OT: Adventures in Juicing...

[Don Y]

We juice a lot of citrus. Neighbor has been pestering me
to try her masticating juicer: \"It gets ALL of the juice out
of the fruit!\"

I managed to push her off while I finished the bulk of the
work. But, opted to give her a try for the last bag of oranges.

It definitely *does* get every drop of moisture out of the
fruit (witnessed by how dry the discards are).

But, it does so by also carrying a lot of pith into the juice!
(the pith is REALLY bitter; likely a reason why store-bought
is so much worse than fresh squeezed -- I suspect they err
on the side of using more of the fruit, even if it isn\'t
juice-bearing).

OTOH, it would likely be good for apples, grapes and, maybe,
tomatoes.

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 6:32 AM, Don Y wrote:

OTOH, it would likely be good for apples, grapes and, maybe,
tomatoes.

Carrots?

 

[whit3rd]

On Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 6:33:10 AM UTC-7, Don Y wrote:

We juice a lot of citrus. Neighbor has been pestering me
to try her masticating juicer: \"It gets ALL of the juice out
of the fruit!\"

I managed to push her off while I finished the bulk of the
work. But, opted to give her a try for the last bag of oranges.

It definitely *does* get every drop of moisture out of the
fruit (witnessed by how dry the discards are).

But, it does so by also carrying a lot of pith into the juice!
(the pith is REALLY bitter; likely a reason why store-bought
is so much worse than fresh squeezed -- I suspect they err
on the side of using more of the fruit, even if it isn\'t
juice-bearing).

You might consider peeling first; candied orange or grapefruit
peel is delicious. As part of the candying process, one can trim away
the pithy bits of the peel from the zest, between bring-to-a-boil steps.

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 11:42 AM, whit3rd wrote:

But, it does so by also carrying a lot of pith into the juice!
(the pith is REALLY bitter; likely a reason why store-bought
is so much worse than fresh squeezed -- I suspect they err
on the side of using more of the fruit, even if it isn\'t
juice-bearing).

You might consider peeling first;

Then that would require a masticating juicer -- not possible to
use a conventional juicer with a peeled fruit!

Or, could you recover the peel from the *juiced* \"orange half\"?

A friend picked a bag of lemons, last year, to make limoncello.
From my understanding of the process, she only used the zest...
meaning I lost half a gallon of juice so she could harvest zest
(not gonna happen, again!)

candied orange or grapefruit
peel is delicious. As part of the candying process, one can trim away
the pithy bits of the peel from the zest, between bring-to-a-boil steps.

That sounds like a lot of work (?)

It takes us about about 4 weeks to harvest and \"process\" the fruit;
picking, washing, drying, cutting, juicing, straining, blending,
bottling, freezing, cleaning equipment, lather-rinse-repeat. (thankfully,
the different varieties mature at different times of year so there
are a few lulls in the process)

So far, the \"other uses\" we\'ve made of the fruit have been limited to
things like lemon meringue pie (delightfully sweet with Meyers lemons).
Or some other baked goods that can benefit from the sweeter (than
storebought) fruit.

This is an easy way to consume a lot of lemons. Zesting a bunch of
oranges seems like a lot more tedious!

[I also wonder if we\'d have to harvest earlier for such a use? When
we pick the trees, the fruit has a \"tacky\" feel as if the sugars
have permeated the skins...]

 

[Dimiter_Popoff]

On 4/12/2023 23:15, Don Y wrote:

On 4/12/2023 11:42 AM, whit3rd wrote:
But, it does so by also carrying a lot of pith into the juice!
(the pith is REALLY bitter; likely a reason why store-bought
is so much worse than fresh squeezed -- I suspect they err
on the side of using more of the fruit, even if it isn\'t
juice-bearing).

You might consider peeling first;

Then that would require a masticating juicer -- not possible to
use a conventional juicer with a peeled fruit!

Or, could you recover the peel from the *juiced* \"orange half\"?

