The Complete Idiot's Guide to Juicing - Ellen Brown [13]
Fennel. Americans are just beginning to appreciate the wonders of fennel, a vegetable similar to celery with a nutritional profile that is high in sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Its slight mild licorice flavor makes a wonderful juice that blends with stronger vegetables and fruits. Fennel is basically a winter vegetable, and it’s at its peak from November to April. Pick fennel bulbs that are about the size of tennis balls and show no bruising or discoloration on the skin, store them refrigerated, and use them within five days. For juicing, use both the bulb and stalks, and save the feathery greens for a garnish. Trim off the stem end, rinse the bulb, and cut it into pieces to fit your juicer. Yield: 6 to 8 ounces of juice per pound of fennel.
Juicy Jive
The species of fennel we use for juicing as well s cooking is the Italian strain sometimes referred to as Florence fennel; it’s also just called fresh anise in some supermarkets.
Garlic. This bulbous member of the lily family is a wonder food that has been proven to reduce cholesterol as well as the risk of heart disease. Available year-round, choose heads that are firm and not dry or shriveled, and store them in a cool, dry place. Don’t refrigerate garlic, because it will cause it to sprout. If you see green shoots emerging from the tips of the cloves, don’t buy them; they indicate that it’s old and sprouting. It’s best to store garlic in a cool, dry place and not refrigerate it. Yield: Only used for flavoring, and usually 1 or 2 cloves is sufficient.
Ginger. While we refer to ginger as a root, it’s actually a rhizome native to Asia that has a sweet and somewhat peppery flavor. When choosing ginger, look for nodules that are large, firm, and have a shiny skin. Avoid ones that are dull and shriveled. Store it refrigerated for up to a week. It’s not necessary to peel ginger for juicing, so the size of the bulb doesn’t matter, but for general cooking, select large pieces or you’ll peel away the majority. Yield: Only used for flavoring, and most juice recipes call for 2 to 4 tablespoons of sliced ginger.
Liquid Lingo
A rhizome is different from a root. It’s actually an underground part of the stem that usually grows horizontally. Ginger is an edible rhizome, but many exist in nature.
Kale. Kale is the renegade cousin of the cabbage clan. Rather than growing as a compact head or with tight florets, it grows like a bouquet of flowers. It’s very high in iron as well as vitamins A, B, and C. Choose heads with crisp, dark green leaves, and pass by heads that have even a tinge of yellow in the leaves or are limp. Refrigerate it loosely in a plastic bag for up to five days. Kale is easy to juice. Just rinse it well, and break it into lengths that fit into your juicer. Yield: 6 ounces of juice per pound of fennel.
Parsnips. These iron-colored vegetables are first cousins of the carrots, and both have an essentially sweet flavor, although the flavor of parsnips is somewhat stronger. Choose large parsnips that are very firm, and look for feathery tops, which you should discard as soon as they arrive home. Like carrots, store parsnips for up to a week. Parsnips are a good source of vitamin C and also contain large amounts of potassium, phosphorous, and silicon. Yield: 4 ounces of juice per pound of parsnips.
Juicy Jive
Parsnips are sometimes harder to find than ubiquitous carrots, so feel free to substitute carrots for them anytime you’re juicing. Be aware, however, that the color of the juice