Tag Archives: choosing fruits

26 Mar

Best Cucumbers for Cucumber Juice and How to Choose Them

Cucumbers are grown and enjoyed all over the world. Some cultures grow them specifically for pickling. Varieties like Kekiri, Dosakai are generally used for curry. Some varieties are intended to be eaten with the skin. They come in a variety of shapes, from short and round cucumbers to cucumbers up to two-feet long. The best cucumbers for juicing are those that fall into the “slicing” rather than the “pickling” category.

While slicing varieties have subtle differences in taste, all have a sweet, slightly grassy flavor that adds light, refreshing flavor to juices. When it comes to choosing the best cucumbers for juicing, the skin matters. Once they’re harvested, cucumbers begin to lose moisture, so commercial growers breed varieties with thick skins that extend shelf life. While a juicer may be able to handle the skin, thick skins have a bitter taste.

English Cucumbers

The variety most often sold in supermarkets, commercially grown English cucumbers are usually cultivated in hothouses. As they are not pollinated, seeds are small and undeveloped. In the garden, English cucumbers have a thin skin, but growers favor hybrids with thicker skins to protect them in shipping. In the market, English cucumbers wrapped in plastic can sometimes, but not always, indicated a thinner skin. Their ready availability, sweet taste and minimal seeds may make English Cucumbers the best cucumbers for juicing.

Other Slicing Varieties

With a few variations, Japanese, Persian, Armenian and Lebanese cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers in taste and are available in farmer’s markets and some supermarkets.

best cucumbers for juicing

Cucumber Shopping Tips

Like many other vegetables, cucumbers are best picked and eaten when young. Shop for slender, firm cucumbers with bright color. Avoid those with any soft spots. In supermarkets, unwrapped cucumbers are likely waxed. Wax can be detected by gently scraping a fingernail over the cucumber. If properly washed, waxed cucumbers are fine for use in a juicer.

Although the global marketplace means that cucumbers are widely available the year round, locally-grown cucumbers come into season during the summer. They should be stored unwashed and wrapped in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for no more than a week before using.

Juicing Preparation For Cucumbers

Some cucumber varieties are advertised as “burpless.” Cucumbers have a chemical compound underneath the skin that causes some people to burp. By deeply peeling the cucumber and removing the ends, you may be able to avoid this unpleasant side effect.

24 Mar

Best Cranberries For Cranberry Juice And How To Choose Them

When it comes to cranberry juice, nothing compares to homemade. Store-bought varieties of cranberry juice cocktail are often lacking the real juice taste that can easily be created at home using fresh berries and a juicer. The following guide reviews the best cranberries for juicing that will yield a delightfully tangy and refreshing flavor.

The American Cranberry

North America’s native species yield the best cranberries for juicing. Although there are over 100 varieties of cranberries, these fruits are the best for juicing because they are larger and more flavorful than most varieties. Grown throughout the northeast region of the United States, the berries are in season in mid-fall and early winter.

best cranberries for juicing

Choosing Cranberries for Juicing

The best berries for your juicer are deep red in color and feel firm when squeezed. Firmness is the best indicator of quality and the berries should bounce slightly when tossed against a hard surface. Berries that have a rich color also have a higher concentration of compounds that contribute to health.

22 Mar

Best Cherries For Cherry Juice And How To Choose Them

Cherries have soft flesh that’s both sweet and tart, making it great for juicing. The pits can pose a challenge to some juicers, however. Be sure that your machine can tolerate pitted fruits before attempting to juice your cherries. Also be sure to remove all stems before running them through the juicer. You may wish to pit the cherries yourself before juicing to ensure that none of the pit ends up in the juice.

What are the Best Cherries for Juicing?

Cherries are a stone fruit in the same family as peaches, apricots and plums. Most cherries are produced in Turkey, America and Iran. Although there are dozens of varieties of cherry, most cultivated for sale are either domesticated forms of wild cherry or sour cherry.

Sour cherries are primarily used in baking; sweet or wild cherries are the best for juicing. Some of the most common sweet cherries grown in the US include Bing, Rainier, Brooks, Tulare and King. Sweet cherries are usually dark red, purplish-black or golden-red in color and the fruit will be slightly heart-shaped.

