Straining juiced vegs/fruits

[partlycloudy]

I wanted to make a separate thread for this as I didn't want this info to get lost in my juice thread. I was told by a friend that I probably needed to strain my juiced vegs/fruits since even having run them through my juicer they probably still had pulp (fiber). I was told I needed a nut milk bag, something people who make milk from nuts use.

Not having a nut milk bag on hand , last night I used a piece of nylon chiffon from a craft project. I first tried a coffee filter but kept dropping it and having to start over.

So, I first wet the chiffon then layed it over an empty cup with it draped down into the cup a bit to catch the juice. I poured my juice into it about a 1/2 cup at a time. It immediately stopped draining so I carefully lifted the whole shabang up and squeezed it gently to squeeze out the juice.

I was SHOCKED at how much pulp there was left over in the cloth from just a 1/2 cup of juice! I'll take pics tonight and post them.

It was a PITA but I did my whole glass and could both see and feel the difference in how less pulpy this was compared to the un-strained version.

So, there it is. I'm hoping I can now get back to juicing, although I'm not looking forward to straining it like this. But that's a small price to pay in order to regain my ability to consume veggies and fruits in some form.

 

[jecoll]

What kind of juicer are you using?

 

[partlycloudy]

I'm using a Hamilton Beach centrifugal juice, but my friend has a one of the expensive masticating types and she still strains her's. Or maybe those come with an extra strainer attachment. Not sure.

 

[jecoll]

Yeah I saved up for the Omega 8005, and I think there are three different points where the juice gets strained. Now, there is definitely still some stuff leftover that a nut milk bag would catch, but it's certainly not large enough to cause my gut any kind of grief ...and that's really what sold me on it.

But definitely a good tip!

 

[partlycloudy]

Thanks for that info as I had no idea there were that many times it was strained with that one.

I did take pics but you couldn't see much so I haven't bothered to post them. It's far more impressive in real life.

 

[Miss Spencer]

Hi

Just buy a small fine mesh strainer / sieve from a kitchen or cookware equipment shop.

Very cheap. I brought a round one that was small enough to fit over a teacup and it cost £5.00.

Due to the time of year, carrots are very fiberous. Today I had to filter my juice twice. Once through a fine sieve and again through a ultra fine sieve. There was quite a bit of fibre in it. But at other times of the year, there is little to none. So no sieving required.

The better your juicer, the less fibre you will get.

I have a nut milk bag, but a proper sieve is much easier, quicker and less messy.

Better to save the nut milk bag for nut milk.

 

[Miss Spencer]

my friend has a one of the expensive masticating types and she still strains her's. Or maybe those come with an extra strainer attachment.

Yes, they normally do.

My juicer came with a square strainers that fits over the square juice catching container.

I then brought an extra ultra fine strainer for £5.00, so I could double strain if need be.

This is what my fibre looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR1lWqPf3d8

Check out around 2.18 mins for the strainer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMXp4NW-yk&feature=related

You can buy spare parts for juicers, so you could even buy the juice catching container and strainer for use on your own juicer. Otherwise somewhere like KMart or cookware shops sell ultra fine strainers cheaply.

 

[partlycloudy]

Thanks for that video, Miss Spencer. I see the strainer now. I've looked at those juicer but didn't know what I was seeing.

I'll also look into a fine mesh strainer. I know the small type you're talking about as I've seen them everywhere.

My concern lies in how long it will take to strain though. The piece of nylon I'm using now clogs with pulp immediately and stops draining juice. I then have to lift it out, and holding it closed, ring it out to squeeze out the rest of the juice. Obviously I couldn't do that with a mesh strainer.

I'm wondering if this is due to my juicer being a centrifugal juice and leaving more pulp than a masticating type. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Miss Spencer]

My concern lies in how long it will take to strain though.

A minute or two, not long. Depending on how big / fine your strainer is.

That square strainer that fits over the catching cup is really good and really quick. But the smaller teacup strainer is a bit more fiddly.

I help it along with the back of a teaspoon if need be.

 

[Miss Spencer]

I'm wondering if this is due to my juicer being a centrifugal juice and leaving more pulp than a masticating type. Any thoughts on that?

Yes, that may be the case.

The good thing about masticating types is the ease of use. My juicing literally takes a few minutes each day, I don't need to fanny around removing fibres using nylon. I just sieve as I am juicing using the square fitted filter. Thats if I need to filter at all, normally I don't.

Slightly off topic, but here are some suggestions on juice and juicers. It is mainly for cancer but can be applied to UC & C too, due to the following comment:

"many digestive systems are not functioning well and the sicker the person, the more difficult it is to digest and assimilate the nutrients in raw vegetables, because they contain the pulp or fiber. But with the pulp or fiber removed, the nutrients can pass directly into the blood stream and within minutes are feeding the cells and restoring the immune system."

http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/juicers.html

They also say: "centrifugal juicers (which spin at high velocity) are definitely inadequate. Among other things, the high velocity kills enzymes. They seem to be coming in last for nutritional juice quality and are not recommended for cancer patients. Healthy people may also want to avoid them since they seem to destroy much of the healthful ingredients normally found in fresh and fully ripened vegetables and fruit".

So if you find that juicing is not helping you, it may just be due to the type of juicer you have.

 

[partlycloudy]

Thanks for that info. I've been researching and have encountered that info regarding centrifugal juicers. My plan is to get a masticating type once I determine once and for all that I can tolerate juicing.

I'm pretty frustrated right now because despite straining until no pulp remains (with my diy nylon) and being on a steroid burst I've begun to get some ab pain again after juicing for 3 days in a row.

And I cannot figure out why! Unless it's what I'm juicing rather than the juice itself. Duh, that just occurred to me. I've been doing apples, mangos, and pears. No veggies.