Tag Archives: choosing fruits

11 Apr

Best Jackfruits For Jackfruit Juice And How To Choose Them

Jackfruit is the largest fruit in the world, sometimes weighing as much as 80 pounds, although the average jackruit weighs much less. Nonetheless, one single jackfruit will produce a lot of juice. Jackfruit is high in heart-healthy potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin A and essential minerals. Jackfruit is only grown in the tropics, so those wanting to use a juicer to make jackfruit juice in their homes will most likely have to purchase the fruit at a store. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry jackfruit, you may have better luck at an Asian market.

How to Tell if a Jackfruit is Ripe

The best jackfruits for juicing are those that have just reached a ripened stage. Over-ripened jackfruit may have a strongly musty taste and an unpleasant odor, so be careful while you’re selecting one to make juice out of. Unripened jackfruit will be a pale green color, hard to the touch and won’t have any scentat all. Jackfruit that is ripe and ready for juicing will be yellowing-brown and exude a noticeable but not unpleasant aroma, as well as be soft enough to the touch so that it “gives” a little .

Different Types of Jackfruits

Only two general types of jackfruits exist. The best type of jackfruits for juicing are the ones available for commercial sale, since the lesser known varieties rarely make it into mainstream retail outlets. The cultivar “Black Gold” is often used for juicing because of its sweet, strong taste and the ease of removing the flesh from the fruit. Making jackfruit juice is easy, but it’s important to filter out the seeds, because the best jackfruits for juicing also have seeds that can provide a tasty snack.

best jackfruits for juicing

Eating Jackfruit Seeds

After you’ve done your magic with your juicer and created some fresh, delicious jackfruit juice to drink, you can prepare the seeds in several different ways. They can be boiled for five minutes and then browned in a frying pan. Jackfruit seeds can even be microwaved as long as they are put into a bag in case they explode. Many people like to use them in soups and stews, and they can be roasted in the same manner that you would roast chestnuts over the coals of a fire.

Jackfruits have been fairly little-known among average consumers until recently, but lately, more and more people have been discovering their taste and health benefits.

10 Apr

Best Figs For Fig Juice And How To Choose Them

Figs have a very soft flesh filled with small, edible seeds. This makes it an ideal candidate for juicing with a masticating juicer or other manual device. If you do use a mechanical juicer, be sure to clean out the machine frequently during juicing as the flesh can easily clog the blades.

What are the Best Figs for Juicing?

Figs are a unique fruit in that they actually flower inside of the fruit itself. They range widely in size and color, although all have a similar texture and flavor. In America, most figs are grown in California and shipped throughout the country. Most harvest figs are dried, but some are available fresh for juicing or eating raw.

Some of the best varieties of fig for juicing are the Brown Turkey, Celeste and Mission. These are all moist, meaty varieties of fig that have a lot of juice and thin skin. Other varieties are better for drying due to their dry flesh or thicker skins. Most dark-skinned figs are better for juicing, while those with yellow or green skin are best for drying and are usually not sold fresh in markets.

best figs for juicing

How to Choose a Fig at Market

Figs ripen at the end of the summer, with most available in stores from August through October. Other figs are available year-round, but they have a slightly different flavor and may not be as rich or sweet.

The best figs for juicing will be extremely ripe and soft to the touch. When squeezed, a ripe fig will burst open at the bottom, and you will be able to feel the insides moving when you apply pressure to the skin. Many figs in the market are picked before they’re ripe and will have a firmer skin. Figs will not continue to ripen once they’ve been picked. They are edible when firm, but the flavor will not be as pronounced.

Some tears in the fig’s skin are to be expected, but don’t choose any fruit that’s been heavily damaged or smashed. Also be sure to smell the fruit to detect any hint of fermentation. The fig will have a small dimple the bottom; this should be visibly moist.

After picking, figs must be kept refrigerated and are best if prepared immediately. Figs can begin to spoil after just a few hours left at room temperature.

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.

best guavas for juicing

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.

