Juicing, it's what's for dinner!

[supernova]

So, I've made up my mind to try juicing. I like V8 for breakfast with my eggs and will try my hand at making some of my own.

Found a good juicer on Ebay, new but cheaper than retail. Probably start in the next week with the next pay day.

Anybody else juice their veggies and drink em? Any concoctions to share?

[Lucinda]

1. Yep. It's helped my health a LOT.

I always use a base of carrots, apples, and cherries. I use fresh cherries when I can get them - or canned tart cherry otherwise. Usually two-three carrots and two medium apples. With about 6 cherries.

I started with granny smith apples but have switched to the red skinned varieties lately. I like the additional color it brings the juice. LOL
The cherries - thought not sweetened, add a nice bright sweet taste to the mix. I miss them when I'm out. Tart cherries are really good for joint pain.

I almost always add a thin slice of fresh ginger. Good for energy.

From there I add whatever else I am in the mood for:
~ I have found that 1/2 a cucumber is good - for me any more than that makes it taste "off."
~ Same thing with celery. Just a little goes a long way for me.
~ I have tried both spinach and kale and prefer a small handful of kale. I didn't know that I like raw kale until I started juicing. I LOVE fresh spinach but didn't care for it in the juice.
~ I have beets to try, but haven't done them yet.

I was surprised that I didn't like too much cucumber and celery in the juice. I love both fresh. So trial and error will lead you to the best combos.

[supernova]

2. Thanks for the info, Lucinda

Interesting about cucumbers and celery. I snack on them whole and love 'em, but interesting that the may be too much as a juice. lol

ONe thing I've not looked forward to is juiced broccoli. I'll try it, but it just sounds horrid.

I

[Lucinda]

3. I love broccoli, so it probably would work for me

Your mileage may vary on the celery and cucumber....I was really surprised by the way I reacted. Love them both!

[Aerows]

6. Cucumber?

I hadn't thought of that. Does broccoli work?

[Lucinda]

9. I haven't tried it yet but plan to...I usually make juice for Bill & myself at the same time

and he's anti-broccoli. I did add the kale in though. He didn't mind it. :)

[The empressof all]

4. I do whole foods juicing so get different experience

I do sometimes wish for a "real" juicer as the thickness of my juice is sometimes just a little much.

I do everday though

An Apple
A handful of Spinach
A knob of Ginger A (as long as half my little finger)

Of course for the Vitamix I add some clean water and sometimes a bit of ice because this is better really cold.


I agree with you about the celery in the juice. It overpowers most blends that I have tried using it. I leave it out and save it for cooking or salads now.

[Aerows]

7. I'm getting my juicer in a few days

I love to grow vegetables, and I like vegetable juice. I am currently growing alfalfa sprouts, and I'm going to embark on growing wheatgrass if I can keep the cats out of it.

Any experience with more interesting ingredients like cauliflower, cabbage or broccoli? We grow collard greens, too, like they are weeds. We give them away to neighbors because we end up with such a huge crop.

[The empressof all]

8. I love Collards.

Have you ever made Saag with your greens. I've never had it with Collards but I frequently use Kale, Chard or Mustard Greens mixed with Spinach.

Here's a link to a recipe to give you basic technique but it's very forgiving

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/indian-saag/detail.aspx


For my Saag I toast the spices in a dry pan then grind. Then I lightly brown a whole (sliced) onion in a little grape seed oil. Add two or three chopped garlic cloves and an inch of chopped ginger root and the ground spices. Then I pile on the greens. (I use a large wok). When the greens melt down a bit more i keep adding more. When soft and cooked through I give it a light whirl in the Vita Mix or in the processor.

I make this every week. It's terrific mixed with steamed cauliflower or even potatoes. I serve it over Brown Basmati Rice.

[supernova]

12. We love saag and

have looked at making our own paneer. It doesn't look hard.

[Aerows]

14. Oh yum, thanks for the recipe :)

That looks delicious and I'm going to have to try it.

[Aerows]

5. I'm trying this too!

I LOVE low sodium V8, but I would like an even less salty version. I picked up a juicer. I already grow alfalfa sprouts, and I think they will juice nicely, but I'm also going to try my hand at growing wheatgrass. I still long for the wheatgrass/carrot juice I used to get at the health food store in Clearwater, along with their killer chicken salad sandwiches with carrots :). I ate that for lunch many days.

Has anyone ever tried juicing alfalfa sprouts? I grow them in jars, and my seeds produce quite a bit. I'm also thinking of planting some carrots, just so I can have a do-it-yourself type thing.

Nice to know others are doing this. I would love for a good recipe for homemade V8, but so far, most I've come across contain bell peppers, and that's the one vegetable I despise. I do not do bell peppers.

[Lucinda]

10. I love any bells but the green ones. I just prefer the flavor of ripe bells.

Sprouts would be an interesting thing to try!

[supernova]

11. the SO doesn't like Bells either

So, I'll probably have to leave them out of any I give him. He doesn't like banana peppers either.

I love Bells though, eat them like apples. It's a childhood thing. We used to have very large gardens and always grew a couple of rows of bell peppers. Whenever I woke up, I would go out into the garden, pick a Bell and sit down right there and eat it. :-)

I'm looking forward to experimenting with different peppers, seeing what kind of zing we can get out of it.

[Lucinda]

13. I grew up with green bells but fell in love with the flavor of the

red, yellow and orange. Now the greens just bother my stomach. Happy experimenting!

[Aerows]

15. I can eat onions like an apple

But something with bell peppers, and my family has ALWAYS grown them in the garden since I was a child makes me think about the smell of something decomposing. I don't like the odd bite they have to them. I have tried them various times in my life, but I can't stand them raw or cooked or .. at all. They just reek to me and pollute the flavor of anything they touch.

I like vegetables that many shun, but bell peppers are one I'll never get over. Any other pepper? Oh yes, please :) I grew Tabasco peppers when I lived in FL.

[Aerows]

16. I'll let you know how it goes

I'm pretty sure it will be tasty. I haven't gotten the juicer yet - it comes tomorrow, but I don't think a blender is going to do it for these bad boys. They taste fantastic, though, better than anything I ever got out of a grocery store and they are a piece of cake to grow.

[Lucinda]

18. What kind of juicer did you get?

I'm using an older, borrowed Oster, and will eventually have to give it back.

[pinto]

17. I really like watermelon, club soda and mint blend.

:hi:

[supernova]

19. Did my first juice tonight

I had:

wheatgrass
1/2 beet
carrot
tomato
kale
spinach
celery (only three small stalks)
fresh ginger

it tasted very earthy, but good, if I ignored to dirty purple color. lol

I will try again tomorrow for breakfast.