"Keep ancient lands, your storied juice!" cries he!

January 3, 2007 6:32 PM

Innovative juice ideas/recipes?

So I've been invited to a new years dinner, and I was assigned the job of bringing the juice. But here's the thing, it's got to be something "new" for the "new year". Meaning plain old grocery store juice won't cut it. I need something that won't disappoint, a juicy type beverage that says "Welcome to the new year!". A juice that defies mere mortals to sup on its sweet nectar. A juice among juices, truly a juice for all seasons.

Non-alchoholic beverages only please!

posted by blue_beetle to food & drink (13 comments total)

Do you have a juicer? If so, what type?
posted by dobbs at 6:45 PM on January 3, 2007

down south we have something call "fruit tea"
posted by nola at 6:45 PM on January 3, 2007

Herbal Iced Tea, contains 4 cups apple juice. Always a big hit.
posted by LoriFLA at 6:54 PM on January 3, 2007

I was going to suggest something like fruit tea, too. Basically, you make 6 cups of iced herbal tea (using 10 teabags) and add 2 cups fruit juice. I like peach tea with sparkling apple juice or red zinger (hibiscus tea) with pomegranate juice. Anything is good as long as it's a fruit flavored tea with clear fruit juice.
posted by found dog one eye at 6:55 PM on January 3, 2007

Citrus is in season, so fresh squeezed variations on citrus would be delicious and reasonably priced.

One of my favourite alcoholic drinks is orange juice and Amaretto. If you like almond flavours, this can be imitated non-alcoholically with orgeat syrup, which can be bought in foofy coffee stores as well as Italian grocers. Just add to taste. You could also experiment with orange or other citrus and various other flavoured syrups.

I saw in the grocery store recently a fruit that was a cross between a tangerine and a lemon. I've never seen them before, so they could be neat to make a "new" drink out of (unless I'm just in a backwater, and they've been everywhere else for ages). I'd give one a taste, but assume a sort of lemonade kind of drink, but probably with less sugar.

Pomegranates are also in season right now, but I'm not sure the best way to make juice out of them. I have, however, seen pomegranate juice for sale in the grocery store. This could be something to add flair to a mix. My friend serves a pomegranate-blueberry blend with fizzy water, and it's quite fantastic.
posted by carmen at 8:51 PM on January 3, 2007

Sadly I have no juicer. I'm considering buying one for this venture.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:30 PM on January 3, 2007

Well, if you can afford it, get a masticating juicer, not a centrifugal one.

I recommend a Green Star or Green Power or Champion. If you want a kickass blender, look into Blendtec or VitaMix.

Here are some recipes:

serves 2

1/4 medium pineapple
2 ripe pears, pref anjou
1 thumb size knob of fresh ginger, peeled

run everthing thru juicer, pour over ice, serve

serves 2

2 medium cucumbers (not english)
2 stalks celery
1 small handful of fresh miint and a few leaves for garnish
2 limes, outer peel cut away

run all ingredients thru juicer, pour over ice and garnish with mint sprigs



serves 2

1 cup coconut water
1/4 cup of young thai coconut meat (you can get it in a can if necessary)
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
2 cups pineapple

put 'em in a kickass blender and process till smooth

serves 2

3 cups chopped fennel
2 celery stalks
1 breaeburn apple, skin on, cored
1 cup grapefruit juice

put all but the grapefruit juice thru a juicer. mix with grapefruit juice, strain into glasses

serves 2

1 mango, peeled, pitted, chopped
1 blood orange, peeled
1/2 yellow papaya, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoon maple sugar
1/2 cup coconut water
1 tablespoon chopped spearmint leaves
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups crushed ice
1 passion fruit, halved and pul and seeds scooped out

combine all but passion fruit in blender, process till smooth. pour into chilled glasses and spoon passion pulp and seeds on top.

serves 2

2 cups cranberries
1 cup pineapple
1 cup young thai coconut meat (get in a can if you have to)
1 cup coconut water
1/4 teaspoon seeds from a vanilla bean
1/4 cup fresh squeeze orange juice
1 tablespoon maple sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon

serves 2

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup chopped banana
1/2 cup fresh squeezed OJ
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon seeds from vanilla bean
1 braeburn apple, skin on, cored, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/4 cups crushed ice

combine all in a kickass blender and process till smooth
posted by dobbs at 10:23 PM on January 3, 2007

Oops, for the second to last one:

combine all ingredients in kickass blender, process until smooth.
posted by dobbs at 10:26 PM on January 3, 2007

Ginger all the way. I had ginger apple once from a juicer and I want a juicer badly enough now to look for a bigger apartment to house it in. It's unreal. The sweet takes the tang that might scare you off raw ginger away by quite a bit.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:27 PM on January 3, 2007

It's big in China and actually quite refreshing and tasty...

Aloe juice. Yes, that aloe, the one in your kitchen window and yes, I did say it was tasty.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:16 AM on January 4, 2007

Pineapple with ginger and fresh mint. It will change your life.
posted by wallaby at 4:26 AM on January 4, 2007

Does it have to be fresh-squeezed, or just a new juice? You may not be able to get these fresh, but I highly recommend açerola or cashew (available at any Brazilian grocer) and sugar cane juice with a dash of kumquat.
posted by whatzit at 6:49 AM on January 4, 2007

Agua de Jamaica. Ok, so it's more like an herbal tea, but it tastes like a juice. (You can get Jamaica (hibiscus) flowers at a Mexican grocery.)
posted by Wet Spot at 3:54 PM on January 4, 2007