08 Apr

Best Gooseberries For Gooseberry Juice And How To Choose Them

Gooseberries are related to currants, although the flavor is somewhat different and the fruit is much larger. They have been cultivated since the Middle Ages and are well-known for certain medicinal qualities that make them popular with juicers today. When juicing, it’s a good idea to frequently clear the juicer to remove pulp and seeds. These fruits can can also be juiced by hand.

What are the Best Gooseberries for Juicing?

There are two main varieties of gooseberry, the small American gooseberry and large European gooseberry. Gooseberries in general are not a popular fruit in America, and it may be difficult to find them outside of New England. They’re growing in popularity among gardeners, however, so they can often be picked up at farmer’s markets. In the UK, they’re quite common and used in many local dishes.

Some of the most common varieties of fruits in the US are Pixwell, Welcome and Hinnonmaki Red. These plants are available through mail-order nurseries for people interested in growing them. Otherwise, there will likely only be one local variety of gooseberry available at the farmer’s market or grocery store. As the fruit begins to gain popularity throughout the country, more varieties may become available.

best gooseberries for juicing

How to Select a Gooseberry at Market

Gooseberries are edible at two stages of ripeness. When they’re young, they’re yellow-green in color and translucent. These have a tart taste and very firm skin. More mature berries will be deep red and will have somewhat softer flesh and a sweeter taste. Depending on your tastes, the sweeter mature berries may be best for juicing.

The best gooseberries for juicing will be firm to the touch without any soft spots or blemishes. Berries change from green to red while ripening, and become sweeter as they develop. Golden-skinned berries have a balance of tartness and sweetness that makes them especially versatile.

Berries will not continue to ripen once harvested. If you cannot find red-ripe berries, you can reduce the tartness by poaching the berries prior to juicing them. This will mellow the flavor without damaging the nutritional content of the berry too much.

07 Apr

Best Plums for Plum Juice and How to Choose Them

With over 2,000 varieties of plums to choose from, determining the best plums for juicing can be challenging. Understanding how commercial growers cultivate and ship plums to markets helps narrow down choices. As plum flavors range from sweet to tart, personal preference comes into play as well.

The growing season for plums is from mid-spring to early fall. Plums that appear in markets during this period are usually domestically grown and are more likely to be sweet and ripe. During the off-season, markets may purchase plums from other areas of the world, but these plums are typically picked too soon so that their hardness will protect them in shipping. While you can buy plums that are not quite ripe and allow them to ripen at home, they will not become any sweeter.

The best plums for juicing, then, will be those that are picked ripe, according to their season. Different varieties come to fruition throughout the season, making it possible to enjoy plums in your juicer through much of the year.

Early Season Arrivals

Red Beauts are usually the first plums available in the market each year. They are yellow with a bright red skin and have a mild flavor. Black Beauts follow, with a reddish purple skin and flesh that reddens as it matures. While Black Beauts are larger than the Reds, their skin has a tarter taste.

Mid-Season Winner

Available in the heat of summer, when you look to your juicer for a refreshing beverage, La Roda plums may just be the best plums for juicing. La Roda plums have a dark, freckled red-purple skin that is thin and delicate. The fruit is golden yellow, sweet and full of juice.

Late Season Plums

Friars have the deep, purple-black skin that many people associate with plums. Their pale yellow fruit is sweet and juicy, although the skin is quite tart. Friars have a small pit, too, which makes them a good choice for the juicer.

best plums for juicing

Shopping for Plums

Aside from picking plums in season, look for plums that are plump and that have an even color. They should feel slightly soft but never mushy. Avoid those with wrinkled skin. Plums taste sweetest when juiced at room temperature.

While it’s best to purchase ripe plums for juicing, you can help complete the ripening process by placing them in a paper bag at room temperature. Ripe plums can be refrigerated for up to three days.

06 Apr

Best Tomatoes For Tomato Juice And How To Choose Them

Tomato juice is a delicious source of many vitamins and nutrients, but choosing the best tomatoes for juicing can be difficult. With a quality juicer and fine tomatoes, you can easily create tasty and healthy juice at home. The following guide will help you choose the best tomatoes for juicing.

