Preparing Fruits for Juicing
There’s no denying that juicing is a lot of fun and can add a new dimension to health and wellness. Seasoned juicers will have a stable of favorite juices and be comfortable with preparing produce, but what about if you are a beginner juicer. There is more to juicing than just tossing in your produce into the miracle machine you have just purchased so this article is intended to help turn you into the best beginner juicer on the planet.
It can be a messy business unless you are properly prepared and you will want to move beyond fruits like apples and bananas to take full advantage of your juicer as well as enjoy the nutritional benefits of juicing.
About Juicing
One of the really great things about juicing is that it provides the perfect opportunity to indulge in the taste sensations that come with fresh fruits. One of the side benefits is that as you explore the creative side of juicing fruits, you will likely start to add fruits to other recipes that you make. If you make a point of ensuring that preparation and planning form part of your juicing routine, you’ll soon have some healthy fresh fruit juices to enjoy.
Try some of these easy-to-find fruit selections. A little bit of planning and preparation will make your first juicing adventures fun and healthful. The fruits mentioned below have been included because of the easy availability and taste.
Berries
These include cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. With strawberries, simply rinse, cut off stems and any leaves, but the other berries require rinsing only. Juice them as soon as you can after purchase.
Take the Seeds Out
We are talking about apples here because there can be cyanide in apple seeds. Just take the cores out (including the seeds) and you’re good to go.
Take the Pits Out
The main reason for this is because they could destroy your juicer. It applies to fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches and plums. Cut these fruits in half to take out the pits. With mangos, you will need to peel the fruit and then slice off the flesh until you reach the pit.
Pith
This is actually very good for you and you should leave as much behind as you can after peeling fruits such as oranges and grapefruits.
Juicing Citrus Peels
It’s best not to juice grapefruit and orange peel because the skins contain indigestible oils. Just peel them and take out the seeds. You can however juice clementine and tangerine peels if you wish, as well as the peels of lemons and limes. Lime and lemon peel is bitter so start out with adding just a little of them until you find the amount that agrees with your taste.
Rhubarb Leaves
These contain toxins and should never be consumed. Just use the long red stalks.
Fruits You Should Peel
Any fruit with a hard, inedible skin or cover with a wax coating should be peeled. These include fruits such as guava, mangoes, cantaloupe, papaya and kiwi fruit.
Other Popular Fruits
You should take off the skin and remove the core from pineapples. With watermelon, you should take the skin off however you can, juice the seeds and rind if you wish. Bananas are a dense fruit that contain little water however you can juice their peels to take advantage of the rich nutrients.
Conclusion
Always remember to carefully wash and scrub if necessary, any fruits that are not organic because of the pesticide factor. In fact you should wash all your produce to ensure you are not consuming unseen bacteria and/or surface dirt and the residue from pesticides. If you still have concerns, simply peel it. Otherwise enjoy your new found status as a beginning juicing enthusiast.