Energy drinks and antioxidant beverages have flooded the health-food market. Although the benefits of each product have yet to be determined, one thing is certain---health drinks can be expensive. On the other hand, a massive variety of berries abounds in the wild, and in the case of blackberries, they're free. Once you've found a patch of blackberries, you're on your way to practically endless variations on what can be done with the juice. Following these simple steps can lead you to the antioxidants and sweet, rich taste of natural blackberry juice.
Instructions
1. Select the ripest, plumpest blackberries for your juice. Unripe berries will yield a sour juice; for optimal sweetness pick blackberries that are dark in color and firm. Berries that are too soft may be infected with parasites or be on the verge of rotting.
2. Clean and rinse the blackberries that you'll be juicing. This step is a must because cleaning will rinse away any impurities such as pesticides or parasites residing on the fruit's surface.
3. Pulp your blackberries. Pulping can be done by hand or with a food processor or blender---the latter two methods will be much faster and yield more juice.
4. Let the pulped blackberries rest 30 minutes. Resting the blackberry pulp for at least a half-hour will allow the juices that have been drawn out to settle. It also will draw more juice from the flesh of the fruit, ensuring an easier separation of pure juice from the pulp.
5. Strain the pulped and rested blackberries. Press the pulp into a strainer with a spatula or spoon, forcing as much liquid from the pulp as possible. You can strain blackberry pulp in any colander or strainer that catches seeds and skins. The size of the strainer is up to you; some people prefer a little bit of pulp in their juice. If this is the case a strainer with larger openings would work best. If you want absolutely no pulp, use a jelly bag or cheesecloth (both available where cooking supplies are sold).
Tags: blackberries that, blackberries your, blackberry pulp, from pulp, juice from
