat can easily be made at home using a juicer and fresh fruit. Not all peaches are suitable for juicing, but the following list of the best peaches for juicing can help you choose the right fruits to create this refreshing drink.

Clingstone Peaches

Grown throughout the Northern hemisphere, these peaches are in season from early May to late August. Unfortunately, they may be difficult to find outside of farmer’s markets. Clingstones are aptly named because the flesh clings to the pit, or stone. With soft flesh and a delectably sweet flavor, these juicy gems are perfect for making juice. Just remember to remove the pit before tossing them in a juicer!

Freestone Peaches

More readily available at grocery stores, freestone peaches are so named because the pit is easy to remove from the flesh. Available from late May to mid-October, these peaches are less juicy than their clingstone counterparts but still yield a fair amount of juice. They also are generally the largest type of peach and still have a very sweet flavor that makes a delicious juice.

Choosing Peaches for Juicing

The best peaches for juicing are ripe, aromatic and slightly tender. A ripe peach has large patches of reddish-blue color with only a little yellow showing. Ripe peaches are also more rounded in shape and feel heavy. Choose the heaviest peaches you can find for juicing, as heavier fruits produce more juice.

30 Apr

Best Pineapples For Pineapple Juice And How To Choose Them

Pineapple is a tropical fruit with an exotic appearance and sweet, tangy taste. Not only do these fruits taste delicious, but they also are loaded with nutrients and vitamins that are an essential part of a healthy diet. The fruit has a high concentration of manganese, a vitamin that is not produced by the body but is important for the regulation of blood sugar levels, wound healing and healthy skin. Pineapples are also an excellent source of vitamin C, which contributes to the formation of collagen and a healthy immune system. The vitamin B1 in pineapple helps the body develop energy from carbohydrates. Pineapples are also a great source of bromelain, an enzyme that helps the digestive system break down foods and removes toxins from the bloodstream.

One of the best ways to reap these benefits is to enjoy a refreshing glass of pineapple juice. The following guide will help you select the best pineapples for juicing.

Types of Pineapple

Smooth Cayenne Pineapple is one of the best pineapples for juicing. Luckily, it is also one of the most commonly available types of pineapple in the United States. The fruit’s outer shell tends to be light yellow-green, and the interior flesh is a light yellow shade. This type of pineapple has a high concentration of both sugar and acid, which gives it a sweet but tangy taste that is ideal for juices.

Natal Queen Pineapples are bright yellow inside and may be almost orange when ripe. These pineapples have an exceptionally sweet taste with less of the tanginess found in other pineapples.

Sugar Loaf Pineapples are another one of the best pineapples for juicing, but they may be difficult to find in the United States. These pineapples are more narrow and smooth than other types and are characterized by their juiciness and light taste.

Choosing the Best Pineapples

When selecting a pineapple for juicing, look for ripeness and deterioration. The skin should be a vibrant yellow, especially around the fruit’s base. Smell the base after examining it. A light pineapple scent should be detected if the fruit is ripe. The pineapple should feel firm and yield only slightly upon touching.

A deteriorated pineapple should never be used for juicing. If the pineapple is wrinkled, soft or smells fermented, throw it out immediately.

How Long Does A Pineapple Last

A ripe pineapple will last between three and five days, but it is best to get the fruit in the juicer as soon as it is ripe. Using a juicer immediately after the fruit is ripened will create a glass of fresh, flavorful and tangy juice.

28 Apr

Best Raspberries for Raspberry Juice And How to Choose Them

Making your own fruit juices at home is easy, and it can be a great way to have something that is not only delicious, but a great source of antioxidants as well. Berries of all types are known to be among the most nutrient-dense foods in the world, and they have the added benefit of tasting incredibly good. Raspberries are one of the best tasting berries available, and fresh raspberry juice can brighten anyone’s summer day. Investing in a juicer is well worth it if you want to add nutrient-packed berry juice to you everyday diet.

Different Types of Raspberries

Several different types of raspberries are cultivated in the United States, and raspberries can often be found growing in the wild as well. All types of raspberries can be turned into excellent juice, although the wild varieties will yield slightly less juice than the cultivated ones. The best raspberries for juicing are going to depend highly on individual preference. Black raspberries make extremely good juice, though some people prefer the more delicate taste of juice made from red raspberries.

Where to Get Berries

U-Pick farms are a good source for berries if you don’t already have some growing in your home garden. You can pick as much as you like at these places and only pay a relatively small amount for your fruit. Picking berries for juice from the wild is another option if you live in a rural area where you have access to wild fruits.

How to Pick the Raspberries

If a raspberry doesn’t look fresh, feel firm and have good color, it’s probably past its prime, so leave it on the bush and let the birds have it. The best raspberries for juicing are plump, fresh berries that have just reached ripeness. Raspberries don’t have a long period of time in which they’re at their peak. Morning is the best time to go raspberry picking because you’ll be able to get the berries before the heat of the day causes them to begin to go bad. If you’re picking in the wild or in a home garden, always pick the fruits that are high enough off of the ground where roaming animals haven’t been able to relive themselves on them.

