YumSugar

Simple Tip: Before Juicing, Keep Citrus at Room Temperature

partysugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:15:25 -0700

If you plan on making lemonade or a batch of cocktails that require fresh citrus juice, be sure to use citrus that is at room temperature. According to Food & Wine Cocktails 09, refrigerated citrus will yield up to a third less liquid than fruit at room temperature. To bring cold citrus to room temperature quickly, soak the fruit in really hot water for five minutes before squeezing. Ironically enough, when a recipe calls for citrus zest it's best to use the fruit right out of the fridge.

Do you normally store your lemons, limes, and oranges on the counter or in the fridge?

Come Party With Me: Bridal Brunch - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:51:02 -0700

For a casual, sunny brunch consider setting up a drink buffet along side the food. This gives guests the freedom to make their own drinks and provides the hostess more time to mingle. At Ronda's bridal shower, our female friends can choose from three types of fresh squeezed citrus.

Place vodka, Champagne, and sparkling water beside the juice. If the girls want to sip a spiked beverage they can stir in the spirit that floats their fancy. Brewed coffee and hot tea are welcome additions. Don't have time to juice a million oranges? Use your favorite store bought juice to create the refreshment bar. For the easy recipe, read more.

Fresh Citrus Juice Bar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

10 juice oranges
10 blood oranges
6 ruby red grapefruits
Lime and orange slices, for garnish

Directions

Juice citrus separately; pour into pitchers. Serve with ice; garnish with citrus slices. Leftover juice can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of each juice.

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Simple Tip: Juice Citrus The Right Way

partysugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:23:16 -0700

I had an embarrassing moment the other day when bartender Aaron Smith of 15 Romolo was teaching me how to make The Last Word. Apparently, the reason my citrus juicer is really hard to close has nothing to do with the juicer being faulty and everything to do with me using it incorrectly! All this time, I've been inserting lemons and limes upside down.

To properly use a handheld juicer and extract the most juice, you should always insert the citrus cut side down. As you squeeze the gadget closed, the citrus will turn inside out.

Now that you know the right way to use a juicer, tell me: anyone else make this mistake?

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Happy Hour: Sonoma Sparkler Sparkling Juices

partysugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:15:29 -0700

While I wasn't surprised to sip amazing wine at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, I was not expecting to find an extraordinary nonalcoholic sparkler among the mix. However, the lovely ladies from Sonoma Sparkler were there pouring the bubbly juices. I tasted three of the refreshing sparklers and was highly impressed with the fizzy texture and fresh-fruit flavor. The juice is slightly sweet, easy to drink, and incredibly fruity. They come in six flavors: apple, pear, peach, raspberry, blood orange, and lemonade. With its vibrant pink hue, my favorite was the raspberry. I plan to stock up on Sonoma Sparkler.

It's the perfect option for those who are pregnant or don't drink. Have you tasted this nonalcoholic libation? What did you think?

Move Over Pomegranate, Yumberry's in Town

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:18:33 -0700

I was originally introduced to the yumberry - officially known as yangmei or waxberries- while at the 2007 Winter Fancy Foods Show. The fruit looks a lot like a soft lychee; however, the inside is a solid fruit with a deep reddish hue, similar to a pomegranate. Naturally, since everyone is on the antioxidant train, a company has come out selling the juice of the yumberries. In China the Yumberry Juice company sells everything from syrup to sparkling juice, but in the US they're currently only offering several variations of juice. Recently I picked up a bottle of their Yumberry with the Blues mixture and gave it a try. To find out how it is, read more.

The juice is a deep ruby color, you first think of pomegranate juice, and then you think of how you can't go anywhere near your white carpet and how you wish you weren't wearing a light-colored shirt.

The juice itself smells much like every other dark berried or pomegranate juice: sweet, fragrant, and a little oaky. And while the taste is much like pomegranate juice, the tart flavor is lightened by a sweet, fruity berry flavor. I chalked the sweetness up to the blueberries, although the aftertaste was slightly sweeter than pomegranate/blueberry juice.

I hate to constantly compare yumberry juice to pomegranate, but they're actually quite similar. So if you're a Pom fan, definitely hunt this stuff down - I found mine at Whole Foods - and if you're feeling adventurous try cooking with it or mixing up a cocktail. After all, a Pomtini sounds divine, but doesn't a Yumtini sound even better?

Would You Drink This Aloe Juice?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:03:31 -0700

Last week I saw a can of juice I'd never seen before: pomegranate-flavored aloe juice from Korean company J1. The color was a vivid orange-pink, and although it looked like one solid color, there were actually bits of floating chunks in it. The almost-invisible chunks are the aloe, and they have the consistency of somewhat thick Jello. I was surprisingly pleased by this drink, and liked the way it tasted. It was a light pomegranate flavor and was cool and refreshing. The texture was a little odd - it was slimy and thick at the same time - and the whole thing made me think of dessert. I would definitely try it again, and yet I can see how the texture would really bother some people. Are you one of those people, or would you drink this juice?

Yummy Link: Fresh Grape Juice

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:28:33 -0700

Who knows where I can get a large batch of fresh concord grapes? I ask because I absolutely have to give this simple recipe for making your own grape juice a try. - Simply Recipes

Happy Hour: Homemade V8

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:29:31 -0700

I remember unpacking my lunch in elementary school and being somewhat embarrassed by the V8 juice my mom would lovingly pack. She wasn't too keen on soda, so this was a nice option. However all of my fellow students thought it was weird, disgusting and downright scary. I recall pretending I didn't like it as much as I really did - making it seem like I was forced to drink it. Now, many years later, I realize it wasn't me or my beverage choice, but it was those kids who were weird, disgusting and downright scary. I have no problems with letting everyone know I love the salty, vegetable goodness. However, now that I'm all grown-up I like to purchase fewer processed foods, so instead of drinking V8 as often, I try to whip up my own batch when possible. For a homemade "V8" recipe, read more

I like mine spicy, but you can omit the jalapenos if you'd prefer.

Tom Solomon's Spicy Hot V8
From Chet Day's Natural Health

8 quarts water
4 pounds homegrown tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
8 green jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 cup vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 Tbs oregano
1 large onion, chopped
1 head garlic, pressed
4 Tbs salt
4 Tbs sugar

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the sugar, bring to a boil, and cook at a steady boil for 2 hours.
Remove from heat and strain through a relatively fine mesh, making sure to express all the liquid you can.
Discard the pulp, return the liquid to the pot, and boil for another couple of hours, or until the liquid is reduced to roughly three quarts. Add four tablespoons of sugar, remove from heat, stir, and let cool.

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What Kind Of Fruit Juice Do You Drink The Most Often?

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:51:19 -0700

What Do You Drink With Breakfast?

YumSugar — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:01:10 -0800

A recent study is showing that more people are drinking soda with breakfast!

Breakfast consumers order a soft drink with their breakfast 15.1 percent of the time, compared with 7.9 percent of the time in 1990, said Harry Balzer, an NPD executive vice president who has studied U.S. eating habits for more than 25 years. At the same time, Balzer said, coffee was being ordered 38 percent of the time, compared with 48.7 percent 15 years ago.

The statistics are specific to drinks with meals and do not, for example, address the Starbucks phenomenon.

I personally don't drink much soda, and can't possibly fathom it before noon. If I'm eating breakfast I like to have a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.

Source: The Seattle Times

So, what do you drink with breakfast?