Best cherries for juiceing

How to Select Cherries at Market

Cherries are seasonal, with most of the best fresh cherries available in the early summer. Some varieties do grow throughout the spring or fall, but they will not have the same rich flavor as summer cherries. Of course, cherries can be imported from the southern hemisphere, where they ripen during the winter months. Due to their popularity, cherries are usually available year-round in most markets, but they may be more expensive during the off season.

When selecting the best cherries for juicing, look for fruits that have firm, smooth skin that’s free of spots or blemishes. Darker fruits will be the ripest and sweetest. The cherry should be hard to the touch, not squishy. The stem should also be a bright green in color.

Cherries do not keep very long at room temperature. If you do not plan to juice them immediately, keep them in the refrigerator or freeze them. Refrigerated cherries will last up to two weeks, while frozen fruits can last for several months before losing flavor.

19 Mar

Best Mangoes For Mango Juice And How To Choose Them

Making fresh fruit juice at home allows you to maximize the benefits of drinking fresh fruit juice without being subject to extra sugar and preservatives. Tropical fruits, like mangoes provide you with a fresh way to wake up or are perfect for a sweet, summery juice cocktail. Mangoes are also an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium.

Types of Mangoes

Most of the mangoes available in United States grocery stores and produce markets fall into one of six categories. Of the six most common types of mangoes, four kinds are recommended for juicing. The best mangoes for juicing include Francis, Ataulfo, Keitt and Kent mangoes. Other mangoes may feature flesh pock-marked with fibers making them difficult to juice. Always just a high quality juicer when working with mangoes.

Francis mangoes are characterized by a sweet and slightly spicy flavor. The Francis mangoes feature an oblong shape and a bright, yellow skin. Francis mangoes also feature green overtones that diminish as the fruit ripens. Francis mangoes most often come from Hati and are typically available May through July.

Ataulfo mangoes are identified by their small, oval shape and bright, yellow skin. As they ripen, the skin changes to a deep, gold color. Ataulfo mangoes are excellent for juicing based on their sweet, creamy flavor and smooth, firm texture. Hailing from Mexico, Ataulfo mangoes are available from March to July.

best mangoes for juicing

One of the best mangoes for juicing is the Keitt mango, also known as the Asian mango. The Keitt mango features light, sweet flavor and juicy, firm flesh with few fibers. Keitt mangoes feature green to dark green skin that remains this color even as they ripen.

Kent mangoes, like the Keitt variety, sports a green skin. As they ripen, Kent mangoes develop a yellow dots or undertones. According to the National Mango Board, Kent mangoes are the best mangoes for juicing. They feature a sweet taste and a smooth flesh with very few fibers.

Selecting A Mango

Unlike some fruits, color is not the most important indicator of a ripe mango. To select a ripe, ready-to-juice mango, pick up the fruit and squeeze it gently. A ripe mango will give slightly, indicating the fruit is ready to consume. As they continue to ripen, mangoes often begin to feel soft in a similar fashion to peaches and avocados. You may also want to give your mango a big sniff. Ripe mangoes omit a fragrant, fruity smell from the stem-end as they ripen. Always be sure to peel your mango and remove the inner pit before adding the fruit to the juicer.

Resources: 
National Mango Board: How to Choose a Mango http://www.mango.org/retail/how-choose-mango
National Mango Board: Varieties and Availability http://www.mango.org/varieties-and-availability

18 Mar

Best Carrots For Carrot Juice And How To Choose Them

The best carrots for juicing are the Nantes types, which are cylindrical and have blunt tips, but are the sweetest of the carrots, with good texture. Nantes carrots absorb more water and are both more succulent and crisp than other varieties of carrots. They also have fewer terpenoids, which is a substance that can make the juice of other carrots taste soapy and turpentine-like after they’re put through the juicer.

Harvesting and Storing Carrots

If you choose to grow your carrots in the garden, you should gently pull them out by their green tops. Newer variety carrots shouldn’t be allowed to grow fatter than one and a half inches across, or they’ll become woody and not very good for juicing. Some older varieties are still fairly succulent when they’re large.