How to Make Raspberry Juice

With the right juicer, making raspberry juice in your home kitchen is easy. One of the most important things that you need to remember is to make the juice quickly after picking the berries, since raspberries tend to spoil very quickly. Be sure to choose a juicer with a fine screen so that the seeds are trapped in it. With proper equipment, you’ll soon be enjoying fresh raspberry juice on summer mornings.

27 Apr

Best Redcurrants for Redcurrant Juice And How to Choose Them

Redcurrants are quite tart, which is why many people have trouble simply eating them off of the bush. If you select the best redcurrants for juicing, the juice can be made into juice with the use of a juicer, which in turn can be used to create several different culinary delights such as red currant jelly or red current pie. The juice can also be sweetened with sugar or honey and enjoyed as a refreshing beverage that’s exceptionally rich in Vitamin C.

How to Choose Red Currants for Juice

Redcurrants can grow almost anywhere, and are easy to pick because they grow in strings rather than as individual berries. Harvesting red currants for juicing is most efficiently done with just a pair of small garden scissors. Selecting the best redcurrants for juicing is simply a matter of picking out the plumpest and juiciest of the berries after the strings are cut from the branches. Redcurrants are very prolific as well as quite long-lived, and they will grow in soil that many types of plants will not grow in. Just one or two bushes can supply a family with all the redcurrant juice that they need.

Making Juice From Redcurrants

Making juice from redcurrants is easy if you’ve got a juicer. Freezing the juice to use in winter is a good idea too, because redcurrant juice freezes very well. Some people ad a bit of orange juice to redcurrant juice for an interesting variation in flavor.

25 Apr

Best Strawberries For Strawberry Juice And How To Choose Them

Strawberries, one of the richest fruits in terms of antioxidants and nutrients. Many people do not realize there are over 600 different cultivars of these delicious berries in existence. These strawberries are either organically grow pure forms, wild strawberries, or cultivated hybrids. Most of the berries you encounter at the grocery store are genetically altered hybrid versions of the former two.

What do people do with these strawberries? Most people purchase strawberries from the store to eat them plain or with sugar. A small section of the population cooks or bakes with them. A rapidly growing number of consumers have chosen to reap the benefits of this super fruit by juicing them.

Juicing the berries gives the drinker a super packed punch of the nutrients you would normally get from eating the berries. This concentrated version of the berry packs a ton of anti-cancer health benefits. These berries also contain a large dose of vitamin C which is linked to reducing bad cholesterol.

How do you know which are the best strawberries for juicing?

It is a well-known concept that most of the strawberries and other produce at the grocery store has been sprayed with pesticides to keep away bugs, wax to make it look more presentable, and/or coloring to make it appear riper. Some of these procedures are dangerous to the consumer and the environment. The easiest way to sidestep these unwanted additives is to buy berries that are locally grown and organic.

How To Pick Fresh Strawberries

-Pick only the strawberries that are a full and deep red.
-Be sure to test the berries for firmness: a ripe berry is firm and not mushy
-Check for damage to the berry from vines, twigs, and insects
-Ask where these berries were grown

Storing Strawberries

These berries will be much quicker to mold and go rotten than other berries bought from the store because of the lack of dangerous preservatives. Because of this, it is important to only pick enough berries to use in your juicer in a week unless you plan on freezing them. The very best strawberries for juicing are fresh picked strawberries that have been washed and hulled.

Juicing Strawberries

-Be sure to full wash the berries with produce soap
-Remove the hull from the berries
-Cut strawberries in smaller sections to better fit them in your juicer
-Add other fruits/vegetables to make up for the soluble fiber you are missing out on by juicing them
-Clean your juicer thoroughly to make sure it functions properly every time and does not get stained by the strawberry’s pigment

So what are you waiting for? Pop a few of these strawberries in your juice-maker and enjoy the health benefits.

21 Apr

Best Papayas For Papaya Juice And How To Choose Them

How Many Kinds Of Papayas Are There

If you are making papaya juice with or without a juicer, then your choices may be limited. The best papayas for juicing are the Mexican and Hawaiian. The Mexican red papaya is the kind that you would normally see in grocery stores. They are light red in color and do not have as sweet of a taste as the Hawaiian papayas. Hawaiian papayas are very sweet and yellow in color. However, not many grocery stores sell them. You would need to search farmer’s markets and specialty stores to find them. If you like a juice that is sweet, then the Hawaiian fruits are the best papayas for juicing.

Picking the Right Fruit

When you are looking for a papaya, you need to pay attention to the color. Avoid getting fruits that are green because these have been freshly picked and are not ripe yet. Choose a fruit that is bright with little to no brown spots. Make sure the outside of the fruit is hard and smooth. You can use the papayas to make juice by hand or in a juicer.

13 Apr

Best Limes For Lime Juice And How To Choose Them

With spring and summer on the horizon, it’s time to bust out that juicer and get ready for some fresh-squeezed lime juice. Limes are a key ingredient in many warm weather beverages and food recipes. To prepare for the season, take a look at the varieties of limes that are on the market, learn which are best for juicing and how to tell when a lime is ready for juicing.