A friend picked a bag of lemons, last year, to make limoncello.
From my understanding of the process, she only used the zest...
meaning I lost half a gallon of juice so she could harvest zest
(not gonna happen, again!)

candied orange or grapefruit
peel is delicious.   As part of the candying process, one can trim away
the pithy bits of the peel from the zest, between bring-to-a-boil steps.

That sounds like a lot of work (?)

It takes us about about 4 weeks to harvest and \"process\" the fruit;
picking, washing, drying, cutting, juicing, straining, blending,
bottling, freezing, cleaning equipment, lather-rinse-repeat.  (thankfully,
the different varieties mature at different times of year so there
are a few lulls in the process)

So far, the \"other uses\" we\'ve made of the fruit have been limited to
things like lemon meringue pie (delightfully sweet with Meyers lemons).
Or some other baked goods that can benefit from the sweeter (than
storebought) fruit.

This is an easy way to consume a lot of lemons.  Zesting a bunch of
oranges seems like a lot more tedious!

[I also wonder if we\'d have to harvest earlier for such a use?  When
we pick the trees, the fruit has a \"tacky\" feel as if the sugars
have permeated the skins...]

You know how far I am from that sort of thing (let alone your
\"industrial\" scale) *but* the jam from orange peels is very tasty,
my memories are may be a lifetime old but are still there .
Once of the versions I remember, done by a friend of my mum
she\'d take me to visit when I was 4-5 years old would make the
pieces in the shape of snails...Being that dedicated perhaps meant
hers may have been the tastiest though all I have been offered
have been \"a lifetime\" ago so I don\'t know for sure.

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 2:20 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

You know how far I am from that sort of thing (let alone your
\"industrial\" scale) *but* the jam from orange peels is very tasty,
my memories are may be a lifetime old but are still there .

I\'d imagine you would need a *shitload* of zest?

There are several recipes that I have that call for (e.g., lemon) zest.
As gathering this is time consuming (on the scales that I bake), I\'ve
opted to resort to making reductions of juice, instead. E.g.,
reduce a cup of juice 8-fold (you don\'t want to be adding moisture
to the recipe) and use that in place of the zest.

[I used to do this with the \"freeze dry\" method but the new lemons
have so much more sugar that they can tolerate heating]

Once of the versions I remember, done by a friend of my mum
she\'d take me to visit when I was 4-5 years old would make the
pieces in the shape of snails...Being that dedicated perhaps meant
hers may have been the tastiest though all I have been offered
have been \"a lifetime\" ago so I don\'t know for sure.

Zesting ruins the fruit wrt juicing (though this masticating juicer may
make that a moot point).

I more concerned about taking on yet another *chore* that doesn\'t
really benefit me significantly (I don\'t like the \"orange\" flavor).

[SWMBO has more than enough homemade \"treats\" without needing yet another!]

 

[Tabby]

On Wednesday, 12 April 2023 at 14:33:10 UTC+1, Don Y wrote:

We juice a lot of citrus. Neighbor has been pestering me
to try her masticating juicer: \"It gets ALL of the juice out
of the fruit!\"

I managed to push her off while I finished the bulk of the
work. But, opted to give her a try for the last bag of oranges.

It definitely *does* get every drop of moisture out of the
fruit (witnessed by how dry the discards are).

But, it does so by also carrying a lot of pith into the juice!
(the pith is REALLY bitter; likely a reason why store-bought
is so much worse than fresh squeezed -- I suspect they err
on the side of using more of the fruit, even if it isn\'t
juice-bearing).

OTOH, it would likely be good for apples, grapes and, maybe,
tomatoes.

With lemons, using he whole fruit is the way to go. Peel, pith, flesh, seed, the lot. Yum.

 

[Dimiter_Popoff]

On 4/13/2023 0:29, Don Y wrote:

On 4/12/2023 2:20 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:
You know how far I am from that sort of thing (let alone your
\"industrial\" scale) *but* the jam from orange peels is very tasty,
my memories are may be a lifetime old but are still there .

