Adventures in Juicing

Well, it's officially week two of Vegan MoFo 2010! I have been enjoying reading everyone's drool-worthy posts, and I just love finding so many new and wonderful vegan blogs. There are so many, and there is so much good content. If you haven't done some Vegan MoFo exploring, be sure to check out the list of blogs participating here.

I'm going to kick off week two with a new hobby that the fiancé and I have picked up: juicing. Juicing is not only fun and delicious, but it provides a great way for your body to get some much-needed nutrients. When juice is extracted from a fruit or vegetable, its healthy nutrients and enzymes remain with the juice. Excess fiber is discarded in the form of a pulp and can be used again to make broth or other soups. What makes juice so darn useful is its ability to deliver those nutrients and enzymes without that extra fiber. This way, the body can absorb as much of the healthful stuff as possible. It can be really hard to be healthy all the time, even when you're vegan, and juicing is a great way to inject some vitamins and minerals into your diet. Plus, juice tastes great!

Kale-Collard-Apple-Lemon-Carrot Juice

Fiancé and I recently invested in an Omega 8003 masticating juicer, and have been juicing almost daily since. I'm mostly addicted to the amazing flavors we've been able to produce, while fiancé is loving the huge nutritional boost it provides. It's a win-win situation. Last night, we made juice from kale, collard greens, carrots, apple, and lemon. Here are some shots of the process. 

Pre-Pulverization

Beginning to Juice

Kale Juice

Carrot Pulp

Getting Ready to Freeze the Pulp

Finished Product

I was very happy with how this juice turned out! It was slightly tangy from the lemon, and nice and thick from the greens. I was worried about bitterness being an issue, as I've heard that collards can be bitter, but this juice wasn't bitter at all. Yum!

We've talked about all the awesome stuff you put into smoothies, now what's your favorite juice?