Beet Juice (with pomegranate, minneolas and lemon)

This is one of the best juices I've made. I love its vibrant crimson colour and refreshing, sweet and slightly tangy taste. It is extremely healthful, with powerful detox and antioxidant properties. The vitamin C level exceeds the daily recommended value and the juice also provides a high dose of folate. To a lower level, it covers a large spectrum of minerals and vitamins, particularly potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, B vitamins, vitamin K and E.

I fell in love with raw beets in February, when I joined Second Nature's 24 Hour Juice Fast event. It was the first time that I'd ever juiced vegetables and greens, and the experience was so beneficial to me that I continued drinking fresh, homemade juices.

Beet can have quite a strong taste, if you're not used to it. That's where citrus fruit comes in to balance the sweetness and add a little zing. I already wanted to try the pomegranate-orange combination after seeing the Pomegranate Orange Crush on Plateful (those mind-blowing pictures will have you running to the market!) and it felt like the best way to elevate a simple beet juice to the ultimate delight level. With lemon, of course, because lemon makes everything taste better, doesn't it?;) I didn't use oranges here though; I recently tasted minneolas and instantly became hooked on them, to the point where I prefer them to oranges. They are so incredibly juicy, with a mild, sweet flavour and a little bit of tang, and have a looser peel than oranges (if you like adding zest to desserts, I strongly recommend minneolas instead of oranges, they can be grated effortlessly).

I mostly make my juices in a blender, to retain the fiber. You can make this beet juice two ways: one, juice only, as detailed below, and two, juice + fiber, by first blending the pomegranate arils and straining the juice, to which everything else is added - that makes a rich, thick juice which has the added health benefits of heart-friendly, cholesterol-lowering, digestion-helpful fiber. Fiber prevents spikes in blood sugar, so if you choose the juice only version, drink slowly and enjoy each sip.

Beet Juice
Makes about 400 ml

• 1/2 medium raw beet (about 80 g), peeled, cubed - see note
• 1 cup pomegranate arils (from 1 large pomegranate) - see note
• 1 cup (250 ml) minneola juice with pulp (from 2 large minneolas) - if not available, use tangerines or oranges
• 1 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice

Note: This video shows the correct way to cut open a pomegranate without breaking the seeds and making a mess. It worked each time I tried it. Using cold beet from the fridge makes the juice even more refreshing.

The fast way to make the juice is to put the cubed beet, peeled minneolas, pomegranate arils and lemon juice in the blender, blitz on high for a few seconds until smooth, strain every last drop of juice out of the pulp and enjoy. Check the taste and add more lemon juice for extra tartness, if you like.

I often make citrus juice using this small manual juicer, and even with the beet juice I prefer to first juice the minneolas, then add the juice and the pulp to the blender. Most of the minneolas I've used were seedless, so I did this in no time at all. This works for me, but of course you don't have to do the same.

To strain the juice I prefer to use a piece of cheesecloth folded in two.

Have this juice in the morning for a boost of energy, or make it part of a juice fast to benefit from its nutrient content and detox properties, either way I guarantee you will love it.

Enjoy and spread the magic!:)


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