I\'d imagine you would need a *shitload* of zest?

There are several recipes that I have that call for (e.g., lemon) zest.
As gathering this is time consuming (on the scales that I bake), I\'ve
opted to resort to making reductions of juice, instead.  E.g.,
reduce a cup of juice 8-fold (you don\'t want to be adding moisture
to the recipe) and use that in place of the zest.

[I used to do this with the \"freeze dry\" method but the new lemons
have so much more sugar that they can tolerate heating]

Once of the versions I remember, done by a friend of my mum
she\'d take me to visit when I was 4-5 years old would make the
pieces in the shape of snails...Being that dedicated perhaps meant
hers may have been the tastiest though all I have been offered
have been \"a lifetime\" ago so I don\'t know for sure.

Zesting ruins the fruit wrt juicing (though this masticating juicer may
make that a moot point).

I more concerned about taking on yet another *chore* that doesn\'t
really benefit me significantly (I don\'t like the \"orange\" flavor).

[SWMBO has more than enough homemade \"treats\" without needing yet another!]

I have no idea about how it is made etc., Lucy used to make cherry
jam... was superb. Once or twice we made quince jam, I participated
somehow but I could not repeat that on my own - nor would I think
to try.

Right now I am just trying - not hard enough - to keep the supplies
of tasty things low and intermittent, I don\'t need any more weight.
Just to feed the pig I am mounted on should be all I get. I gave
away all the apples from last year (well, 2-3 weeks ago I found
3 of them had been forgotten here and I ate them were *much* better
than they were in October).

My father used to juice things, he had a small centrifuge sort of
thing.

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 2:46 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

I more concerned about taking on yet another *chore* that doesn\'t
really benefit me significantly (I don\'t like the \"orange\" flavor).

[SWMBO has more than enough homemade \"treats\" without needing yet another!]

I have no idea about how it is made etc., Lucy used to make cherry
jam... was superb. Once or twice we made quince jam, I participated
somehow but I could not repeat that on my own - nor would I think
to try.

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

Right now I am just trying - not hard enough - to keep the supplies
of tasty things low and intermittent, I don\'t need any more weight.
Just to feed the pig I am mounted on should be all I get. I gave
away all the apples from last year (well, 2-3 weeks ago I found
3 of them had been forgotten here and I ate them were *much* better
than they were in October).

Too warm for apples, here -- a shame as they are my favorite fruit
(besides tomatoes).

Most store-bought fruit is picked too soon and bred for appearance
(or shelf-life) instead of taste (tomatoes being a good example; as
are strawberries).

Folks, here, almost always pick grapefruit too soon; if left on
the tree (until new blossoms start to appear), it is far less bitter.

[We use the appearance of blossoms as our drop-dead-date for harvesting
as you don\'t want to be roughing up the tree (to pick fruit) risking
dislodging the blossoms.]

It\'s a bit of a challenge \"scheduling\" the navels vs. valencias as
the valencias come due a bit later than the navels (we blend the
juices). As a result, the navels are sugar-sweet relying on the
valencias to provide the \"orange-ness\" taste.

[I just finished juicing the last of the navels last nite -- more navels than
valencias in this harvest. The (pure navel) juice is almost sickeningly
sweet.]

My father used to juice things, he had a small centrifuge sort of
thing.

Yes, our juicer converts between things like carrots (grated on a
rotating disc and then flung to the inner walls of a rotating basket)
and citrus (ground on a rotating pinecone like protuberance).

One of the advantages of the macerating juicer was that it didn\'t need
cleaning as frequently; the debris/pulp from the fruit are captured *in*
ours and it must be disassembled and flushed after every ~15 pounds of
fruit.

[And, you can\'t dally when it comes to cleaning as the debris quickly
adheres to the parts!]

