You may have heard the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” But what do you make when your garden over produces vegetables?
Fresh-pressed Veggie Juice!!!
Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve done this year since our gardens and raised beds produced lots and lots of veggies. All you need is a juicer and an assortment of fresh veggies straight from your garden. Insert the veggies into the juicer and nutritious juice will pour into one bowl while the dry pulp goes into a separate bowl.
There are two common types of juicers on the market, high-speed and slow-speed. My understanding is that the high-speed juicers create heat and thereby destroy some of the nutrients and enzymes in the juice. They are also not as effective in squeezing out all the juice from the pulp. The slow-speed juicers usually cost more and are slower at juicing but will leave all the nutrients and enzymes intact while squeezing out every drop of juice. Another option would be to simply put your veggies in a blender with a little water, blend them up, and then strain the pulp out with a cheesecloth or very fine-meshed strainer.
When juicing, you usually don’t even need a recipe…simply collect what is currently growing, juice it, and have a sip of the yummy juice you’ve created.
Many vegetables can be juiced including, but not limited to:
CarrotsBeetsRadishes (careful, too many will provide some spicy heat)Swiss ChardSpinachKaleBeet GreensLettuce (in moderation as it can make the juice rather bitter)Celery
Other things that will round out the flavor of the juice and make it taste even better are:
Apples (tart ones are best)Fresh Ginger Root (small amounts as this will also create some heat)
Not only is juicing veggies a great way to use up extras your garden may create, it’s very nutritious! For one, you can consume a lot more veggies this way then sitting down to eat a plate-full. This means you’ll also be getting a lot more of the important vitamins and minerals found in all those vegetables than you would if just having a few servings of veggies with your meal.
Removing the pulp and only drinking the juice also has a very detoxing effect on your body. It helps remove toxins making it great for your skin and really your whole body.
Try some delicious, fresh, rainbow juice today!
