How to smoothify random produce in a tasty manner
Reader Cel F recently sent me this email:
I've heard you say frequently that you are able to use fruits and veggies that might otherwise be wasted in smoothies. I've found that when I try to throw together smoothies this way I don't like what I've made! Could you maybe give your readers some smoothie basics/tips?
This is a great question! While smoothies are a fabulous way to use up odds and ends, Cel is right...it is possible to do this in a decidedly not-tasty way.
I don't ever measure anything when I make smoothies, but I do have something of a pattern I follow, which ensures relatively consistent results.
So.
It's not generally a great idea to go through your fridge and just randomly throw odds and ends into your blender. You might occasionally hit on a winning combo, but you'll have more duds than not.
The key, I've found, is to use a relatively small portion of odds and ends in addition to your usual smoothie ingredients.
For instance, I froze some mini oranges a while back that were a little bit dry and sour. Because of this, a smoothie comprised largely of these oranges would have been pretty sour.
So instead of throwing a bunch of them into a single smoothie, I've been adding 2-3 halves to each smoothie I make. This way I can use them up without majorly affecting the flavor of my smoothie.
My general smoothie-making pattern is to first blend a banana, some vanilla yogurt (homemade, recipe here), and whatever greens* I'm using, plus a little bit of OJ concentrate.
*I use spinach, kale, collard greens, or chard, depending on what I have in the fridge. Spinach is the mildest by far.
I blend that all up on high speed so that the greens are utterly liquefied. Then I add in a somewhat small quantity of random fruit, plus a larger quantity of purchased frozen fruit, like strawberries or blueberries and blend it all up.
If I had to guess on measurements, I'd say there's one banana, two cups of yogurt, 2 teaspoons of OJ concentrate, a cup of greens, a cup of random fruit, and then a cup and a half of purchased fruit.
So basically, make sure you've got a good amount of prime quality frozen fruit in your smoothie, and that will help to hide any less-than-stellar odds and ends you're using up. I'd recommend at least a 2 to 1 ratio.
Oh, and this is why I'm a big fan of freezing odds and ends. If your random produce is hanging out in your fridge, you have to hurry to use it up. But once it's frozen, you can just keep it in zippered bags and use it at your leisure.
And this might be a good time to explain how I freeze produce for smoothies.
Instead of dumping it all into a bag and freezing it (hello, huge hard lump of fruit!), I spread it out on a baking sheet (spray it with cooking spray or line it with a silicone mat) and freeze it.
Once the fruit is hard, it's easy to pour it into a zippered bag for future smoothie use.
One other random note: if I'm adding in a vegetable that has a pretty powerful flavor (beets, kale), I've found that the citrusy, acidic flavors of frozen pineapple and orange juice concentrate really help to make a more palatable smoothie.
I hope this helps to de-mystify the process of using random produce in smoothie making. But if you've still got questions, let me know in the comments, and I'll be glad to answer.
And readers, feel free to add your smoothie-making wisdom in the comments!
I have found the following method works best for me, but I prefer bulk cooking so take that into consideration. When I get a bunch of fresh fruit for smoothies (no co-op box here just buy as needed), I prep it all at once. Cut up apples, peel bananas etc. then, I blend up the fruit together in a variety of combos. I pour it into old school ice cube trays and freeze it. I put the "ice cubes" in a ziplock bag and pull out as needed. I typically put three to five cubes in the blender (depending upon the appetite of the recipient) and add almond milk to blend. It makes it much quicker in the mornings for me and eliminates my fruit/veggie food waste. It also produces a smoother smoothie in my opinion. When it's something less than appetizing that I add in, I put small bits into each blender - like 1/12th of the whole concoction. That helps drown out the taste. Hope that helps another "bulk" cook!
Oh, and Kristen, I would love to see an article about how to use the least amount of kitchen tools when cooking. I'm cooking a lot at home these days and finding that I go through so many pots, pans, spoons, measuring cups, etc that washing dishes is becoming quite time consuming. Any tips to help me multi task tools while cooking?
Just one quick addition. The sugar and acid from frozen pineapple will help mask many random produce flavors.
Absolutely. It helps a whole lot with kale too.
I need to get more organized with my smoothie game! What a great idea to freeze the odds and ends so you're not scrambling/smoothifying a dud!
Just had to say -- that first picture is gorgeous -- thought it was paint! Raspberries? stunning! These are great directions and make me want to blend.