 

[Dimiter_Popoff]

On 4/13/2023 1:28, Don Y wrote:

On 4/12/2023 2:46 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:
I more concerned about taking on yet another *chore* that doesn\'t
really benefit me significantly (I don\'t like the \"orange\" flavor).

[SWMBO has more than enough homemade \"treats\" without needing yet
another!]

I have no idea about how it is made etc., Lucy used to make cherry
jam... was superb. Once or twice we made quince jam, I participated
somehow but I could not repeat that on my own - nor would I think
to try.

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\".  :>  (pectin for body)

I just thought of a joke I recently read, apologies to those who
know it.

An old couple die together and both land in heaven. Total comfort,
angels hovering around delivering on every wish they express, perfect
perfection. The man tells her: \"See? You and your healthy food,
we could have been here 10 years ago!\".

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christensen]

torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 00.28.39 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:

On 4/12/2023 2:46 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:
I more concerned about taking on yet another *chore* that doesn\'t
really benefit me significantly (I don\'t like the \"orange\" flavor).

[SWMBO has more than enough homemade \"treats\" without needing yet another!]

I have no idea about how it is made etc., Lucy used to make cherry
jam... was superb. Once or twice we made quince jam, I participated
somehow but I could not repeat that on my own - nor would I think
to try.
My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 3:49 PM, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

An old couple die together and both land in heaven. Total comfort,
angels hovering around delivering on every wish they express, perfect
perfection. The man tells her: \"See? You and your healthy food,
we could have been here 10 years ago!\".

<grin>

Fanatics often substitute blind faith for common sense:
<https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11926483/>

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 3:57 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last

I can\'t see how *adding* sugar to your diet can be A Good Thing.

(I reserve my \"sugar budget\" for ice cream. None of the other
\"sweets\" are as tempting!)

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christensen]

torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 01.04.02 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:

On 4/12/2023 3:57 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last
I can\'t see how *adding* sugar to your diet can be A Good Thing.

people have been preserving fruit with sugar since forever, it \'s not like you
are eating gallons of it with a spoon

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 5:00 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 01.04.02 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:
On 4/12/2023 3:57 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last
I can\'t see how *adding* sugar to your diet can be A Good Thing.

people have been preserving fruit with sugar since forever, it \'s not like you
are eating gallons of it with a spoon

You\'re consuming equal parts \"healthy food\"... and sugar (by your figures).
Nowadays, you can get any fruit, any where at any time of year. So, no
need to \"preserve\" it -- at the expense of added sugar.

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christensen]

torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 02.04.06 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:

On 4/12/2023 5:00 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:
torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 01.04.02 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:
On 4/12/2023 3:57 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last
I can\'t see how *adding* sugar to your diet can be A Good Thing.

people have been preserving fruit with sugar since forever, it \'s not like you
are eating gallons of it with a spoon
You\'re consuming equal parts \"healthy food\"... and sugar (by your figures).
Nowadays, you can get any fruit, any where at any time of year. So, no
need to \"preserve\" it -- at the expense of added sugar.

\"healthy food\" doesn\'t mean anything, calories are calories
a spoon of jam isn\'t going to make a difference

 

[Don Y]

On 4/12/2023 5:51 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 02.04.06 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:
On 4/12/2023 5:00 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:
torsdag den 13. april 2023 kl. 01.04.02 UTC+2 skrev Don Y:
On 4/12/2023 3:57 PM, Lasse Langwadt Christensen wrote:

My understanding is that jam/jelly is just a shitload of sugar -- with
\"natural flavors\". :> (pectin for body)

jam is roughly 50/50 sugar and fruit, that is what makes it last
I can\'t see how *adding* sugar to your diet can be A Good Thing.

people have been preserving fruit with sugar since forever, it \'s not like you
are eating gallons of it with a spoon
You\'re consuming equal parts \"healthy food\"... and sugar (by your figures).
Nowadays, you can get any fruit, any where at any time of year. So, no
need to \"preserve\" it -- at the expense of added sugar.