Porter Tomatoes

These plum-shaped tomatoes are great for juicing because they yield an incredible amount of juice. With an intensely sweet flavor, few seeds and thin skin, Porter tomatoes are ideal for using with your home juicer.

Roma Tomatoes

Easy to obtain at grocery stores throughout the year, Roma tomatoes are plum-shaped, meaty and have few seeds. These characteristics make them great for juicing.

Mountain Pride Tomatoes

Developed by North Carolina State University, this tomato variety is ideal for juicing. Mountain Pride Tomatoes are large, flavorful, firm and contain very little seeds.

best tomatoes for juicing

Choosing The Best Tomatoes for Juicing at the Market

Tomatoes are available year-round at most local grocery stores, but shop during the summer for the best and most fresh varieties. Select the reddest tomatoes available, but look for blemishes or bruises that may indicate a problem with the inner flesh. The tomatoes should be heavy and soft. Heavier tomatoes contain more juice. Smell is the best benchmark for ripeness. The tomato should smell fresh and slightly sweet.

05 Apr

Best Grapefruits For Grapefruit Juice And How To Choose Them

Grapefruit juice is refreshing, tart and balanced with the perfect amount of natural sweetness. This delicious juice can have a complex and robust taste but should never be bitter or overly sour. The following guide to the best grapefruits for juicing can help you create a well-balanced and tasty juice at home.

Pink Grapefruits

The two types of pink grapefruits are known for their bright color and mild but balanced flavor. Thompsons are one of the best grapefruits for juicing because they are seedless and less bitter than other varieties. Foster Pink Flesh grapefruits are less suited for juicing because they have a higher concentration of seeds than other varieties.

White Grapefruits

One of the best grapefruits for juicing, the White Marsh is nearly seedless and extraordinarily juicy. The richly flavored fruit is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, resulting in a complex and delicious juice.

best grapefruits for juicing

Red Grapefruits

The Ruby Red grapefruit is one of the world’s most popular varieties due to its seedless interior and vibrant color. The fruits are less suitable for predictable juicing because they range in flavor from sweet to slightly bitter or tart. Star Ruby grapefruits are sweeter than the Ruby Red variety but are also more firm, making them more difficult to juice.

From the Grocer to the Juicer

Selecting the proper grapefruit is the most important part of producing a refreshing and delicious juice. Never choose a fruit that is completely yellow. Look for a fruit that has a bit of reddish blush on the skin.

Pick up the grapefruit and observe how it feels. The skin should be firm and smooth. Choose grapefruits that feel heavy, as they will yield more juice. Heavier fruits also tend to be a bit sweeter as well.

Imperfections on the skin may indicate internal problems as well. Avoid selecting grapefruits that have brown bumps or bruises on the skin. These imperfections often show the age of the grapefruit. Older fruits will result in a bitter and unappealing juice.

For best results, purchase grapefruits in season. Generally, the grapefruits are at their best during the winter months. Fruits purchased during the rest of the year may have been transported from farther distances. These fruits tend to have a shorter shelf-life and must be put in the juicer right away to yield a fresh taste.

Keep your grapefruits at room temperature before placing them in the juicer. Before juicing, slice the fruit into quarters and remove the skin. If seeds are present, remove as many as possible before juicing.

02 Apr

Best Blackberries For Blackberry Juice And How To Choose Them

Blackberries, like other bramble fruits, are easy to grow. Some people find them too easy, for they can become invasive in a backyard that’s been allowed to go a bit wild. However, these wild blackberries are the best blackberries for juicing, for they can be harvested straight from the canes and be in the juicer minutes later, without losing any of their freshness or nutrients. You should choose blackberries that are deep purplish-black, look like they’re about to burst with juice and come away easily from the canes. You might want to wear gloves and cover up, since the thorns of blackberries are quite fierce, though there are some varieties, like the Apache, that are thornless.

