About $15, 90 minutes, and 65 oz of fresh organic juice
I tend to go into phases when it comes to juicing, and now that spring has sprung, I've pulled my Champion Juicer out of the cabinet and am ready for some juicing fun. A few friends have mentioned that they are getting their juices from a local delivery company, so I thought I'd do an experiment to see if it was economically and energetically worth it for me to spend the $36 dollars a week, which actually seems very reasonable.I went to Sprouts to pick out some yummy organic fruits and veggies and was ready for some fun. Part of the intention is to boost our immune systems, as with a toddler we get exposed to everything. So I want my tot to like the juice, so he will actually drink it.
List of Ingredients: (& overview of benefits)
Greens
Kale - 1 bunch
Collard greens - 1 bunch
Dandelion leaves - 1 bunch
Mint - 1 bunch
Fruits & Veggies
Lemon - 3
Cucumber - 1
Pineapple - 1
Carrot - 1 bunch (discarded top - too bitter, some people can get an allergic reaction to it)
Apple - 3
Beet - 1
A few timesaving and helpful tips:
1. Prepare and wash all ingredients before you start juicing
I like to use a fruit wash as well, as organic fruit often comes with critters and I'm not into the added protein. It's much faster if you get everything ready beforehand, rather than cutting and washing as you go.
2. To be nice to your machine and take off hard stems of dark leafy greens
As a rule of thumb, if you can't roll the greens into a ball, easily with one hand, it's too much stem. This also helps avoid cleaning the filter and blade more then necessary.3. Clear your workspace
Have a coffee maker on the counter? Move it, and make your cleanup faster later on. Take your trash or compost bin out from under the counter. It will make your life easier if you don't have to reach, or touch anything else to get to it.
4. Forget the colander and just use the sink for washing fruits and veggies.
That way they have room to soak with some extra space for you can sort through as you go. Also you conserve water and have less to wash later. Your colander will find other things to do...
5. For efficient juicing order, alternate leafy and juicy ingredients, and leave the stringy ingredients for last
By alternating leafy and juicy ingredients, you will put the least amount of stress on your machine. You will also maximize juice flow and will have to clean out the filter less. Of course, this varies according to your machine. Stringy ingredients, like ginger, gets caught up in the blade, so you might as well leave it for last. I don't mind cleaning the filter in between juices, but don't want to have to take the machine apart to clean the blade until I'm completely done as that adds more time and ruins my flow.
6. Have camera handy to capture mini culprit making mess with stolen goodies from cabinet right under your nose.
Creativity is contagious and juicers are loud, making it easy for trouble to be found by those seeking it.
7. Tone it down when juicing for kids
When adapting to little taste buds, limit the use of ginger, as it is often too spicy for them. Also go lighter on the dandelion leaves, as they can be a bit bitter. You can add more apples to offset that and make it sweeter. Another trick is to just cut it with water to mellow out the intense flavor.
8. Trust your gut and creative process
Instead of going for exact measurements, try feeling out how much of each thing to put in, and tailer to your taste buds.
Recipes
1. Pina-collarda
Ingredients:
Pineapple
Collard Greens
Dandelion Leaves
Kale
Mint
Apple
Cucumber
Lemon
Kid test - cut with 1/2 water and Tuck loved it
2. Rainbow
Kale
Collard Greens
Dandelion Leaves
Carrot
Beet
Apple
Lemon
Ginger
Kid test - I think it was a bit too much ginger for him, though he still drank a bit of it.
3. Rainbow Light
Kale
Collard Greens
Carrot
Beet
Apple
Lemon
Pear
Kid test - He liked it! I cut it with a little bit of water, but not much.
BTW- Would love to hear about your favorite juice recipes??
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
In Conclusion...
When I drink drink fresh juice I feel a noticeable difference in my mood, energy and overall health. Investing ninety minutes a week seems more then worth it. (For those that don't have to stop and clean up cereal off the floor, it would probably take less time.)
The bottom line in deciding to do it my self, or use a service, comes down to that I love having control of what is in my juice and find it fun to adapt my juicing to what's in season and change it up according to my own whim. The juices I tasted from the delivery services were admittedly very good, though I prefer a more robust juice and these were a bit watery. They are made with a vitamix, which requires added water since it's a blender. The added benefit is that it grinds up the whole ingredient, so you get more fiber. If you aren't into juicing yourself this is a great and affordable option, especially considering the exorbitant cost of fresh juice at the store, not to mention they deliver! The local companies that my friends use are Super Tasty Greens and Chef V (Chef V offers a free week trial).
The bottom line in deciding to do it my self, or use a service, comes down to that I love having control of what is in my juice and find it fun to adapt my juicing to what's in season and change it up according to my own whim. The juices I tasted from the delivery services were admittedly very good, though I prefer a more robust juice and these were a bit watery. They are made with a vitamix, which requires added water since it's a blender. The added benefit is that it grinds up the whole ingredient, so you get more fiber. If you aren't into juicing yourself this is a great and affordable option, especially considering the exorbitant cost of fresh juice at the store, not to mention they deliver! The local companies that my friends use are Super Tasty Greens and Chef V (Chef V offers a free week trial).
All in all, I'm happy with my little champion. For now. :) And though it would certainly be easier to just order juices, I think for what I value, I'm going to see if I can stick with the plan to make my own batch of weekly juice.
Cheers!
Cheers!
-Lisa Ratner
BTW- Would love to hear about your favorite juice recipes??
So - with that list of ingredients are you making three big batches of the recipes you have here and leaving it in the fridge? My juicer is collecting dust and I want to try these recipes out :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I just just used 4 water bottles that I had on hand, and keep them in the fridge. My favorite is the ones with the little whisk ball in them, so I can shake before drinking. I took a pic but it didn't make it onto the original blog post, but I will add it now so you can see. Yay, I'm so glad you are going to try it, let me know how it goes! :)
ReplyDelete