Juicing 101—-a few basics to get started

by Andrew

Juicing 101—-a few basics to get started

Here at The Mama Edna Project, we usually recommend a slow, masticating juicer that rotates at about 80 RPM’s rather than 21,000 RPM’s. The reasons are multiple. With slow juicers there is little to no heating of the juice, which protects vital enzymes, micronutrients and phytonutrients that the body desperately needs during times of serious illness and treatments. The juice extraction itself is much more thorough, leaving the pulp very dry, extracting more juice with less produce.  The prep work upfront is a little more, but the cleanup of a slow juicer more than pays off in the end. Below, I have listed a few basics for awesome juicing and hopefully an easier path to healing.

 

  1. Shop once a week for most of your produce, with the exception of greens. Greens have a much shorter shelf life. Buy organic only when possible to avoid any toxins from pesticides, fertilizers and GMO produce. Buy pre-washed greens in the plastic boxes for convenience. Wheatgrass is also a great green to use, either home-grown or purchased from the grocery store.
  2. Wash all your produce upon arrival from the market and air dry. Place in containers, storage bags or directly into freshly cleaned crisper drawers. When you are ready to juice, so is your produce. I wash all my produce in a sink full of cold water and a 1/2 cup of inexpensive white vinegar to remove any dirt, contaminants, bacteria, etc.
  3. Cut produce into pieces under 2 inches square. The smaller the pieces, the better extraction process is to do. Prep all produce in a large bowl. For about 32 ounces of juice, I use a 4 quart bowl filled up plus one plastic box of pre-washed greens. Using scissors, cut wheatgrass into 1 1/2 inch lengths.
  4. Assemble your clean juicer. Be sure the silicon insert on the bottom of the juicing mechanism is inserted into the locked position. On the Hurom Juicer, this piece is usually yellow and on the Breville Juice Fountain Crush, it is usually orange.   If you do not have the manual for the juicer, please go onto YouTube and search for a video from Hurom or Breville on how to assemble and use your juicer. Or reach out to us via email for questions.
  5. Add a few pieces of apple or carrot, then add a few greens. Then turn on your machine. Continue to alternate hard produce with the greens or wheatgrass until all of your produce has been juiced. I save my lemon until last to help clean out the machine. Enjoy half of your juice immediately. Then store the remainder in two smallish jars, leaving as little air gap as possible. Air oxidizes the juice and lowers its nutritional value. Drink the remaining juices within 12 to 16 hours. Repeat daily for best results and best healing, while eating small, healthy, mostly plant-based meals throughout the day.

Get your juice on! Get healthy and kick your disease to the curb!