Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Juicing Tips for Using the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer

Power Juicer Blade - Not Ideal for Leafy greens
Just like any other juicer machine the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer machines have their pros and cons, and we need to take this into account when juicing so that we get the best out of our Power Juicers.

The main strength of the Power Juicer machines is the power and speed, they can turn most fruits and vegetables into a juice in 10 seconds or less. Solid produce like apples, pears, carrots, broccoli, among many others, work best. However, with speed also comes limitations.  Thin, or low substance vegetables are not ideal for this machine. Wheat grass cannot be juiced effectively at all. It is just too thin, and the high speed juicing doesn't give it the time it needs to be juiced effectively. The juice yield from wheat grass is almost non-existent! Leafy greens like spinach, kale and lettuce are not ideal either, but they fair better than ultra-thin wheat grass. The best way to juice leafy greens is to wet them first and roll them into a ball to give them 'substance', this will get more juice out of them. The juice yield will still be sub-par (as compared to masticating juicer machines) but a little is better than nothing.

Even with the power of the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer machines, they will start to struggle with the real tough vegetables like beets, yams and potatoes. It is better to juice these vegetables infrequently to avoid over-stressing the motor. When we do juice them, it is better to cut them into smaller chunks to make it easier on the motor. Don't put too much in at once either, just feed in as much as the juicer can handle. All other vegetables are a fair game, and are usually juiced without problem or complaint.

For some general juicing advice that pertains to any juicing machine, don't juice bananas, papayas and avocados. These are best juiced in a blender. These fruits have very low water content, and you have to juice loads of them just to get the smallest amount of juice. They will also clog your juicer up quickly and leave you with a mess to clean up! Trust me - put them in the blender!

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