Although I’ve never really attempted to squeeze my five-a-day into a single glass, after a weekend of juicing an allotment’s worth of fruit and veg, I can see its merits. From beetroot and carrots to kiwis and kale, a homemade juice requires just the right amount of effort in its preparation to seem like a treat, and it’s inevitably virtuous to boot.
If cutting down on caffeine was in your new year to-do list, then try Kevin Daw’s ginger slammer; it’s a bit startling – and fiery – on first taste, but you’re guaranteed to have a spring in your step for the rest of the morning.
Just in time for the turn in the weather was Heidi Gough’s mulled grape juice; aromatic and spicy, it warmed me up better than any hot chocolate could on a cold night. If you’re in the market for something that looks as stereotypically healthy as you could imagine, but has more than enough sweetness to make it palatable, then thefitfabfoodie’s super green juice could be the one to start with, the combination of mint and pineapple providing a burst of sunshine just when you need it. Still green but with a little more bite is Florence Brown’s green juice goodness: a handful of kale and a little ginger adding some interest with a savoury edge.
Edna Richard’s bright juice (so called because of the vibrancy of the ingredients) is as fitting for lunchtime as it is for breakfast, with the sharp lemon, hot ginger and tang of pepper. The cornucopia of colour that goes into Arianz’s recovery juice, can be sweetened to your liking with honey, or even warmed up.
The juice that set the benchmark, though, had just the right balance of familiarity and intrigue. The combination of apple, carrot and orange in Fadime Tiskaya’s juice recipe is a comfortably common mix, but the addition of almost smoky, dried sage and earthy turmeric turns this drink into something much more than just a January health kick.
The winning recipe: apple, carrot and orange juice
What grows together goes together, is an important lesson that I learned from a very young age, and I try to remember it when choosing my ingredients to cook with. I decided to test this theory in this juice and it has worked rather well.
Fadime Tiskaya, via GuardianWitness
Serves 1-2
1 carrot, topped and tailed
1 red apple, cored
Juice of 3 oranges
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp dried sage
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 Put all the ingredients into a blender and finely blend, then pass it through a sieve.
2 If you are using a juicer, juice the ingredients then mix in the honey and spice.
Green juice goodness
If using a blender, whizz with ice cubes.
Florence Brown, Finchampstead
Serves 1-2
1 green apple
1 celery stalk
½ cucumber
A handful of kale, destalked
1 kiwi fruit, peeled
Juice of ½ a lemon
A small piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped
A handful of fresh mint
1 Put all the ingredients into a juicer and blend.
2 Add a small amount of water for a more fluid consistency, if you’d prefer it that way.
Ginger slammer
A coffee replacement of sorts. Add as much ginger as you can handle.
Kevin Daw, Yeovil
Serves 1
½ apple, roughly chopped
½ lemon
5cm (or more) piece ginger, peeled
1 Put all the ingredients in a blender or juicer, then whizz until smooth.
Bright juice
This is so named for its fabulous colour. The ginger does give it a zing, but you can leave it out if serving the juice to children.
Edna Richards, Welwyn Garden City
Serves 2
3-4 carrots, topped and tailed
1 orange pepper, deseeded
1 yellow pepper, deseeded
1 granny smith apple, cored
½ lemon, rind removed
1cm-thick slice of root ginger, peeled
1 Put all the ingredients in a juicer, then chill before serving.
2 If using a blender, add a couple of ice cubes to the fruit and veg and whizz until smooth.
Super green juice
This antioxidant-packed power juice is absolutely refreshing and oh so good for you. It contains moringa powder: the ground green leaves and seeds of the moringa tree.
thefitfabfoodie, via GuardianWitness
Serves 1
200g pineapple, chopped
1 green apple, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
A handful of fresh mint
1 tsp moringa powder (optional)
Lime wedges, to serve
Mint leaves, to serve
1 Whizz together the pineapple, apple, celery and mint in your juicer.
2 Stir in the moringa powder and serve immediately, garnished with a wedge of lime and some mint leaves.
Recovery juice
This is a juice I often have when I am recovering from a tummy bug. It is delicious, rich in nutrients and comforting. And it’s always a good bet, even if you haven’t been struck down with something.
Arianz, via GuardianWitness
Serves 1
1 beetroot, steamed until tender (or 1 precooked vacuum-packed beetroot)
2 celery sticks
1 clementine or satsuma
1 cox or russet apple
1 kiwi
Juice of ½ a lime
Honey or molasses to taste (optional)
1 In a juicer, blend together the beetroot, celery and fruit. Pour into a beaker, add the lime juice, screw the lid on the top and shake well. Add the sweetener to taste if needed.
2 This can also be drunk warm. I make it as above, then add half a mug of hot rooibos tea to it in a larger container, such as a commuter cup. Or it can be blasted for 30 seconds on full power in a microwave.
Mulled grape juice
I tried this as an experiment to help me drink a little less over the festive period. It actually tastes a lot like traditional mulled wine.
Heidi Gough, Leicestershire
Serves 1
250ml red grape juice
6 black peppercorns
1 green cardamom pod, split open
4 coriander seeds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ lemon
1 Heat the grape juice with the spices in a saucepan until bubbling. Take off the heat and allow to infuse for a couple of minutes.
2 Add a squeeze of lemon juice then strain into a heatproof glass – a tea-strainer works well for this – and serve.
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Eve O’Sullivan is a food writer and stylist and co-author of The Kitchen Shelf (Phaidon) which publishes in May
