The inside information on juicing
The juice drinks contained in this booklet were developed for the most part with flavor, texture and aroma in mind, it may also be realized that the health benefits add to the pleasurable taste experience.
95% of the nutrient content of the fruit and vegetables is found in the juice. Liquids extracted from fresh fruits and vegetables form an important part of a well-balanced healthy diet. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are an easy source of vitamins and minerals. Juices are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream therefore being the quickest way in which the body can digest nutrients.
When you make your own fruit and vegetable juices, you have complete control over what is included. Select the ingredients and decide if you need to add sugar, salt or other flavoring agents after juicing. Freshly extracted juices should be consumed immediately after they have been processed to avoid a loss of vitamin content.
Purchasing and storage of fruit and vegetables
•Always wash fruit and vegetables before juicing.
•Always use fresh fruit and vegetables for juicing.
•To save money and obtain fresher produce, purchase fruit or vegetables that are in season. Refer to the Fruit and Vegetable Facts chart (page 18 and 19).
•Keep your fruit and vegetables ready for juicing by washing and drying them before storing.
•Most fruits and hardier type vegetables can be stored at room temperature. The more delicate and perishable items such as tomatoes, berries, leafy greens, celery, cucumbers and herbs should be stored in the refrigerator until required.
Preparation of fruit and vegetables
•If using fruits with hard or inedible skins such as mangoes, guava, melons or pineapple, always peel before juicing.
•Some vegetables, such as cucumbers, can be processed unpeeled depending on the softness of the skin and the juicing requirements.
•All fruits with large pits, hard seeds or stones such as nectarines, peaches, mangoes, apricots, plums and cherries must be pitted before juicing.
•Ensure vegetables such as beetroot, carrots, etc. have all soil removed, are well washed and trimmed of leaves before juicing.
•Ensure fruits such as strawberries are hulled before juicing and pears have their stalks removed.
•Citrus fruit can be juiced in the ikon Juice Fountain but remove the skin and excess pith before juicing.
•A small amount of lemon juice can be added to apple juice to reduce discoloration.
Your ikon Juice Fountain makes invigorating, frothy orange juice. Simply peel the oranges and remove any excess pith before juicing. It is best to refrigerate oranges before juicing.
Note
The right technique
When juicing a variety of ingredients with varying textures, start with the softer textured ingredients on low speed then gradually change to high speed for the harder textured ingredients.
If you are juicing herbs, sprouts or leafy green vegetables, either wrap them together to form a bundle or juice them in the middle of a combination of ingredients on low speed to obtain the best extraction.
All fruit and vegetables produce different amounts of liquids. This varies within the same group i.e. one batch of tomatoes can produce more juice than another batch. Since juice recipes are not exact, the precise quantities of any juice are not crucial to the success of a particular mixture.
To extract the maximum about of juice, always push the food pusher down slowly.
Getting the right blend
It is easy to create great tasting juice. If you have been making your own vegetable and fruit juices, then you know how simple it is to invent new combinations. Taste, color, texture and ingredient preferences are a personal choice. Think of some of your favorite flavors and foods – would they work well together or would they clash. Some strong flavors could over power the more subtle flavors of others. It is however, a good rule to combine starchy, pulpy fruits or vegetables with those high in moisture.
Using the pulp
The remaining pulp left after juicing fruit or vegetables is mostly fiber and cellulose which, like the nutrients in the juice, are necessary for the daily diet and can be used in many ways. However, like the juice, pulp should be used that day to avoid loss of vitamins.
There are a number of recipes contained in this book for the use of pulp (refer to page 33). Apart from these, pulp can be used to add bulk to rissole mixtures, thicken casseroles or soups, or with fruit pulp, simply place in a heat-proof bowl, top with meringue and bake in the oven for a simple dessert.
Apart from consumption use, pulp is great to create compost for the garden.
If juicing herbs or leafy green vegetables on their own, the juice yield will be low due to the nature of centrifugal juicing. It is advised to juice them with a combination of other fruit and vegetables.
Note
When using the pulp, there may be some pieces of fruit or vegetable remaining. These should be removed before using the pulp in any recipes.
Note
