Dust it off: Juicers

I posted on my other blog a while back about my juicer.  I go through stages of using it all the time and then not using it at all.  This is a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer, and overall I have been very happy with it.  It is easy to use and easy to clean!

The great thing about juicing is that when you buy a bag of organic apples that turn out to be too mushy for you and your picky apple eating husband, you turn them into a pitcher of fresh apple juice, and you turn their pulp into a batch of apple muffins (healthy, yummy, fiber-ful recipe coming soon).  When juicing, it is best to drink the juice within a few hours in order to get all the great nutrients out of it.

Other things I like to juice: carrots, kale, spinach, apples, lemons, oranges, grapefruits...

• Don't juice mushy fruits like bananas and avocados- it won't work
• Do peel your citrus fruits before juicing them- the peel will go through, but it will make your juice taste bitter
• Try a healthy juice blend of carrots, apples, kale, and spinach! It will be very dark green, but so sweet from the apples and carrots!

So, if this is one of the kitchen gadgets that you never think to pull out of the box, let this be a little inspiration for you!

•  I cored my apples with a melon scoop (If you don't plan to use the pulp and just want the juice, skip this step.  The juicer can handle a whole apple, peel and all.  I did not want seed and stem bits in my muffins.)

• Turn on the juicer, and drop in a few apple halves (or a whole apple)...

• And before you press down, remember to put a cup or bowl under the mouth! Otherwise your counter gets pretty messy...trust me (also be sure the pulp container is attached in the back...that is an even bigger mess)

• When you're all done, you will have pulp in the container, and probably a lot stuck under the lid that you want to use, too!

• The juice will be a nice dark brown color, like cider, and will probably have foam on top- no worries, just give it a stir.  Fresh juice is delicious!  I have covered and refrigerated my pulp for later, when I will make those muffins for you.