It’s NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. For the month of November, I’m going to post every day. This is day 12 – whew!
I realized the reason I don’t usually post so frequently is that I don’t have that many share-worthy recipes. I also realized that I have a lot of old draft posts that never went anywhere. So perhaps I can solve the content creation challenge by completing some of my old posts. Win-win situation.
Do you know what happens when you take so long to complete a post? You find pictures of awesome looking dishes that you don’t remember making, and can’t find the recipes to. So, I’ll share with you this juice. I’m sure it was delicious – doesn’t it look delicious?
I’ve discovered that tasty juice combinations are not necessarily as easy as just throwing random fruits and vegetables into the juicer. They need to be curated. I’m sure this juice contained ginger and lemon. Perhaps also rhubarb and carrot. And that’s about as far as my memory takes me. I apologize. But, what I did want to talk about is my juicer. I started this post last November, in advance of Thanksgiving-inspired detoxifying juice cleanses, and Black Friday sales. Wouldn’t you know that time has rolled around again and this post seems apropos. This may get a little geeky-technical, bear with me.
As you may have guessed from earlier posts, I finally broke down and purchased a juicer. I joined the juicing masses. I admit it. I did a lot of research and prep, and spent much time scouring sources for the best price. In the end, I purchased the Omega 8006 Masticating Juicer. I’ll give you a brief summary of the types of juicers and why I picked this one. This machine is quite the splurge, which is why it makes a great gift (hello holiday season!). If not for a gadget-lover, than for someone interested in improving their health through fresh, cleansing juices.
There are two main different kinds of juicers: centrifugal and masticating. The masticating juicer works by using extreme force to pulverize your produce. The juice drips down through an opening lined with a strainer, and the fibrous waste is pushed out the end. These juicers do not give off as much heat and generally produce more juice per fruit. They also work really well on leafy greens. Because of the low heat and slower process, the juice does not get as foamy and aerated. Aeration encourages oxidation. This is a moot point if you plan on drinking your juice right away. I typically juice at night for the morning, so I wanted a juice that could stay fresh over a period of time. The masticating juicer also tends to be quieter. The Omega 8006 has the added benefit of being really easy to assemble and all the removable parts are dishwasher safe. It sold me! Also, it is horizontal and not as tall as some of the others. This is important to fit on our counter, underneath our upper kitchen cabinets.
Centrifugal juicers are generally more affordable. They work by chopping up your produce with a blade and then spinning it around super fast. The centrifugal force causes all the juice to fly out and down a chute. The fibrous waste is then dropped down another chute for disposal. This style juicer is really effective on fruits and softer vegetables. The centrifugal juicer doesn’t separate out quite as much of the fiber from the juice, and can introduce more air into your juice. This is a great juicer for someone on a budget, or who wants to try out juicing for a little bit. These juicers have a smaller footprint and are vertical appliances. They can be quite loud.
I tested my juicer out before purchasing and thought long and hard about which style I wanted. One of my concerns was to make sure I’m not getting too much fiber. Generally, fiber is really good for you. If you have a digestive disorder, like Crohn’s disease, you sometimes want to limit your fiber intake. This was one of my concerns. I also wanted to make sure I was getting concentrated nutrients, as it seems I don’t always absorb certain vitamins. So the juicer is not just a fun and tasty beverage maker, I’m looking at it as another way to help manage and maintain my health.
I’ve experimented a bit with different juice combinations and should really keep a journal of the juices we do and don’t like. Usually I make a double juice and pack it up for Mike and I to enjoy in the morning. I don’t make a juice every day; although fun, it is just too much juice for my system. I find that 2-3 juices a week are really lovely, give me a great deal of energy to get through a work day, and seem to make me feel better overall. I would much rather have a mid-day fresh-juice pick me up than a mid-day coffee (especially as I don’t drink coffee…). But you get my point.
I apologize if I’m starting to sound like an infomercial. The other cool thing about this juicer, is that it can do more than just juice. Seriously! You can use it to make extracted pastas, sauces and other things. We’ve tried a few different items to much entertainment. The greatest non-juice recipe we’ve stumbled upon has been sorbet. Yes, you read that correctly. We use our juicer to make instant and fresh sorbet, like this berry sorbet.
I hope I’ve helped you to understand the difference between the two styles of juicers out there on the market. Many of these appliances also come with 5, 10, or 15 year warranties, so these gadgets are really designed to last. If you’re feeling full just thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving feast, perhaps a refreshing juice will help perk you up.