Store It Foods

Does your morning begin with a glass of “Not from Concentrate” freshly squeezed orange juice poured from that carton that was just sitting in the refrigerator waiting for you.  It’s tasty, it goes down smoothly, and it’s good for you.

All that is probably true, but it might not be as fresh as you might think.  It very likely had originally been stored in some gigantic tank.  It had been heated for pasteurization purposes, with oxygen having been removed in order to lengthen its shelf life.   Unfortunately, along with the oxygen went the flavor.  If you were to avail yourself of some of the liquid refreshment taken from that enormous vat, it is said that it would taste much like sugar water.

Weeks later it might appear on your grocery store shelf, but by then the flavor would have been restored – sort of.  Your orange juice supplier would have gone to a “flavor house” where “flavor experts” would have provided “flavor packets” to insert into that orange juice.  So now that orange juice once again tastes like orange juice, or at least like the flavor experts think orange juice should taste.  And, yes, to most people’s taste buds it really does taste pretty good.

This might help to explain, however, why some people have allergic reactions to the store bought orange juice, but not to the freshly squeezed juice produced at home.  It’s not so much the orange juice to which they are allergic, as it is the added ingredients that have been incorporated into that juice.

So if you really want the best tasting juice, the healthiest juice, and most natural juice; perhaps you should simply prepare it at home beginning with the oranges themselves and with the help of your very own citrus juicer.

I’ve been on a health kick of late and wanted to pass along a delicious recipe I’ve been putting into heavy rotation – no pun intended. It combines two of my favorite things: fennel and the food processor. I adore fennel for its rich, aromatic nature and the way it spices up even the blandest of dishes. And there’s no disputing its health benefits, either – the herb contains 20 percent of your recommended daily Vitamin C intake.

Ingredients:
4 fennel bulbs
1 russet potato
2 cloves garlic
2 cups skim milk
4 cups chicken broth
3 Tsp. parmesan cheese
1 Tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 Tsp. chopped mint leaves

Directions:
1. Cut the fennel in half, then slice it into thin strips. Peel potato and slice thinly. Plop the fennel, potatoes, broth, garlic and milk in a pot over heat. Simmer and cook until fennel and potatoes have softened. Should take 30 minutes or more.
2. Drain and place fennel mix in food processor and set to puree. Add the cheese, salt and pepper and mix some more. Next, put the mint and process some more. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

It is common knowledge that pulp is the “garbage” part of juicing.  Right?

Wrong.  Pulp may be a by-product of juicing, it may look unappetizing, and many people do discard it, but they may do so without realizing that there is much food value also going into the garbage.  Pulp is high in dietary fibre or roughage.  It can also contain many vital nutrients. 

Pulp can be used to thicken soups or casseroles, used in the making of carrot and apple or other flavored muffins, or be “layered” into lasagnes or similar dishes.  Fruit pulp might be used as ice cream toppings.  It could even be placed in a bowl, topped with a meringue and baked for a simple dessert.  There are many recipes available, including ones which will probably come with your juicer.  Check them out.  At the very least, pulps can be used as a mulching or composting material.

Just to get you started, here is a recipe using carrot and pineapple pulp, from an online posting by Epicurious:

Carrot Pulp Muffins

Ingredients:

3.5 cups carrot pulp
1 cup pineapple pulp
3 cups whole-grain flour
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
6 egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup crushed nuts

Directions:Preheat your oven to 350 deg. Mix up the pulp from carrots and pineapple well. Add egg whites, honey, vanilla and oil to the mix. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together and add it gradually to mixture, stirring until it’s blended. Mix in the nuts.

A well balanced, well made, finely honed chef’s knife is not inexpensive.  Yet, if you want a good, reliable cutting and slicing tool on hand for when needed, then spending a little more is probably well worth it in the long run.  If, however, you want it to remain a good, reliable cutting and slicing tool, then you need to take care of it.

Part of that care includes proper storage.  A knife block is a good idea, but if you don’t have a knife block you do not want to simply throw it into a cutlery drawer where that finely honed blade can be nicked or marked by the spoons, forks, other knives, or whatever else it hits and rubs up against while in that drawer.

Should that be the scenario you are facing, then a simple solution is at hand.

Take an empty milk or juice carton.  Measure the blade size of you knife.  Then cut from the carton a strip of cardboard at least twice as wide as that blade at its widest, and just a little bit longer. Fold the cardboard lengthwise.  Tape it closed at the bottom, and along the one open side.  Voila!  You now have a knife sleeve. 

It may not look all that attractive, but it will do the job for you.  That job, of course, is protecting the knife blade.  It will still require sharpening from time to time, but now that will only be due to the normal wear and tear of kitchen use.  It will no longer be because you’ve inadvertantly damaged it in storage.

“Ah, there’s nothing like home made, freshly squeezed juice!”

Have you ever heard that before?  Probably you have, although many of us will have to take the speaker’s word for it.  After all, if you haven’t anything around with which you can squeeze that juice, then you’re a lot less likely to have tried it. Admittedly, it might sound tempting, but not everyone has a couple of hundred dollars sitting around with which you can invest in a juicer that would allow you to do that trying. And why spend all that much when you’re not sure just how much you’ll like it.

