6. I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but I am a "by the book" cook. I really need *more* guidelines that just "chop up the fruit and throw it in". Are there any *real* recipes for creatively challenged cooks like me?
A. The rule of thumb I use is that I try to have about 60% carrots as a base, and then I add cucumbers, red peppers, some apple, celery (only when I have extra time, as you have to stop more often and clean the blades) always in different proportions each day. I'm up to juicing ten pounds of carrots each morning now, sometimes more.

7. What do I do with this pulp? Can I use it in muffins or breads? I just can't throw it away!
A. If it is non-organic produce I would not use the pulp.
I'd definitely try it in bread though-no more than about 1 C. pulp per loaf. It would also go great in meatloaf, or in the compost pile or to feed rabbits! Some of the juicing books have ideas for using the pulp.

8. I got my juicer yesterday and I am having fun with it, although it is a little harder to clean than I like. Is it hard to clean up after? (maybe I'm not doing it right?)
A. It will get easier as you get used to handling the machine. Are you putting a little oil (olive) around the metal spike that holds the grater before you assemble? Are you trying to scrub it clean or just rinsing? I just rinse all my pieces under warm water, making sure no residues are left on any pieces. The inside has become rather orange, but it doesn't affect the performance or life of the machine at all. The best solution I have found to getting inside the machine is to use a 'bottle brush' - one of those wire thingies with the cylindrical shaped brush on the end (poor description I know - sorry). Running that through the main piece several times while holding under hot water seems to be the fastest, best way to clean this piece. Adding a little detergent to the brush also helps break down the butter. Rinse *VERY* well after using the detergent.

Some juicers are easier to clean than others. Some also come with clamps to hold a regular grocery plastic bag to catch the pulp. That helps to cut down on the clean up time. Another consideration if you plan to juice a lot is to consider the Green Power or Green Life juicers. You can juice an entire days worth of juice, refrigerate and not lose much of the quality, color or taste in the juice. A lot of serious juicers I know go this route. They are fairly expensive juicers however.

9. How do you make nut butters in it? How do you get the stuff out of the tube?
A. Instead of using the mesh screen you use the solid white screen called a "blank" in its place.
Place nuts in the hopper as you do with fruit. It doesn't splatter like the fruit (I tie a plastic bag over the end with juicing and all the pulp falls in there) so you just need to place a bowl at the end of the machine. As you *gently* push down on the hopper the nuts will become ground. The faster you push, the crunchier the butter. The slower the smoother. You will need to add some oil with some nuts. I generally make cashew butter and add a little safflower oil as I go. How much depends on the nuts and how 'sloppy' you like the nut butter. I also like to add just a touch of salt to cashews. Cleaning is a little harder with nut butters. IMHO - if you continue to have the struggles with cleaning the juicer with nut butter, do the nut butter in your blender - it is much easier to clean.

10. The produce seems to never stay fresh in the fridge long enough for me to get through a couple of weeks of juicing. (I HATE throwing the produce away!)
A. I buy 40# apples/50# carrots at the beginning of the month and they keep pretty well through out the month. Admittedly, by the time the end of the month is here they are a little 'old' but very juicable. Could it be that you are having problems with the storage of the produce? (Your fridge is too hot or too cold?) Or maybe buying too much of the very perishable produce at one time? For the highly perishable produce like beets, spinach, kale etc. buy these on a weekly basis. I also use a liner in my produce bins, and I take all of my produce out of those grocery plastic bags.

If you have a root cellar (or are willing to make one) that would be a good option. If you can afford it, get a used refrigerator to keep in the basement or out of the way and keep all your produce in their at very cold temperature.

11. We love V-8 juice. Does anyone have a "copycat" recipe?
A. Try this! Tim LOVES this one!

TOMATO-VEGGIE JUICE:
by Vickilynn Haycraft

Makes 16 ounces

2 ripe tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 handful fresh spinach
1 large organic carrot
1/4 vidalia onion
1 large rib celery
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 small shots Texas hot sauce
1/4 cup filtered water

12. Does organic vs. inorganic produce make a difference?
A. YES!!! Not only are you not ingesting chemical residues, you are getting fresher produce (because there are no waxes or preservatives sprayed on them) and the vitamin content will be higher! I recently tried organic carrots (2) with an apple and found it to be very refreshing, delicious. I tried regular store carrots and Oh, yuck!

It does make a difference in that if it is organic, there is less preparation to juice them and you can use the pulp. If it is inorganic, the juice may taste more bitter, the preparation time is longer (washing, scrubbing, rinsing) and the health benefits will be less. Don't let the fact that you cannot get or afford organic stop you from getting the benefits you get from juicing however.

