The current trend of eating local and organic everything has of course carried over into juicing, where it may be even more crucial. It’s clear that tired, long-traveled, heavily sprayed produce will not offer the same benefits.
Ames says that green leafy vegetables are the most important component of healthy juices. This can be in the form of spinach, kale, romaine lettuce or bok choy. Foraged wild greens, such as dandelion, are perfect sources as well, packed with natural nutrition. The fresher the veggie, the more nutritious, and using organic when ever possible is key. Wheatgrass is so fresh it’s still alive when you drink the juice, he says. He claims the ingredients he juices are about 98 percent organic, from health-food stores, local farms and markets with a good selection of organic produce.
Although V-8 juice and gazpacho come to mind as examples of vegetable juices, tomatoes don’t seem to be a common ingredient. Carrot is good on it’s own, but combined with apple and ginger is very popular at local juice emporiums, called the Carrot Hopper at Maggie’s Krooked Café in Tannersville and Wake Up Little Susie at All Shook Up in Poughkeepsie.
More recently, adventurous juicers have figured out ways to amp up the flavor of juices by being creative with additions of garlic, olive oil, or maple or agave syrups. Some venture out with ingredients like grapefruit, cauliflower or bell peppers. Red Hook author Lois Walden juices cilantro to reduce heavy metals in her diet, according to her publicist Phillippa Ewing.
Rather than juicing with just vegetables, the addition of apple, pear or carrot will balance out bitterness and improve palatability. Leave on the skins for extra vitamins; a good juicer should extract them and leave the rough stuff behind. Take out apple cores and seeds, however (apple seeds contain traces of a cyanide compound).
Consume your juice as soon as possible after making it. Although David Ames admits he will juice when he has extra time and keep it for a couple days in airtight glass containers, the nutritional benefits do diminish a bit the longer it sits but still are “better than nothing,” he says.
Ames also makes smoothies, which pulverize the produce, retaining the pulp and some fiber. A powerful blender like Vitamix is needed for those. But for standard juicing, he is adamant that you don’t skimp. “Don’t buy a $79 juicer,” he says. “You do not want a centrifugal juicer, but a masticating one.” He says they run from about $200 to upwards of $500 for one like a Green Star. “It crushes the pulp nearly dry,” he says, actually saving you money because you get a higher volume of juice from your produce.
Many complain of the pain of cleaning the machines, however. One friend tells me he gave up a juicing habit because of it, and even Ames admits, “It’s a hassle.”
Or just have someone else do the cleaning and juicing. Maggie’s Krooked Café offers a Citrus Tonic, with orange, lemon, olive oil, garlic and cayenne, but “most people make up their own combinations,” says Rhonda, who serves juices there. “One woman came in and wanted kale, spinach, cucumber and garlic,” she says. More popular combos include apple/beet and carrot/beet/orange. Mint or sprouts are other unusual additions. Juices are $4 for small, $5 for large.
At Sissy’s Café in Uptown Kingston, you can build your own juices, with that perennial favorite apple/carrot/ginger a popular item. Juices are $4.50 for a twelve-ounce cup, greens extra.
At All Shook Up! in Poughkeepsie, the Speedo, a.k.a. the Energizer, is popular, with beet, carrot, kale and cucumber. Ingredients for juices can include apple, beet, broccoli, carrot, celery, cucumber, grapefruit, ginger, kale, lemon, lime and orange. Broccoli/apple/lime is one combo called Yummy-Yummy.
“We can make anything,” says co-owner Frank Fasano. Prices range from $4.99 to $6.29, in 12- or 16-ounce servings, with beets adding a little more. Organically certified wheatgrass is available for $1.99 a shot. Fasano says he and partner Michelle Morrill have a commitment to using local and/or organic produce (about 90-95 percent).
Get your juice on at Sissy’s Café at 324 Wall Street in Uptown Kingston) (845) 514-2336 or www.sissyscafekingston.com, at Maggie’s Krooked Cafe & Juice Bar on Main Street in Tannersville, (518) 589-6101 or www.krookedcafe.com, and at All Shook Up! at 44 Raymond Avenue. in Poughkeepsie, (845) 485-1955 or allshookupcafe.com.
