Blackberries
Blackberries are common summer fruit if you live in the UK, until recently you probably never heard why they are truly great for making a tasty juice. Juicing has caught on, and with plenty of recipes available, you can get benefits from this superfood that you never thought possible.
Blackberry History
Blackberries have been in use for a long time and come from a variety of plants in the Rosaceae family. Ancient cultures thought of it as nothing more than a wild plant, but the Greeks and Romans found a variety of uses for them. In the 1700s they found a new place in the Americas as the Southern part of the United States discovered them growing wild and in vast numbers. Since then, though, far more uses have been discovered than were ever thought possible.
Health Benefits
First off, blackberries contain a massive amount of fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and manganese. One cup of blackberries will give you 8 grams of fiber and half of your daily vitamin C. The seeds themselves have oil that contains large amounts of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, along with protein. Take a quick look at these benefits that this combination of nutrients will give you:
-Healthier eyes
-Reduced risk of heart disease
-Enhanced immune system function
-Reduce the risk of cancer
-Reduced cholesterol levels
-A boost in weight loss
The Juice
-Why?
Juicing blackberries makes sure that you are able to absorb all of the nutrients and get the absolute maximum amount of benefits. Many people have digestive systems that seem to break down some foods and leave others almost untouched, that’s not the case with juicing. Better yet, this is an easy way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. A drink containing healthy foods is much easier to take in than food and you can fit much more nutrition into your daily diet without stuffing yourself.
Choosing Your Berries
First, they obviously have to be ripe. Soft, watery, moldy blackberries should be ignored. For a good indication, you should take a look at the container that they are in. A stained or leaky one is a dead giveaway that you are looking at overripe blackberries.
Tips For Juicing
-Wash your berries thoroughly. Bacteria that is on your berries will contaminate all of the other ingredients.
-Use a plastic bag in your pulp basket to make it easier to clean up.
-Run your pulp back through the juicer. As long as it is still damp, there is something left that you can get out.
-Drink the juice that you make as soon as possible after you get done.
What Should You Mix Blackberries With?
The great thing about juicing is that things you otherwise wouldn’t want to eat together taste great in combination. Think about these kinds of ingredients for a blackberry juice blend:
-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Apples
-Pears
-Kiwis
-Carrots
-Cucumbers
Getting Started
You can find more information here, but this is enough to get you started. Choose the right blackberries for the job, find a nice blend of ingredients, and enjoy the healthy life that you can get from great blackberry juices and smoothies.
