Home cooking: Cold-pressed fruit and veg

In the juicing movement, one juice has emerged as the darling of the health nut community: the green drink.

Among those who love their fresh fruit beverages, cold-press machines are preferred over more traditional centrifugal ones, which use a metal blade to separate the juice from the fruit or vegetable flesh. The fast-spinning force of the blade heats up the liquid, causing it to lose many of its enzymes, minerals and other nutrients in the process.

Cold-press appliances use very little heat and press the fruits and vegetables to squeeze out the juice – all without losing the elements traditional juicers burn away. Not only does this make cold-pressing a more holistic option, cold-pressed juices also tend to have a higher juice yield – about three to five times compared to the centrifugal method.

The recipe below, provided by Ling Zheng from I-Juice, is rich in vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber. As with any fresh juice, we recommend drinking it immediately, though absolutely within three days. For maximum nutrient absorption, drink it on an empty stomach. Enjoy it with a handful of nuts as a healthy snack.

Ingredients:

1 cup arugula or parsley

2 cups kale

1/2 a whole pineapple

1-1 1/2 cucumbers (depending on size)

Preparation:

1) Wash all ingredients and dry them.

2) Skin the pineapple but not the cucumber. (The skin contains rich nutrients.)

3) Slowly add each ingredient into the cold-press juicer.

4) Once all ingredients are juiced, mix the juice well.

5) Pour into your favorite cup and drink fresh.

// This recipe is courtesy of Ling Zheng, owner of I-Juice.