What limes are the best for juicing?

There are two kinds of limes that are commonly found in supermarkets and are categorized as the best limes for juicing. Each offers something slightly different from the other. The first is the Persian, or otherwise known as the Tahitian, lime. Seedless Persian limes are larger than other limes, generally about the size of your fist. They have a thick skin and juice that is slightly tart, but overall less potent than other varieties. Key limes, or Mexican limes, are smaller, more aromatic limes. Although key limes are only about the size of a golf ball, they are loaded with juice that is distinguishable by its acidic, bitter flavor.

How to select the best limes for juicing?

Limes are extremely sour until they are mature, so it is important to understand when a lime is ready to be juiced. The first thing you want to look for is a nice light green color. Limes turn yellow once they are ripe, and the juice becomes bitter and undesirable. Check the skin of the lime. You want limes with a smooth, unwrinkled skin. Limes that have a wrinkled surface have already begun drying out and will not be able to provide you with a sufficient amount of lime juice. Surface blemishes on the skin are no problem, as you will not be using the skin. Limes should feel heavy or have a plumpness, as they will be full of juice. If limes are ready for juicing, they should feel slightly soft when pressure is applied.

Now you have selected the best limes for juicing. The next part relies completely on your juicer. With minimal effort, you can have the most refreshing, best tasting lime juice for all of your spring and summer delights.

12 Apr

Best Kiwis For Kiwi Juice And How To Choose Them

Kiwifruit, most often times shortened to kiwi, is one of the most nutritionally dense fruits known thus far. These small, round, fuzzy fruits are in fact berries!

What are the best kiwis for juicing?

There are actually 400 varieties of kiwifruit. The most commonly sold kiwi is called A.deliciosa, this is the fruit with green flesh and a tart fruity flavor. The sweetest of the varieties is called A.chinensis. This form of the fruit looks similar to it’s green variety but once sliced open, has a yellow flesh inside. The A.chinensis or Golden Kiwi has a much sweeter flavor with less acid than the green kind. This makes the Golden Kiwi the most sought after for juicing because of it’s potent fruity flavor.

How to Choose the Best Kiwis for Juicing:

Find a fruit that is undamaged, do not worry about the size of the fruit as that does not matter
Be sure the kiwi is firm but not hard, a hard fruit will produce as little flavor as a mushy fruit
Look for roundness of the fruit, if it is flat on one side is has been sitting for quite some time and is therefore undesirable for juicing
Smell the kiwi’s outer surface, if ripe it should have a sweet smell to it
If there are no fully ripened kiwis, buy the most ripe and place them in a paper bag on the counter
Placing an apple in the paper bag with the kiwis will promote a faster ripening time

Putting Your Kiwis Through Your Juicer

Cleanse kiwis completely with warm water and a produce soap
You may remove the skin but your juicer should take it off anyway so this step is not mandatory
Cut the fruit into smaller pieces so it is easier to process
Pass fruit through processor
Add other ingredients you wish to make the juice more flavorful
Stir fruit juice to make sure it is fully incorporated
You may wish to strain the juice to remove the kiwi’s small black seeds
Enjoy!

This fruit juice is high in vitamin C, actually containing four times the amount of the vitamin in a similarly sized orange! The health benefits of this small fruit are tremendous and most readily available to the consumer when passed through a juicer. The juice may be mixed with several other fruits or vegetables to maximize the potential for vitamins and minerals. Instead of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, juice them!

09 Apr

Best Guavas For Guava Juice And How To Choose Them

Guavas have been popular with juicers for a long time, and many Mexican beverages use guava juice as a base. The entire fruit can be used, so there’s no need to prepare the fruit before running it through your juicer. The skin does have a different taste from the flesh, however, so you may wish to experiment with each when you begin juicing.

What are the Best Guavas for Juicing?

Guava is a tropical fruit native to Mexico and South America; they’ve also very popular in Hawaii. There are three main types of guava tree: pineapple guava, strawberry guava and apple guava. The apple guava is the most commonly found in grocery stores and has the best flavor and texture for juicing.

Many areas will only have one variety of guava available. In areas where guava are easily grown, however, multiple types of fruits have been developed, each with a unique flavor and texture. Some of the best guavas for juicing are the Beaumont, China White and Mexican cream. All guavas make great juice, however, so don’t be discouraged by the lack of variety at the market.

How to Choose a Guava at Market

Guavas are available for much of the year, especially in the late spring, summer, and early fall. The best variety of guava is usually available at a Mexican market, although most regular supermarkets do sell them as well. The fruits vary from pear to oval shaped and will have a firm but pliable feeling when squeezed.

Overripe guava will be very soft to the touch and will have a less pleasant flavor, while hard underripe guava will not be as good for juicing. A ripe guava will smell pungent and sweet. The skin can have a few spots, but it should not have any sign of mold or deep bruising. Guava will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator or a week at room temperature.