13. My hands are yellow!!! My doctor said I was overdoing it on the juice, that the Vitamin A & beta-carotene were building to toxic levels and that I need to stop juicing until normal color returns. I usually only have one 16 oz glass of juice/day, made up of carrots, beets, apples.
A. Over juicing with caretenoids is not unusual. The yellow is your body's signal that even that amount (16 oz of juice) may be too much for your body to currently process. Listen to these signals. God lovingly provided them for our well-being. Decrease the amount of yellow juiced veggies or perhaps a liver "help" such as milk thistle or dandelion would be useful at this juncture in life.

14. How far ahead can you juice? Is it okay to let it sit overnight? One or two days?
A. Nutrients in juices start breaking down almost immediately. Juices are best drunk immediately - or very shortly thereafter. Given that it takes but a few minutes to make juice there really isn't a need to keep it overnight. If time is of the essence in the mornings I would suggest preparing as much as you can the night before: chopping fruit & veggies, setting up machine etc., so that all you would have to do in the morning would be juice and drink! It is generally recommended *not* to keep juices longer than about 8 hours.

15. What kinds of things do you like to put in your juice? I am drinking carrot juice, but I'd love ideas for things to add :)
A. Your juice limitations are limited to your taste buds and your imagination!!!
Carrot and apple are probably the most common, easily liked bases for most juices. Then depending upon the seasons you can add a variety of things: celery, beets, ginger, kale, spinach, tomatoes, just about any fruit (not bananas though!), garlic, parsley etc.

16. If you were going to buy a juicing book, which one would you get?
A. There are some great juicing books on the market today that are loaded with recipes as well as what fruits and vegetables are good to combine and which ones are not. You could check your local book stores or some of the online books stores such as BarnesandNoble.com for more choices. They provide lots of good tips and information as well as recipes.

One book I recommend is Juicing for Life: A Guide to the Health Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juicing by Cherie Calbom & Maureen Keane. I also like The Juicing Book by Stephen Blauer, The Joy of Juicing by Gary Null and Shelly Null.

17. If organic carrots are not available, is it too unhealthy to use the regular ones if they are well scrubbed?
A. Make sure you wash your produce well. Use a biodegradable soap using a vegetable brush to scrub the surfaces well. Rinse thoroughly. This will take care of much of the surface spray. If you can't find organic carrots available at the supermarket check with the produce manager. Many times they will be able to special order them in for you.

18. Please give me the basic things I need to know for juicing!
A.

1. Try and use organically grown produce as much as possible when juicing.
   If this is just not possible, you may want to consider peeling produce.

2. Prior to juicing, wash all produce, remove moldy, bruising or otherwise damaged portions of the fruits & vegetables.

3. Because the skins of oranges & grapefruits contain a toxic substance that should not be consumed in large quantities, and because these skins are somewhat bitter, it's best to peel these fruits before juicing. Leave on the white pithy part of the peel though, it contains valuable bioflavonoids & vitamin C. Tropical fruits like kiwi & papaya should be peeled - these often come from other countries where icky sprays are still used. The skins of all other fruits & vegetables, including lemons & limes may be left on. If the produce has been waxed, it is recommended to remove the peel.

4. All pits - peach, plum, apricots etc., - must be removed before juicing. Seeds - lemon, lime, melon, grape etc., - may be placed in the juicer along with the fruit. However, because apple seeds contain small amounts of arsenic, apples seeds should not be juiced.

5. When using most produce, don't hesitate to include stems & leaves along with the fruits & vegetables. However, carrot & rhubarb greens should be removed as they contain toxic substances.

6. Most fruits & vegetables will need to be chopped to fit the juicer. After you juice for a while you will know what size best fits your juicer.

7. Most fruits & vegetables have a high water content. This is what makes it possible to juice them. Those fruits & vegetables that contain little water - bananas & avocados etc., - cannot be placed in the juicer. When using them in your recipes, juice all other fruits first, transfer juice to blender and then use blender to mix in the dried produce.

8. It is best to juice on an empty stomach as the produce can start to ferment while waiting for the food to digest that you ate with the juice, causing all kinds of digestive upsets.

9. Juicing cannot take the place of eating good foods, it is a healthy addition to healthy eating.

10. A good juicer is worth it's weight in gold.

11. Use organic whenever possible, if not, use a good biodegradable soap (wash, scrub, and rinse well).

12. Because juices are assimilated with very little effort on the part of your digestive system, their nutrients have a tremendous health-building impact.

This FAQ is the property of Vickilynn Haycraft. Copyright 1995-2008
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