Preparation for Smoothies

1. Start by washing fruit and vegetables.
2. Remove any imperfections or bruising as necessary. Cut larger fruits into pieces small enough to blend.

• Berries : Wash, hull, or de-stem the berries and dry.

• Stones fruits (apricots, cherries, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, and plums) Wash, halve, remove the stone or pit, and cut into smaller pieces.

• Tree fruits : (apples, bananas, citrus fruit, guavas, kiwifruit, medlar, or pears) Wash, peel (if citrus or bananas), quarter, remove the core, and cut the quarters in half.

• Vegetables : (beets, carrots, celery, onions, parsnips, peppers, rutabaga, turnips, or winter squash) Wash, pat dry, and cut into 3cm pieces.

• Greens : (beet greens, collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, or turnip greens) Remove tough stems and imperfect leaves.

Freezing overnight

Using frozen fruit in smoothies makes the drink thick and icy cold. You can partially thaw fruit and vegetables before juicing them and the result will be thick and creamy. Here is the best way to freeze the most common fruits and vegetables.

• Place in a single layer on baking sheets and freeze for one to two hours.
• Once your fruit is completely frozen, you can transfer it into an airtight freezer bag or container for storage. As long as you don’t let your bag of fruit thaw at all, each piece of fruit will stay as individual pieces. Most frozen fruit is best used within 6 months.

Cooking Methods: