But is juicing really healthy?  The debate is ongoing and lively, with proponents and opponents arguing the health value of a fresh juice compared to the food itself.  Sugar and fiber content, vitamin and mineral counts, and whether or not juicing can actually cleanse and detox the body are at the center of the dispute, and there really is no way to choose a right and a wrong.

Choose one fruit for every four vegetables to keep the sugar content low

For those who claim there is simply too much sugar in a 16-ounce cup of juice, for example, proponents simply would say to cut back on the amount of fruit that goes in to your drink.  Apples and bananas may add a great, sweet flavor but opponents are correct in pointing out that the sugar content is high.  Lisa Sussman, in her book Cold Press Juice Bible, says the solution for countering this argument is to juice “four servings of leafy or cruciferous vegetables for every one of fruit,” which will help reduce the sugar load.  Using sweet root vegetables in place of fruit will also keep the sugar down (and hence the calorie count too!)

Proponents contend that when a fruit and/or vegetable is in juice form it is easier for the body to absorb.  All the nutrients you consume are used in a more efficient manner and are therefore optimal for your health.  Opponents, though, point out that when these same fruits and vegetables are juiced, the most important part of them is lost: the fiber.  Blenders, rather than cold pressers, can retain the pulp and thus the juice will be more similar to the whole food; but some believe that the heat from spinning blades can cause the juices to oxidize, resulting in a loss of nutrients (and a loss of flavor, too.)  But cold pressers are believed to extract the maximum amount of nectar from the fruits and vegetables, leaving a raw and fresh juice—without the fiber.

Juicing is a great way to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet

Although fiber is lost in the juicing process, it is highly unlikely that a person would be able to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals from eating the same amount of fruits and vegetables as they get from a juice.  The reason behind this is simple:  it is much easier to consume two pounds of fruits and vegetables in liquid form than to sit down and eat it in salad form.  And with juicing, you can add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet.  I wouldn’t, for example, eat a lot of red cabbage in a single sitting, but juiced is a different story.  Besides being able to ingest more, the cabbage adds a sweetness that other vegetables simply don’t do.  It’s a win-win for those interested in a rotating variety of vegetables in their diet.

And as to whether or not juice can work to cleanse and detox the body, well, the science hasn’t really been able to back up the claim that juicing helps to eliminate toxins (in fact, your body does this quite well on its own.)  Some opponents think that the exact opposite is true—that a juicing cleanse may actually prevent the body from optimally doing its job.  You can read more about detox claims here.

To assure a healthy experience, it is important that the amount of bacteria from the fruits and vegetables is minimized.  You can do this by purchasing your fruits and vegetables as soon as possible before juicing them, by washing them thoroughly, and by maintaining clean prep areas and juicing equipment.  Drink your juice immediately (or at least within several hours) after making it, and when you purchase juices from your local grocery store, it is probably best to stick with those that have been pasteurized.

The long and the short of it seems to be that if a person is having a hard time getting in the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, whether they don’t have the time, don’t love to sit down and eat a salad, or don’t have a diverse enough palate to get enough variety, then having a juice one time a day, or even several times a week, will help to ensure enough nutrients are absorbed by the body.  But eating a balanced diet in conjunction with juicing will help to ensure enough protein and fiber are being eaten for optimal health.  As an addition to a regular diet, juicing can be a fun, refreshing way to take in those vegetables!

The post All About that Juice appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Gillian Helquist, food and beverage manager at Shed in Healdsburg, California, says that “shrubs are the epitome of utilizing a season’s bounty when it’s on its way out.”  And the great thing about a shrub is that you are really only limited by your imagination—using whatever fruit is on its way out of season, and any mix of herbs and/or spices, you can experiment to your heart’s content to come up with a flavor combination (or two, or three, or twenty) that you love.  The best shrubs have a flavor that is both tart and sweet so that when you mix the cordial-like fermented syrup with carbonated water, what you have created is a refreshing concoction that will keep you cool on even the hottest of days, or will be reminiscent of warm summer sunshine even in the dead of winter.

To make a shrub, start by choosing a fruit.  And the beauty of choosing the fruit is that it doesn’t have to be the perfect batch—blemishes are fine because you are making syrup.  You may even want to ask for a discount for purchasing less-than-perfect produce.

Second, choose your sugar.  Most shrub makers recommend using basic white sugar when starting out, and working your way up to experimenting with fancier brown sugars.

Lastly, choose your vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar is a great place to start, but red wine will work too.  They are less bland than plain white vinegar, and add some flavor without funkiness.

Add equal parts sugar and water to a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.  Add the fruit and simmer until well blended.  Strain out the solids and add vinegar to the juices.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make a drink.

The heated process is the fastest, but certainly not the best.  For purer and brighter fruit flavor, try the cold process:

Lightly crush the fruit and cover with sugar.  After a couple of days you can strain the syrup away from the solids.  Add vinegar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Bottle this and store in the refrigerator, but check it often to make sure there is no remaining sugar settled at the bottom of the bottle—you’ll want to shake it up if there is.

For both versions you will want to use about a 1:1:1 ratio, but over time you may tweak the amounts just a bit to find the combination that you like best.

For a lovely and refreshing Blackberry Basil Shrub Cocktail, make your shrub using one of the above methods and add in some basil leaves.  When you are satisfied with the length of time the shrub has fermented, follow this recipe:

2 ounces vodka

2 ounces blackberry shrub infused with basil

4-5 ounces sparkling water

Mix ingredients in a tall glass and top with ice.  Enjoy!

The post Blackberries: From Bush to Shrub appeared first on Houston's Blog.

There are three levels of a wine’s aroma that you will hear a wine specialist refer to.  The first is its primary, or varietal, aroma, the smell of the variety of grape used to make the wine.  And then its secondary, or vinous, aroma, which is developed during the pre-fermentation and fermentation processes and is a by-products of the yeast activities.

Then, finally, you will hear specialists speak to the bouquet of the wine, or its tertiary aroma.  This is the most complex of the smell of the wine, taking time—sometimes years—to fully develop.   In essence, the bouquet of the wine comes from the aging process.  For example, if a vintner uses oak barrels, that may contribute to the spicy, smoky, or vanilla scent of a wine.

When evaluating wine by the smell, you should first give the glass a vigorous swirl in order to allow oxygen to enter the wine.  This will cause the wine to release its scents.  Put your nose near the rim of the glass, using care to hover just over the top of the rim.  Don’t inhale deeply but rather take a series of quick, short sniffs.  It helps to keep your mouth slightly open.  After breathing in the aroma of the wine, take a moment to process what you smell.

First, were there any off-aromas?  Did you smell musty wet newspaper?  The smell of burnt matches?  Vinegar?  Did the wine reek of sweat?  Anything off-smelling could indicate spoilage, volatile acids, too much sulfur dioxide, or other flaws that deem the wine unpalatable or not fit for consumption.

After determining there are no flaws, smell for the aroma of fruit.  As your nose becomes more trained you will be able to detect a spectrum of possible fruit scents that will help you to identify the growing conditions of the vineyard—in other words, were the grapes grown in a mostly cool climate, a moderate climate, or a very warm climate?  It is also possible to determine the terrain of the vineyard by the varietal aroma of the wine.

Some of the complex tertiary smells you may encounter are the more complex scents of flowers, grass, earth/mineral/rocks, tack-room leather, smoke, vanilla, chocolate, espresso, or roasted nuts.  Remember, these bouquets are a remnant of the aging process of the wine itself, and they are the elements that give the wine its valued complexity.

There are different aromas associated with white wines than with their red counterparts, but regardless of the color of the wine, the fruit should smell clean and fresh.  While earth and mineral smells are considered complex, dirt in the fruit is not a desirable trait.

Putting words to the wine aromas will help you to focus, understand, and retain your impression of different wines.  Your memory is a good means for determining wine smells and what they mean, and learning some of the language of vintners and wine specialists will certainly take you far.  But the list is vast and can be confusing, especially when you are first learning.   A great resource is the Davis Wine Aroma Wheel, designed to help you learn to describe the complex flavors of wine.

In reality, there is no right or wrong way to nose a wine.  There are tips to get you started and tips to help you progress in your knowledge, but in the end, do what works for you to evaluate by aroma.  It’s not rocket science, but rather just a tool to help you fully enjoy your wine-drinking experience!  Cheers!

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