Pineapple juice is just what you want on a hot summer’s day, cold, refreshing, and packed full of goodness.
But when you buy pineapple juice it never tastes quite as good as properly fresh stuff does, plus you’re always left wondering what the preservatives inside are doing to you.
So why not make your own.
Because making pineapple juice is easier than you think. It just takes the right equipment and then you too can enjoy its sweet taste.
But first, let’s take a quick look at its health benefits.
Health Benefits Of Pineapple Juice
Strong Skin – Pineapple is packed full of vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your skin from sun damage. It also helps produce collagen which gives skin its texture and structure helping you fight wrinkles and keeping your skin looking younger.
Better Digestion – Pineapple contains something called Bromelain, which is an enzyme that helps break down proteins. And if you’re better able to break down protein you’re able to turn it into energy more efficiently helping you feel better after you eat.
Prevent Colon and Ovarian Cancer – It’s not guaranteed to stop it of course but a study was done which showed the juice from a pineapple was able to stop cancer cells from growing in the colon and the ovaries. If there is any history of either of those cancers than it’s definitely something to consider as a preventative measure. But of course, there are no guarantees.
How To Choose The Ripe Pineapple
Get it? Ripe instead of right? Ahem… I’ll see myself out…
Pineapples can be quite tricky, there’s never an overly obvious point where you can tell they’re ripe. Unless you know what you’re looking for which is what I’m going to take you through here.
Smell It
That’s the easiest way to tell if it’s ripe. If it doesn’t really smell of anything then it isn’t ripe yet, it should smell pineappley, as in a recognisable smell of pineapple, if it’s got a vinegary smell to it that means it’s overripe and is going off. Yuck.
Check The Color
The color is harder to tell when it’s ripe because it should be a golden yellow with minimal amounts of green. But what the color best shows is when it’s off because that’ll leave a reddish tinge across the whole thing.
You’ll be looking for a nice yellow color all the way from bottom to top and a nice sweet pineapple smell. If you’ve got those two then it’s ready to be made into juice.
How To Make Pineapple Juice
There are two different ways you can make pineapple juice, you can either make it in a blender or you can make it in a juicer. This being Juice Buff and all I prefer the juicer method but I’ve shown both all the same.
Fortunately, both methods start the same way so I’ll start with preparing the pineapple.
How To Prepare The Pineapple For Juicing
It’s relatively straight forward, you want to chop off all the skin and remove the core.
Step 1. Chop the top and the bottom of the pineapple.
Step 2. Stand the pineapple upright and chop all the skin off.
Step 3. Remove the core by chopping around it leaving you with four pieces that you can leave as is for a juicer or chop into chunks for a blender.
Pretty easy right? Exactly, on we go to making the juice.
How To Make Pineapple Juice In A Juicer
You’ve got your juicer set up, you’ve got your prepared pineapple, well let’s introduce the two! It’s as easy as putting the pineapple in the juicer which is why I love this method it’s just so simple.
How To Make Pineapple Juice In A Blender
In a blender things are slightly more complicated because there are some extra steps but it’s nothing you can’t handle I’m sure.
Step 1. Put pineapple chunks in the blender and blend. If it doesn’t seem to be blending properly you can add a little water to help it catch and get it going. But not too much or it will dilute the flavor.
Step 2. Pour the mixture into a sieve over a bowl and let it drain, it will be quite frothy but don’t worry that’s normal. Press down on the mixture with a spoon to squeeze out the last drops of juicy goodness and enjoy!
F.A.Q on Making Pineapple Juice
A few questions seem to come up a lot when talking about making pineapple juice so I thought I’d answer them all here.
Is pineapple juice healthy?
I mentioned some of the health benefits already but on the whole, I’d say pineapple juice is definitely healthy. The only thing you’re going to want to watch out for is the amount of sugar it has in it. Just like with anything else if you have too much of it it will become unhealthy again and might even start giving you mouth ulcers. But a glass in the morning in no problem
Can you use tinned pineapple?
I’d say yes you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. it will become expensive quite quickly, and the reason you want to make your juice fresh is that’s when it has the maximum amount of nutrients in it, plus it tastes the best.
Can you freeze pineapple juice?
You can indeed, it won’t be as healthy after you freeze it because it will lose some of its nutrition but it still tastes good. Keep it in freezer proof container for about 3 months in the freezer. And remember it will expand a little so don’t fill it to the brim!
Can I add sugar to it?
Yes, if you’re looking for a little extra sweetness you can stir in some sugar after it’s come out the juicer or in with the ingredients into the blender. But I like to keep it as healthy as possible so don’t add any sugar. It’s plenty sweet enough if you let the pineapple ripen properly.
Is this pineapple juice good for cocktails?
Oh you know it is! A great way to impress at a party if you bring out Pina Coladas made with your own homemade pineapple juice.
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