Hold on though!  Two or three hundred dollars might be what it takes to get a top end, high quality juicer, but you don’t necessarily need to start out with a top end, high quality juicer.  For a much more modest investment, you can obtain a functioning, manual juicer that will allow you to wade into the world of home made, freshly squeezed juices.

Considering the nutritional value and the delicious taste of such juices, this just may be the kind of step that would be very worthwhile to take.  Reconsider that more expensive juicer once the experimentation has taken place and you’re better aware of your own home’s juicing needs and wants.

A report at the American Dietetic Association’s annual conference held in October of 2008 highlights the fact that a good way of obtaining the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vegetables is through the use of vegetable juice.  In other words, you can drink your vegetables.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California-Davis who recruited 90 volunteers and split them into three groups.  Using V8 Brand Vegetable Juice, one group was asked to consume two 8 oz. glasses of the juice per day, the second was asked to drink one such glass and the third was provided with dietary counseling.  Similar counseling was given the first two groups.

At the conclusion of the study it was found that everyone in the first group had met their RDA of vegetables, more than half of the second group had done so, and approximately one quarter of the third and final group managed to reach the “5 daily servings of vegetables” that represented the recommended daily allowance.

So why the difference when vegetables are so abundant and easy to obtain?  Well, perhaps many people do not find them “abundant and easy to obtain.” 

The study author, Carl Keen, has been quoted as saying, “drinking vegetable juice seemed to address some of the key barriers to vegetable consumption such as convenience, portability and taste, so individuals were more likely to meet their daily recommendations.” Participants actually enjoyed making the vegetable juice a part of their daily routine, and found it easy to do so.

In the study, of course, commercially prepared vegetable juice was used, and that use was restricted to one particular brand, V8 Juice.  No doubt other brands could have been used with similar results having been obtained. What is apparent is that the drinking of vegetable juice is an excellent way to get us closer to that 5 serving RDA goal, a goal that many are now missing. 

This should also be of encouragement to those who juice at home.  Fresh, home made juices right from your kitchen juicer will also have an added bonus. They will be free from the salt and other preservatives that are found in the bottles and cans of juices found on store shelves, making them an exceptionally healthy choice.

Many of the juices that are sold in supermarkets today are made of artificial ingredients. They also have too much sugar and are unhealthy for kids. The best option is to make your own juices yourself. It is not that hard to do. You could simply invest in gadget, such as an omega juicer, and voila! Healthy drinks around the house. The juices of fruits and veggies such as oranges, carrots, apples and mangoes are just a few that your kids would love to drink.

Another way for them to enjoy their juice is to make it into popsicles. You could simply use your juicer to extract the juices, add a little sugar, and pour the mixture into an ice cube tray. After a few hours in the freezer, you have a healthy snack to serve on a hot summer day.

A smoothie, especially on a hot day, can refresh your body. Smoothies are also nutritious and healthy because they are packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein. They provide liquid nutrition that is easily absorbed by the body.

Smoothies are also high in carbohydrates and fiber. Having a smoothie maker at home is convenient because smoothies are fast to prepare. This is perfect especially for kids who are picky eaters. Kids will never say no to smoothies.

Use of your steam juicer doesn’t need to be a “once a year” type thing.  Though they are great for making juices for jams, jellies, or concentrates, jobs at which they excel, these handy devices can also be used as cookers. 

In other words, you can use them to steam cook vegetables for an appetizing side dish, or even prepare an entire main course. Steam rice, fish, poultry, clams, cakes, puddings, and more. It’s a healthy way to cook and it’s a simple way to cook.

To transform your steam juicer into a steam cooker, simply remove the juice kettle portion of the unit.  That’s it.  You’re done.  You’re ready to go.  You will have left behind the water pan and the steamer basket, and those are what you require for steam cooking.

Would you like even more versatility?  Use the steamer basket as a colander for draining hot spaghetti or other pastas.  You’ll find it similarily useful for washing greens and other fruits and vegetables prior to meal preparation.  The water pan can easily be used to cook up soups and stews, or as an extra large pot for boiling potatoes or other vegetables for those special, family dinners.

Don’t limit your thinking.  Get your money’s worth.  That steam juicer really can become a kitchen utensil that is useful year round, rather than just seasonally.

Many people just can’t get through the day without that first cup of coffee in the morning. But for others it’s that cool glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice that gets their day started off right. Buying fresh-squeezed juice can take its toll on a person’s wallet. Making your juice at home may take a little more time, but the money saved and the fresh quality of the juice will make up for that.

A citrus juicer and fresh fruit are the only supplies you’ll need to make your mugs of morning magic. Fresh-squeezed OJ tastes great and is good for your body. These health facts may prompt you to get your own citrus juicer sooner than later.

• Orange juice is high in antioxidants. It may help prevent many forms of cancer.
• A large dose of vitamin C is contained in each glass of orange juice you drink. Vitamin C boosts the immune system and lessens your chances of catching the flu or a cold.
• Research has shown consuming orange juice reduces the risks of heart disease and improves circulation.