Confession time: My mom gave me a really, really nice juicer for Christmas nearly 3 years ago that I had never used! I had good intentions, but it just seemed like an expensive way to make some fresh apple or orange juice. I put off trying it again and again, until I finally did it!
I tried this recipe for sinusitis, which I found online in a Facebook group.
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 green apple
Handful of kale
Handful of cilantro
1 inch of ginger
1 ½ teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
This was not only my first time juicing, it was also my first time buying and handling (regular, not baby) kale, cilantro, and ginger! Needless to say, a girl’s gotta call her Mama! She is not an expert, but she has more experience than I. Here is what I asked and how she answered.
- Do I have to peel the orange? “Yes.”
- Do I peel and/or core the apple? “Core it, don’t peel it.”
- Do I peel the lemon? “Yes.”
- What the heck do I do with fresh ginger? “Just cut some off, but as a warning- the ginger can make the juice really strong. For a beginning juicer, consider using half the amount. Just cut an inch off and put it in there.” (I was still skeptical, since I always see them peel it on the cooking shows… I peeled it.)
Past the actual prep work, it was pretty easy to make juice. I just pulled out the “food plunger” and threw stuff down into the tube. Then, I pushed the fruits and vegetables down. I started with the kale and cilantro. A slow trickle of green juice began to come out, but I think I almost jammed the machine! I continued to put more produce in, and kept pushing. It started flowing a little better, and within 3 minutes, I had a full serving of Sinus Clearing Juice!
Some tips:
- Next time, I will do a little of the leafy vegetables at a time instead of putting the handfuls in all at once to prevent jamming.
- When you go to the grocery store, save your produce bags. They work as a protective cover for the pulp catching area, saving you a washing step.
- The filter/grater inside is a pain to clean if you don’t have a good faucet and strong water pressure. If you do not, I recommend a toothbrush to push the particles through.
- On my particular juicer, the spout is somewhat low to the counter. I chose a plastic storage container with a rim. The rim kept it from getting close enough to the juicer, so I had to hold it tilted the whole time. Take this into consideration when choosing your container to catch the juice.
How was the juice? It was bright bright green- just like what you see on TV when people juice wheat grass. I won’t say it’s something I will crave, but it was tolerable, somewhat tart. Knowing there are probable health benefits helps it taste better. I think I will add an apple next time to sweeten it a bit. I’ll try soon!
Did it break up the congestion? Well, I have lots of sneezing and the nose is running! Hoping it is a magic juice!
Have you tried juicing? Share your tips and tricks!