Side note: Your bruised apple fetish has rubbed off -- I've been buying them from the "used fruit" bin at my grocer's -- some organic even -- and have made a crisp and plan on applesauce. There are always a couple to eat out of hand, too. Averaging 13 to 16 cents per apple, as opposed to 80 - 90, for non-organic. So, thank you!
Niiice! Yay for bruised apples.
The smoothie at the top has beet in it. I don't love beets in smoothies, exactly, but they do make a stunningly beautiful smoothie.
I got a lot of beets in my CSA box this past year. Always struggled with what to do with them! Do you cook the beets first or just chop them up?
Also, my beets (and radishes and other such veggies) always came with their green leaves attached. Did you experience that in your CSA box? I'm thinking I might freeze those for use in smoothies next year!
I don't cook them. I just peel 'em and throw them in my Vitamix!
I haven't experimented much with beet leaves. I know some leaves are pretty nasty (carrot tops are, I believe), but others are edible.
Cut the leaves off, boil the beets with their skin on (so you won't loose the colour). Cool, peel and then grate the beets (not too fine). Add loads of garlic and then mayo (or mayo+sour cream, or mayo+yoghurt). A fantastic Russian (I think) salad, goes well with potatos.
Boy, howdy, they do!
These are fabulous tips!
Such a useful post! I have been wondering how you work greens and other odds and ends into your smoothies! Thanks!
My third kid is eight months old. He hates purees, so we had to switch to baby led weaning (feeding bits of our regular dinner and letting him experiment and learn to chew). Thankfully, we figured this out before I'd made much baby food, but your post today gave me inspiration for what to do with the half quart baggie of frozen sweet potato cubes still hanging out in my freezer.
I'm not a smoothie fan, but for Kate, have you tried cooking your beet greens? I love them sautéed with a little bacon fat and garlic, while I roast the beet roots in the oven. Or -- A woman we know uses beet greens, carrot greens, and baby collard or turnip greens to cut up into a salad along with lettuce or raw cabbage. In small enough pieces, they don't overwhelm her salad, just add to its flavor, she says. The collards or turnips should be baby greens though -- they get tougher and more strongly flavored as they get older.
Thanks JD! I'm going to have to try that. This was my first summer with a CSA box and I often wondered why they left the greens on the beets and other root veggies. Then found out they were very edible! My goal next summer is to put them to good use. At least last year, I did compost them. This year, keeping up with the traditional greens that came in my box was challenge enough 🙂
totally off topic (and I sent you an email) but there is an American Apparel Groupon running for the next few days:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/american-apparel-us-11-baltimore
Is it the frozen OJ concentrate? Do you store the rest of the frozen OJ concentrate in something and just scoop out the 2 teaspoons? Do you think adding just 2 teaspoons of the OJ concentrate makes any difference in the taste overall?
Yep, I just use the frozen stuff and I spoon it out as necessary. I do think it makes a difference in the taste. A tablespoon or so of OJ concentrate would make a lot more than a tablespoon of juice when reconstituted, you know?
I've just recently gotten on the smoothie bandwagon. I was talking to my mother-in-law about making smoothies and how I usually add organic spinach. She told me that if I do spinach everyday, I'll build up toxins of some sort and get super sick. She couldn't elaborate or tell me where she heard that. Just curious if you've ever heard that. I'll have to do some research I suppose.
Well, I have heard that it's wise to vary your greens because some of them can cause problems if you consume mass quantities of them on a daily basis.
Luckily for me, my produce box provides me with a variety of greens, so I end up rotating them quite naturally!
You may have said before but, when do you have your smoothies, Kristen? Are they meal replacements? Snacks? I like the idea of using up odds and ends this way but I'm not sure when I would actually drink a smoothie. Unless it replaced breakfast.
Sometimes as a breakfast sub, and sometimes as a lunch side. But almost never at dinner!
It helps to have a vita mix, that blitzes everything so incredibly smooth.
I just purchased kale for the first time (33 cents for a while bunch!) and tried some in a smoothie tonight. It worked just fine! My husband was quite skeptical, so I appreciated finding your tips above. He had no complaints. 🙂 Who knows, after having it go well in both our salad and our smoothie we might have to start eating kale more often!
Yay! I'm so glad your smoothie worked out well.
And $0.33 is a STEAL.
Just wondering..... this makes an enormous quantity for one person living in their own. Can you keep it for a few days in the fridge? I've found making small batches can be quite sketchy! Thx.
I imagine that you could, although I've never tried it. Usually when I want a single serving of smoothie, I just make a smaller batch, which works out fine in my blender (I know some blenders are terrible with small batches, though.)