Extractor or centrifuge? What nutrition contributes? What mistakes should be avoided? What is the recipe? Our complete guide to get you started with homemade vegetable juicing.
Don’t think that juicing is all about putting your favorite products into any device and pressing a button. A little more elaborate and above all more subtle, vegetable juices are revolutionizing healthy cooking by combining beauty and goodness. Only then, you have many questions in your mind that prevent you from taking the plunge: “Which device should you buy? How to store your juice? What are its benefits and advantages? What mistakes should not be made?” We tell you everything about juice!
What to know before taking action
Vegetable juices are an incredible source of vitamins and minerals. The golden rule is always homemade, much less sweet, more ecological and much richer in nutrients. Since it is a fresh product, it must be consumed within minutes of extraction, the nutritional contribution is incomparable to juice bought in a bottle.
the conversation
Your juice prepared in a centrifuge or blender cannot be stored. Made with a juice extractor that can stay in your fridge for 24 hours. But do not forget to be careful, between oxidation and fermentation, we do not recommend you to drink after this time.
convenience
A great source of minerals and vitamins, fruits and vegetables provide combined superpowers. Vegetable juices are best for raw consumption. They are part of what is referred to as “live food”. Their inherent nutritional qualities are preserved and work in our body once eaten, unlike cooked vegetables which destroy some of the nutrients and vitamins they contain.
Arm yourself
It’s not easy to find your way among all these juice machines… There are three big stars of vegetable juicing: extractors, centrifuges and blenders.
How to make a choice?
To see more clearly, we need to first know what we are talking about. Before choosing a new appliance that will take pride of place in your kitchen, you must define your needs. In David vs. Goliath sauce, here’s a battle of the juicer against the juicer. Beware of the term “juice extractor” that some manufacturers seem to misuse, when they are actually selling a juicer.
Centrifuge vs. Extractor
Concretely, the centrifuge will crush the food with its centrifugal force. Thanks to a very high speed, it will transform vegetables into juice. So be careful, whatever you insert into the device is converted, no separation is done. Conversely, the juice extractor, as its name suggests, makes a separation between the juice and the fibers. Its technology, cold pressing, is similar to that used to produce vegetable oil from oilseeds and oleaginous fruits. Much slower, juicing doesn’t retain the fibers in the food that a juicer does. Last important point: juice extractors do not denature nutrients unlike centrifuges.
And the blender in all this?
It does not strictly speaking make a juice, but rather a fruit or vegetable puree. The appearance of this puree is opaque and it apparently retains all the food that is inserted. Foods that require the addition of liquid (water, broth or juice). Smoothie and milkshake recipes are often made with this device. So a blender is not recommended if your goal is nutrition.
Read more”7 Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make When Making Smoothies
Which recipe to choose?
A watchword: have fun. Let yourself be guided by your taste and choose vegetables and fruits according to the season. Also learn about their nutritional intake. See life in pinks, blues, greens… Vegetable juices are also eye-catching, so play with your favorite colors.
Add superfoods
Seaweed, seeds, berries, dried fruits and nuts: These are great for your health and add a touch of crunch to your drink. Chia seeds, the superstar of the moment, are an excellent source of protein, calcium and antioxidants. The sprouted seeds will impart an interesting flavor.
4 recipe ideas:
Green Detox : Kiwi, cucumber and white grapes.
For breakfast : Carrot, orange, banana, lemon juice.
Hot Cocoa:Carrot-chocolate
Spicy:grape ginger
Advice from our experts
Knowing which device is best to choose, knowing specific nutritional rules to ensure the best juice. If most fruits and vegetables are placed in the extractor with their skins, it is better because the latter is full of health benefits. Apples contain, for example, quercitrin, a very powerful antioxidant. So choosing organic is essential. The label represents a significant budget, “Be satisfied with organic for fruits and vegetables rich in pesticides, such as apples, carrots, grapes or celery. For the rest, choose short circuit and brush before passing through the extractor”, advises its author Sandra Erickson. My health and wellness juice bible (1).
60% vegetables, 40% fruit
There is no restriction on association of vegetables and fruits. Above all a question of taste. To avoid undrinkable liquids, start with popular fruit juices, such as apple juice, then gradually add a few slices of vegetables, such as celery. Remember to peel beetroot, whose skin has a very earthy taste, and pomegranate. “Be careful, fruits increase the sugar level of the juice, it is better to maintain a balance of 60% vegetables, 40% fruit”, adds Sandra Erickson. Similarly, there is no need to drink a liter of juice a day, 20 to 25 cl is enough.
Fruits and vegetables are optimal according to your needs
Fatigue: “Substances known to be effective in combating depression include zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin C,” inform the authors. When off the menu, go for watercress, kale, chard, guava, kiwi, lettuce, watermelon, blackberries and apples. “You can add ‘superfoods,’ such as chia seeds, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, a teaspoon of acerola powder, or mint,” adds Sandra Erickson.
Hair and Nail Health: “Here we favor fruits and vegetables rich in sulphur, zinc and silicon which penetrate the structure of keratin and allow hair follicles to renew”, notes Sandra Erickson. Thus, full spotlight on carrots, basil, kale, strawberries, passion fruit, white grapes, tomatoes. We also add sulfur-rich oilseeds (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.); Sprouted seeds, alfalfa or radish seeds, parsley or even ginger.
To know: Babies can also benefit from the benefits of juice, but getting them to taste radish juice is often an obstacle course. “They don’t need to talk about their health, it’s better to calm them down by playing: use nice glasses, start with their favorite fruit juice and then add a vegetable of the same color. In watermelon and kiwi, we add a leaf of spinach. Example. You can also give the juice funny names (“Orange is your house”, “Cacarot”…)”, suggests Sandra Erickson. To finish, we do not hesitate to slightly sweeten or dilute with coconut water.
(1) My health and wellness juice bibleBy Sandra Erickson, (Ed. Leduc.s), 384 p., €23.
Sandra Erickson’s unique recipe
Avocado, tomato, strawberry and basil juice
Juice of sprouted seeds, bananas, passion fruit and coconut water
Spinach, avocado, plum and rose water juices
Tomato, strawberry, watermelon and aloe vera juice
Green juice with pear, fennel, spinach and coriander
Anti-acne juice carrot apple ginger
Red cabbage, orange, red fruit and tarragon juice
Green juices of banana, spinach, kiwi and coconut water