If the carrots are grown in the garden or bought with their green tops, the green tops should be removed. The carrots shouldn’t be washed before storing. Ideally, they should be stored in sawdust or sand before they’re used. Some people do add the greens to the juicer, however, for they’re perfectly edible and give the juice the tang of parsley.

best carrots for juicing

Choosing The Best Carrots For Juice

If the carrots are store bought, it’s best to buy organic, for they won’t have to be peeled to rid them of the pesticides in their skin. The greens should be fluffy, short and bright.

Some of the Best Carrot Varieties For Juicing

Some of the best carrots for juicing are the Bolero, a bright orange Nantes type. The Ingot is another good Nantes carrot with a good flavor and texture. One of the most popular carrots that people grow in their gardens is the Nantes Half-Long, also called the Coreless and Scarlet Nantes, which is very sweet, tender and has no fibrous core, which is another plus for juicing. The Touchon is a sweet, French Nantes type and is especially good for the juicer. The Nelson is an early carrot and many gardeners claim that it’s one of the sweetest.

16 Mar

Best Blueberries For Blueberry Juice And How To Choose Them

Aah! The taste of fresh blueberry juice. When juicing your own fruit juices, it can’t get any better than a bold, fresh taste full of flavor and nutrients. Using blueberry juice as your base, and mixing it with the juice from other fruits, can create quite a stunning mixture. Try pairing blueberries with plum, apple, pear, or other berries.

Blueberry Varieties

The North American harvest season for blueberries is anywhere from May through September. To get the cheapest and best blueberries for juicing, try to purchase berries during this time. There are nearly 20 different species of blueberries, a native fruit to North America. If you are planting your own blueberry bushes, there are easily 50 different plant varieties from which to choose.

The four basic varieties are highbush, half-high, lowbush, and rabbiteye. The most popular types are highbush and lowbush. Highbush blueberries are most commonly found in grocery stores and are believed to be among the best blueberries for juicing, due to their large size and juice content. Lowbush, or wild blueberries, are often found in the freezer section, but are not recommended for putting into your juicer.

Best blueberries for juice

What to Look For

Look for blueberries with a powder-blue color (not too light or too dark), firm (not too hard or too mushy), and uniform in size (not too small or too big). Wild blueberries tend to be smaller, firmer, less juicy, and tangier in flavor with some sweet and some sour.

Choosing the best berries for your juicer will result in the best juice possible. Fresh blueberries from your local produce supplier will yield the highest amounts of juice for your homemade blueberry juice recipes. Happy juicing!

15 Mar

Best Grapes For Grape Juice And How To Choose Them

Grape varieties may be more commonly associated with wine than juice, but grape juice is refreshing treat that can easily be made at home. While the most common red and green grape varieties make delicious snacks, they are unsuitable for juicing. The following guide can help you choose the best grapes for juicing so you can enjoy a tall glass of sweet and tangy grape juice at home.

Concord Grapes

These small dark grapes are the most popular American variety and are much hardier than European varieties. Widely regarded as the best grapes for juicing, Concord grapes have a sweet and slightly tart flavor that also makes delicious jellies and jams. The grapes create the quintessential taste and color that most people associate with grape juice. Grown in the northern and midwestern regions of the United States, these grapes are readily available throughout the year but are best from late summer to mid-fall.

Niagara Grapes

Stemming from New York, these white grapes are one of the best grapes for juicing because of their light and sweet flavor that is more mild than other varieties. The white fruit also yields a lighter-colored juice that is less likely to cause stains than purple varieties like the Concord.

Delaware Grapes

Grown throughout the northeast region of the United States, Delaware grapes are great for juicing because of their juicy flesh and sweet taste. These lovely grapes are smaller than the aforementioned varieties and are pinkish in color. Delaware grapes ripen quickly in late summer and early fall and yield a light-colored juice that will not stain the hands that made it.

best grapes for juicing

Choosing Grapes for Juicing

Concord, Niagara and Delaware grapes reach their peak around late summer and last until mid-fall. Many people believe that grapes can be immediately placed in the juicer as soon as they turn color, but even darkened grapes can yield a bitter and sour juice.

For best results, choose grapes mid-season that feel firm. Sample a few grapes from each cluster, as not all of the grapes will ripen at the same time. Look for seeds that are brown and mature instead of light tan or green. The ease in which the grapes come off of the cluster is another indication of ripeness. Ripe grapes can be removed easily without much resistance.

