Overview
Blender juicing is what keeps us actually juicing. It's far simpler and easier to do than a big ol' clunky juicer. Blenders are kitchen workhorses that are standard appliances in many kitchens too. So, why not make the most of what you have, right?
Now, you may be asking - yeah, I have a blender but, how do I actually use this thing to juice? And besides I thought it only make smoothies!
Well, first thing first, the process is almost identical to making smoothies. Yep - that thing you know so well, translates over to making juice. Just like a smoothie, you want to blend up your ingredients but just with a little water to get things moving. And of course once it's finished our JUV Press can help you easily separate the juice from the pulp 😋.
Now, to get you movin', grovin' and JUV'in, here are 3 tips to maximizes your effectiveness and success.
1. Rough chop
Now, don't let this fool you. It's quite simple actually. All you want to do is rough chop everything. And since there are no points for presentation, we love to break down a veggie a little bit, then just take the knife across the chopping board width wise and then lengthwise. So, for example, we'll cut a carrot lengthwise and depending on the thickness maybe cut the 2 pieces again lengthwise. Then, we just let'er rip (an ode to our Canadian upbringing) - make quick chopping motions down the length of the carrots, and then the other way. The goal here is effectiveness not presentation. Don't worry about winning that Michelin star.
Oh, and one more thing, try not to chop your fingers off. You wouldn't get much nutrient benefits from it anyway. In fact, quite the opposite. So, be careful ;)
2. Blending Order (of operations)
You're probably already a pro with blending, so we'll keep this section to the key call outs. First, load your soft veggies into the bottom of the blender first. Think: cucumbers, celery, etc. Soft veggies like these contain water, which will also help get the blending action going (more on this below 👇🏽). Second, sometimes depending on your potion recipe you may want to add ingredients one at a time. It just helps with a much smoother process.
3. Droppin' some H20
A quick little reminder on blenders: after a couple passes without liquid it will keep spinning and chopping nothing. So when it comes to blender juicing, we just gotta add a touch of water create a little base and get the wheels in motion. As mentioned above, putting your softer veggies in first will help. And again, depending on what recipe you are making and the ingredients it calls for, you may or may not need to add a little more water.
We suggest starting with 1/4 cup water and slowly adding more as needed. But, this is where you'll need to drop a little of your own wisdom into the mix. Keep in mind there is no prescriptive recipe here, each blender is different and works differently too. Look at it like a hearty plant, you don't want to over or under water it. But, with a few juices under your belt, you'll get a better feel of the ingredients you use and how much water to add.
We'll keep dishing out more tips and tricks, but trust this is plenty to get you juicing in the meantime. Until next time, get your JUV on!