Try the Farmers’ Market

Ironically, though they can become weeds in a backyard, blackberries are expensive to buy in a store or a farmers’ market. You might want to buy some from a farmers’ market before you visit a supermarket. The farmer will be able to tell you whether the blackberries are organic or not. They might be able to tell you the variety and whether they’re good for juicing, for eating out of hand, for jam and jellies, or all three. Some blackberry varieties also store better than others. The Navajo, for example, can stay firm for up to two to three weeks after they’re picked. Blackberries bought at farmers’ markets are almost certainly locally grown and might have been picked earlier that day. With the supermarket it’s possible that the blackberries were flown in from the other side of the country and have lost much of their flavor.

Blackberries can also be bought in the frozen food section. Some of these blackberries actually retain their flavor. Blackberries can stay frozen for up to two years.

Best blackberries for juicing

Some Good Juicing Varieties

Some of the best blackberries for juicing are the Triple Crown, another thornless variety with large, sweet berries. Triple Crown berries are known to ship well. Another is Hull, which ripens in the midseason and is very sweet. The Illini Hardy is another good blackberry for the juicer, for it has a medium sized and flavorful berry. Another good blackberry for juicing is the Siskiyou, which has a long and productive season and excellent flavor.

01 Apr

Best Apricots For Apricot Juice And How To Choose Them

The best apricots for juicing are the ones you grow yourself. It’s ideal if you have an orchard with an apricot tree or two in it, or if you live near an orchard where people are allowed to pick their own fruit. You’ll know to pick the fruit when all the green color is gone and the fruit yields a bit when you press your thumb into it. Pick the fruit by twisting and gently pulling upwards. Then, slice them, remove the pits and put them in the juicer. There’s no need to remove the skin.

If Apricots Are Store Bought

Whether at the store or farmers’ market, you should pick only unblemished fruits for the juicer, jams, drying, or anything else. Any blemished or bruised fruit stored with others in a container will spoil the rest of them. They should also have that delicious, apricot fragrance, and the fruit should feel heavy for its size. Frozen apricots are tricky when it comes to juicing, for their best flavor is retained after they’ve been partially dried, then frozen.

Best apricots for juicing

Best Apricot Varieties to Juice

The best apricots for juicing are the Dwarf Sungold and Dwarf Moongold, which are midseason apricots. Also good is the Goldcot, which has a sort of tangy flavor and the Royal Blenheim, a late season apricot from California. The flavor is quite intense. Another of the best apricots for juicing is the Tomcot, which is an early fruit with a sweet taste. One apricot-plum hybrid is the Aprium, whose juice has a plummy undertaste.

27 Mar

Best Durians For Durian Juice And How To Choose Them

Durians are a favorite for juicers because they’re high in vitamins and have numerous medicinal qualities. They are also infamous for their extremely pungent, unpleasant odor. Durian fruit gives off a distinct, putrid odor that can become easily overwhelming in poorly-ventilated areas. The flesh tastes much better than it smells, though, and juicers who give them a try will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

What are the Best Durians for Juicing?

Durians are usually sold in Asian food markets as they are a common ingredient in Chinese medicine and cooking. It may be difficult to find this fruit in regular supermarkets in America. Most durians are grown in Indonesia, where they are a common fruit to buy at market. Imported varieties are all of a single species, Durio zibethinus; other species are available in Asia only.

Most durian varieties are identified through number designations rather than specific names. It’s likely that there will only be one cultivar available at the market at any given time, as the demand for durians in the US is not high enough to encourage competition.

How to Select a Durian at Market

The best durians for juicing will be those that ripened fully before harvesting. Durians grow on trees, and they are allowed to fall to the ground and ripen there for two days prior to being harvested. Fruits picked prematurely will have pale flesh and will not ripen in the market, whereas those left on the ground too long will begin to rot.

best durians for juicing

The spiky exterior is actually a husk. The fruit inside is a soft cream color. When allowed to ripen fully, durians will burst open along the husk to reveal the meat inside, but in market conditions this usually results in overripe fruit. It’s best to buy a fruit whose husk is intact or purchase the pulp after it has been removed.

When purchasing an intact durian, the first step is to check the stalk. A large, solid stem suggests a ripe fruit, while a withered or dry stem would belong to a fruit that was overripe. You can also shake the fruit. If you can hear the seeds rattling inside of it, the pulp has turned too hard and the fruit should be avoided.