Just beet it.

Here we are, together again! 

Today's post is about JUICING.

Or rather, a crash course on juicing when you're past the point of no return - the fruit and veg are cleaned and chopped, mason jars at the ready, you've even announced to the world that you're about to juice (with Snapchats taken for good measure) - just to find out that the juicer you bought all those years ago and then put away so diligently, has well and truly packed up.

You giant piece of shit. 

But first,

Juicing 101 - What is juicing?

Juicing is the process of extracting the liquid portion of fruits and vegetables by separating the pulp.

What are the health benefits of juicing?

Juicing is a great way to give the digestive tract a rest. When we consume food, our digestion is hard at work breaking down these solids, so when we drink juices, this workload is significantly decreased as juices are easily digested. Digestion can be a taxing process on the body, especially when our diets are out of whack. When digestive processes are functioning at less than optimum, the body draws on multiple resources to get the job done which can result in lethargy and fatigue. We've all experienced this after a giant stuffing of the belly. (I'm looking at you, Thanksgiving dinner.)

Juices are a great way to consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, offering enhanced absorption of their numerous nutritious minerals and vitamins. Juices also offer hydration and are an easy way to work more fruits and vegetables into the diet.

I think juices are a wonderful way to supplement the diet throughout one's day and week. As we know, juice cleanses are popular and when done safely, help to effectively reset the body.

Is a juice better than a smoothie?

One isn't necessarily better than the other. Both are fantastic options with the main difference being the fibre content. Smoothies tend to be more filling as the fibre from the fruits and vegetables are still intact.

Okay so back to my juicy narrative. I have no juicer, and a chopping board of cucumber, beetroot, lemon and apple screaming "juice me." So what are my options? I ponder for a moment as I eat a handful of peanut butter filled pretzels with my eyes still blurry from dilation an hour or so beforehand. I then take a second handful of peanut butter filled pretzels, mainly just because I like eating PB filled pretzels.

"I'll just blend and strain!" I think to myself.

Bleeend...AND STRAIN!

Bloody labour of love let me tell you and not as straightforward as it seems.

~

I started by making the mistake of using a knock-off version of the Nutribullet. Rubbish!🚯

Part of it broke and this machine did nothing in the way of blending the pieces of mere cucumber I'd shoved into the canister. Time to bring out the heavy artillery.

I swiftly moved on to a very decent and trusted blender that I keep on my counter top and started to blend the cucumber, apple and lemon that was lying forlorn on my chopping board.

Many blitzes later, I had liquid-y mush. Perfect!

Time to strain. Only problem is, with what exactly? Not a sieve; holes are too big. Could use cheesecloth or a nut milk bag; don't have either. A-HA! THE FRENCH PRESS!

Your French press coffee maker not only saves your life by caffeinating you each morning; it makes a surprisingly effective juice pulp strainer in a pinch. I'd also like to take this moment to thank the French for baguettes. Bread is life.

Now you're really going to have to put your back in to it when straining the beetroot mush this way, but the fruits, or should I say juice, of your labour will be worthwhile.

The gold standard of French press juicing is leaving the imprint of the filter in the pulp. Brava. Four to five pressings/strainings later, I had two 16-oz mason jars of gorgeous, dark crimson liquid that could definitely go tête-à-tête with any juice extracted by conventional means!  

So now i sit here, sipping my juice, and typing my tale. Takeaways?

• Fresh, homemade juice is always best.

• ORGANIC. ALWAYS.

• Forgot to throw in ginger in all the commotion.

• Massage the meaty part of the palm of your hand with which you pressed with a little Arnica, because I know.

• You can still get the job done even if you don't have all the fancy tools.

• Make beet burgers! or beetballs.

• Add to smoothies for extra fibre.

• Add to baked goods like muffins for extra moisture. It's a dead ringer for applesauce, texture wise.

• Add to soups for dat thickness. 🍑

That's all for now!

Remember to eat your fruit and veg (or drink them), and be nice.

xoxxox