Beetroot and Blueberry Juice
Beetroot and blueberry is not a pairing you see very often, which is a shame, because between them they do most of the work on their own. The beetroot gives it body and that deep purple-red colour, the blueberries cut through the earthiness with something sharp and fruity. I make this on the days my head feels foggy and I have a long afternoon of writing ahead of me. It is not a gentle juice. It is thick, it stains, and it tastes like it means something.
Equipment
- 1 Juicer a slow juicer takes the dense beetroot more easily
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or a fine sieve
- 1 Airtight glass bottles if you must store it, but fresh is much better
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a cheaper slow juicer copes with beetroot fine
- 1 Budget blender works as long as you strain it well
Ingredients
- 3 medium beetroot about 400g, scrubbed, topped and tailed
- 200 g blueberries fresh, or frozen and thawed
- 100 ml cold water for the blender method, and to loosen the glass if you like
Instructions
Juicer method
- Scrub the beetroot under cold water rather than peeling it. Trim the leafy top off an inch above the root and cut away the tail, then cut each beetroot into wedges that fit your feed chute.
- Rinse the blueberries and pick out any stalks or soft ones. There is no need to hull or chop them.
- Switch the juicer on and feed the beetroot through first, one wedge at a time. Let each one clear before you add the next, because beetroot is heavy and it backs up quickly if you rush it.
- Follow with the blueberries. They go through fast and they help flush the last of the beetroot pulp out of the machine.
- Stir the juice, pour it into two glasses and drink it while it is fresh. It is a thick juice, so top it up with a splash of cold water if you would rather have it lighter.
Blender method
- Peel the beetroot this time, then cut it into rough 2cm chunks. The skin goes gritty in a blender in a way it does not in a juicer.
- Tip the beetroot and blueberries into the blender jug and add the 100ml of cold water. The water is not optional here, the mixture is too dry to move without it.
- Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until there are no solid pieces of beetroot left and the colour is even.
- Pour the mixture through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve set over a jug. Let it drain first, then press the pulp gently with the back of a spoon. Do not squeeze it hard.
- Give the jug a stir, pour into two glasses and drink straight away.
Notes
Beetroot is dense, and that is the only real difficulty here. Feed it through the juicer in wedges rather than whole chunks, and if your machine has a narrow chute, alternate the beetroot with a handful of blueberries so the pulp keeps moving instead of packing the basket. Empty the pulp container halfway through if it fills up, or your yield drops.
Do not press the pulp hard through the nut milk bag on the blender method. Gentle pressure gives you a clean juice. Lean on it and you push fine solids through, and the drink turns gritty within a minute.
Two things worth knowing. It separates fast, so stir it before every sip. And beetroot can turn your urine or stools pink for a day or so afterwards. That is harmless and it has a name, beeturia, but it catches people out the first time.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3.5gFat: 0.6gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 150mgPotassium: 700mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 120IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1.9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!