Before putting your grapes in the juicer, wash them throughly and remove the stems. Concord, Delaware and Niagara grapes are easy to skin and only the flesh should be placed in the juicer.

14 Mar

Best Blackcurrants For Blackcurrant Juice And How To Choose Them

Blackcurrants are packed with Vitamin C and the juice has many medical advantages, which is why many juicers love them. They can pose some difficulties during juicing, however, as they can easily clog the mechanism of some machines. It’s best to juice blackcurrants at a low speed or use a manual juicer.

What are the Best Blackcurrants for Juicing?

Blackcurrants are a summer berry that somewhat resembles a dark cherry. They become available in mid June. The most common varieties for juicing are the Ben Avon and Ben Dorain. These hybrids have a higher concentration of Vitamin C than other varieties, making them some of the best blackcurrants for juicing.

Blackcurrants are not as easily accessible in a grocery store as many other types of fruit, so you may need to visit a health food store or find someone who grows them locally. They are more common in England than America, but they are fairly easy to grow and it’s possible to grow your own in the US.

Most commercial blackcurrants are grown in New York, Connecticut and Oregon, so they are easiest to obtain in those states. As they gain in popularity for their health benefits, they may become more popular in markets across the country.

Best blackcurrants for juicing

How to Choose Blackcurrants at Market

If you’re picking off the vine, the easiest way to test the ripeness of a blackcurrant is to taste it. They sweeten as they ripen, so once the fruit is sweet enough it can be harvested. Blackcurrants are harvested in bunches, with each branch of the shrub being cut away to trim the plant and harvest the berries. All berries on a single branch should be roughly equal in ripeness to each other.

If you’re shopping in the market, you should look for firm fruits without soft spots or blemishes. They should be very dark in color; a light berry will not be sweet enough and was picked immaturely. The berry should not be too soft for the touch. If you’re buying it in a package and cannot test its firmness, base your purchase on the berry’s color and lack of any visible blemishes.

12 Mar

Best Watermelons For Watermelon Juice And How To Choose Them

Watermelon can pose a special challenge to a juicer because of the rind and seeds. To avoid this problem, you can choose a seedless watermelon variety and do a little prep-work to remove most of the rind before juicing. If your juicer can handle it, the watermelon rind is actually full of nutrients and can provide an extra dimension to your juice.

What Are the Best Watermelons for Juicing?

Watermelons are available year-round in most areas, but grocery stores usually stock them in the highest quantities during the summer months. In July and August, Watermelon is easy to find on sale, making even large quantities very affordable.

Seedless varieties are the best choice for juicing, but many juicers are able to work with whole seeded fruits very easily. Be sure to check your machine to see if there are any limitations to seeds or rinds before juicing your product.

Watermelon varieties vary in size from small five-pound melons to massive fruits of 30 pounds or more. Depending on how much juice you want, you may want to buy a smaller melon; watermelon doesn’t keep very well once it’s been cut as the flesh will dry out and become grainy fairly quickly.

Small seedless melons include Extazy, Mickylee and Pixie. Other popular varieties for juicing include the Starbrite and Sweet Favorite. Any watermelon in the market will be good for juicing, however, so pick whatever looks freshest.

best watermelons for juicing

How to Choose a Watermelon at the Market

The process of choosing a watermelon for juicing is very similar to choosing one for eating. Once you get the hang of it, picking the best watermelon variety is very easy.

Most grocery stores provide whole watermelons as well as pre-cut slices. Whole melons are the best for juicing. They have a better texture and are often sweeter and fresher-tasting than melons that have been already prepared. If you do opt for sliced melon, be sure to choose one with dark-colored flesh and no white streaking.

The best watermelons for juicing will have firm, unblemished skin that is neither too dull nor too shiny. It should feel heavy for its size and if you tap on it, it will sound slightly hollow. Watermelons that are not fully ripe will have a duller response to being tapped.

Fresh watermelon should also have one side that is paler in color to the others. This area may be cream, yellow or pale green. This is the part of the fruit that touched the ground while ripening, and shows that the watermelon was allowed to mature on the vine before picking. Watermelons without this will not be as sweet as those that ripened on the vine and will not produce as much juice.