\"healthy food\" doesn\'t mean anything, calories are calories
a spoon of jam isn\'t going to make a difference

Tell that to your MD. There\'s enough sugar (carbohydrates)
in a \"healthy\" diet to satisfy your body\'s caloric requirements.
Do you keep a candy dish in your living room/bedside?

\"A piece of candy isn\'t going to make a difference\"

 

[Clifford Heath]

On 13/04/23 07:20, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

You know how far I am from that sort of thing (let alone your
\"industrial\" scale) *but* the jam from orange peels is very tasty,
my memories are may be a lifetime old but are still there .
Once of the versions I remember, done by a friend of my mum
she\'d take me to visit when I was 4-5 years old would make the
pieces in the shape of snails...Being that dedicated perhaps meant
hers may have been the tastiest though all I have been offered
have been \"a lifetime\" ago so I don\'t know for sure.

Citrus jam is called marmalade in most of the world.
You haven\'t lived until you\'ve eaten cumquat marmalade.

I make about 4 litres every couple of years so I always have some in the
cupboard. I only use about 1/3 sugar, so sterilisation of the jars is
important. Before tightening the lids on the hot marmalade, add a
teaspoon or two of brandy to each jar, which helps them keep, and the
flavour.

Clifford Heath.

 

[Dimiter_Popoff]

On 4/13/2023 5:48, Clifford Heath wrote:

On 13/04/23 07:20, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:
You know how far I am from that sort of thing (let alone your
\"industrial\" scale) *but* the jam from orange peels is very tasty,
my memories are may be a lifetime old but are still there .
Once of the versions I remember, done by a friend of my mum
she\'d take me to visit when I was 4-5 years old would make the
pieces in the shape of snails...Being that dedicated perhaps meant
hers may have been the tastiest though all I have been offered
have been \"a lifetime\" ago so I don\'t know for sure.

Citrus jam is called marmalade in most of the world.

Turns out this is the meaning of the word in English, my small
dictionary (under windows) gives no other meaning... In Bulgarian
\"marmalade\" means a homogeneous stuff, typically made of those
tiny red fruits of \"Rosa canina\", a pretty standard thing here.

> You haven\'t lived until you\'ve eaten cumquat marmalade.

Looks like I haven\'t for a very long time indeed .
Perhaps not a bad thing though, I tend to pick up weight eating
half of what some other people can eat and stay slim.

I make about 4 litres every couple of years so I always have some in the
cupboard. I only use about 1/3 sugar, so sterilisation of the jars is
important. Before tightening the lids on the hot marmalade, add a
teaspoon or two of brandy to each jar, which helps them keep, and the
flavour.
Clifford Heath.

 

[Clifford Heath]

On 13/04/23 14:31, Dimiter_Popoff wrote:

In Bulgarian
\"marmalade\" means a homogeneous stuff, typically made of those
tiny red fruits of \"Rosa canina\", a pretty standard thing here.

Interesting - that\'s \"Rose Hip Jelly\". Kinda old-fashioned and almost
unknown now, but it was common in Britain I believe.

>> You haven\'t lived until you\'ve eaten cumquat marmalade.

The true cumquat is edible fresh, skin and all, but the similar
calomondin (Filipino\'s call it Kalamanci, common with food in SE Asia)
is just as good for marmalade. The cumquat fruit has 5-7 segments and
tends to ne elongated, whereas the calomondin is rounder/flatter and has
at least 9 segments.

They have lots of pips which have to be separated and extracted for
pectin, so it\'s a lot of work because the fruit are small; cut one end
of, squash the pips out, slice the fruit into thin slices, repeat 1000
times, and several hours later you\'re ready to start soaking the fruit
and extracting the pectin. A tedious but infrequent task, and very tangy.

Clifford Heath.