I have absolutely inundated with requests asking what I put in my daily shots and how I use the pulp. Okay not exactly inundated, my friend Marie asked me lol. I think I did a story about it but I might as well do it as a blog post so it's here for posterity if I ever stop doing them and forget. If I refer to any products in this blog, I have put links to them and highlighted them in red to make it easy for you to find them online should you wish to order them, Hope this helps. It also generates a small commission for The Virtual Tavern if you order via the links.
Firstly the juicer
I opted for the Aumate Juicer as it was recommended by someone. I'd had a juicer in the past but it was so big and took that long to wash it put me off, so I never used it. This one is really effective and is a masticating juicer so gets as much juice as possible and leaves the pulp quite dry on most things. It's really easy to take apart and quick to clean and also doesn't take up a lot of countertop space. I find that if I have it put away in a cupboard I am less likely to juice regularly so I like to leave it out.
I would say if you are going to start juicer, get the best you can afford as I have bought cheaper in the past. and they haven't been very good.
"Buy cheap, buy twice"!
So I make two lots of shots that I prepare for the week ahead. I alos juice celery but these aren't shots I do a full glass each day. There are lot of health benefits to drinking celery juice, one of which is lowering your blood pressure, which is why I started.
Ginger, Apple & Cucumber (and sometimes add celery juice if I have some celery left over
Tumeric, Orange and Carrot
I start with the ginger shorts first (just because the turmeric and carrot stain everything so need to soak the juices and jugs etc after doing those, where I can just quickly rinse after the others).
Ginger Shots
I begin with the Cucumber and have the juice on the SOFT setting. I then strain any excess water from the cucumber pulp and put this into a small airtight container and keep in the fridge, You can use this to make up a cooling eye/face mask (not gonna lie I always have intentions but haven't done it yet). The more likely option, which is the one I go for is to make my own tzatziki with it (add Greek yogurt, mint and garlic, BOSH, done).
Next, I would do the celery if I have any to use up. I save the celery pulp in a zip lock back, flatten it out and freeze. I can then snap off as much as I want to add to soups, stews, spagbol, or anywhere you want to add more veggies. This is out of the freezer and I've already bashed it up when I have wanted to add some to my cooking, it would normally be a flat bag full.
Then the ginger with the juicer on the HARD setting, I don't bother peeling but up to you. I haven't done this but I saw a useful video on Youtube where the lady laid the pulp out on a tray, let into the fridge overnight to dry out and then used a tea infuser to make ginger tea and added honey. I will give this a go next time (just need a tea infuser lol).
Now this is where the controversy comes (purist juicers, please look away) because I really could not be bothered coring and juicing a ton of apples for the small yield you get for them so for my shots, not gonna lie I top up with carton apple juice (insert shocked face). It's mainly the ginger I am bothered about getting daily so happy to compromise and add apple juice that's not that expensive for a litre.
Ratio-wise when I make them up I start with the ginger and just about cover the bottom of the bottles (as it's very potent and hot if you overdo it). I next add some cucumber juice about and then top up with apple juice. I would say the ration is about 10% Ginger, 40% cucumber (and celery if I have some) then 50% apple juice. They have to be drinkable or you won't stick to it. It's not meant to be a bushtucker trial so make it to your taste.
Now before you all kick off thinking that not a lot of ginger in a ginger shot. The first time I made one I drank the neat ginger and nearly self-combust from the inside (okay that's maybe a bit extra for the drama lol). Then I read what was inside a bottle I had bought from somewhere and it was about 8% ginger and the rest apple and some other additives, so I am happy with my ratio but feel free to find your ideal balance that works for you.
Tumeric Shots
Next on the Turmeric shots I start with the carrot with juicer again on HARD setting, this is so I can save the pulp. I again save it in a ziplock bag and freeze so I can add to my cooking. I'm also planning to make some carrot cake today to use up some of it as it soon builds up. I'll stick the recipe on if it turns out okay lol. I use dissolvable labels on all my bags and containers so they just wash off when you have finished and leave no sticky mess. ;-)
After the carrot I do the turmeric, I spread the pulp onto a baking tray and cook on low in the air fryer to dry it out, then blend into a powder in the nutribullet. However, now I have seen the ginger teat video I will probably not bother grinding and use to make turmeric teas.
Okay full disclosure, I had to stop typing my blog to order this tea infuser lol. I'm so impulsive lol. I just love ways of using what would otherwise be waste so now I can make my own ginger and turmeric tea and use both lots of pulp :-) I digress....
Again I tried juicing load of oranges but I really didn't have the patience to peel and juice ten ton of aranges for the amount of juice I needed. I would have to buy half of Florida every week to create enough juice, si I top up with carton orange juice lol. When I can be bothered I buy oranges and do it but it starts getting costly and it's just as easy to use shop-bought. It's the tumeric health benefits I am trying to get so happy to make my life easier with the orange.
The ratio for these is same as the ginger ones, I add a grind of black pepper to each bottle as it helps the absorption of the tumeric into your body.
I use these small bottles for my juices that are easy to wash and reuse. When you get them the lid and collar are attached ( you know when you open a shop-bought bottle and the plastic lid come off leaving a ring of plastic on the bottle (well that's the collar). So the first time you use them if you just simply screw on as they are, they will leak. you need to twist the bottle tight so the collar detaches from the lid. That way they screw on properly. I learned from experience after shaking them and getting turmeric all over the place.
If you so want to go the whole hog and juice all your fruits too, I would save the apple pulp to make crumbles or pies and add the orange pulp to a cake batter.
Once juices are done for the week I leave in the fridge and drink one of each daily. When I am doing my initial juicing I often make up an extra full bottle of pure ginger and turmeric and freeze them. Then I can just juice the extras the next week to make them up for another weeks shots and you aren't doing so much juiceing every week.
Hope this this has been useful and please drop a comment so I know people actually read this stuff lol.
PS I haven't check this for spelling mistakes as I just type it quick and post it, so grammar police you will hate it lol.