Pumpkin juice is very healthy. In addition, pumpkin is the safest food product even for those who suffer from diseases of the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. To prepare pumpkin juice, you do not need to have any special skills or use expensive equipment. In order to make pumpkin juice, you need a pumpkin, a knife, an electric juicer and imagination.
Useful properties of pumpkin
The chemical composition of this vegetable is diverse and very rich. It contains proteins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, pectins, etc. In addition, pumpkin contains a lot of carotene. Its concentration is even greater than in carrots.
Pumpkin is widely used to treat various kinds of diseases. For example, traditional medicine uses it as a choleretic, diuretic and laxative. It actively helps to remove toxins, cholesterol, fight obesity, atherosclerosis, as well as gout. In addition, as a dietary product, it is used in proper nutrition.
Pumpkin drink is good for everyone: both adults and children. It does not contain harmful substances. In addition, it relieves the symptoms of toxicosis in pregnant women, helps people suffering from insomnia. If you add honey to it, such an elixir will help reduce heat.
For medicinal purposes, use all parts of the vegetable (pulp, juice, seeds and flowers):
- vegetable juice and pulp help to improve intestinal motor function;
- flowers are used in cooking: abroad, they are fried in batter, added to salads;
- the seeds themselves are used to combat worms, and seed oil is used to treat heart diseases due to its high content of vitamin C, tarry substances, and organic acids.
The choice of vegetable and its preparation for use
In order to prepare a delicious drink that pleases the eye with its color, it is important to take the choice of vegetable seriously. To make dishes or drinks tasty and healthy, you need to buy fully ripened young pumpkins with pulp of a bright orange color. By weight, it should be no more than seven kilograms. Such fruits contain a lot of fructose and carotene. Those who like sweeter vegetables are suitable for cooking "nutmeg" or "Spanish" varieties. Vegetables purchased immediately after harvesting will be more juicy.
Before use, the whole vegetable must be thoroughly washed, then blotted with a towel. After that, it must be cut into pieces and removed from each part of the seed. Rinse again, then dry thoroughly. After that, be sure to cut off the peel. Finished pulp must be cut into small pieces. The main ingredient for a healthy drink is ready!
How to peel a pumpkin
This fruit is quite difficult to prepare. Therefore, before talking about how to make pumpkin juice, you should consider the features of cleaning.
Most of the cooking is done by women. But since the peel of this fruit is very thick and dense, when cutting it, you should ask for help from the stronger sex. First, the vegetable must be cut in half. Then cut each of the halves into small pieces.
These slices, in turn, are cut together with the peel into smaller slices, about two centimeters thick. Then cut the peel with a knife from each piece individually. Now the vegetable is ready to use!
Rules and methods for making pumpkin juice
Pumpkin juice is very nutritious, in addition, it has a high concentration of vitamins. Therefore, the use of three hundred milliliters of this healthy drink will help to supply the body with vitamins A, B, C and E, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium (daily rate).
In order for all useful substances in the drink to be preserved, it is important to properly prepare it.
- The easiest way is with a juicer. It will help squeeze the maximum amount of fluid fast enough. Due to the fact that the structure of the vegetable is dense, the juicer should be set to maximum. First, all the peel must be removed.
- The situation with a meat grinder or a blender is a bit more complicated. After grinding the pulp, it must be thoroughly wiped through a sieve.
- If you don’t have such kitchen appliances at hand, you can squeeze the juice manually. To do this, grate the fruit, lay in cheesecloth, and then squeeze the liquid by hand.
When using any of the above methods of obtaining juice from pumpkin, it is important to follow some tips:
- Since pumpkin juice has a sweet, but rather specific taste, it is better to mix it with juices that have a more pronounced taste. For example, carrot, orange, cranberry or berry.
- You need to add other berries, fruits or vegetables in portions, simultaneously with squeezing pumpkin juice, so that the liquid turns out to be homogeneous.
- Freshly squeezed pumpkin drink should be consumed immediately. If stored for a long time, it can deteriorate, as well as lose useful properties.
- If it is impossible to constantly prepare a freshly squeezed healing drink, you can preserve pumpkin juice for the winter.
Fresh squeezed pumpkin juice with cranberries
A very popular recipe for pumpkin juice with cranberries. The combination of these two products will help boost immunity. To make a drink, you need to take two kilograms of vegetable pulp, two kilograms of fresh cranberries and honey.
Pre-peel, then chop the pulp of the vegetable, rinse the berries thoroughly, and then dry. Squeeze the liquid out of them in small quantities in turn - to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Then add honey. Mix everything thoroughly.
If for some reason honey cannot be used, sugar should be added. To slightly remove the cloying and add sourness to the drink, you can put the flesh of lemon or orange in a small amount.
Pumpkin juice for the winter at home
There are some differences in preparing a canned drink. But you can combine the vegetable, as in freshly squeezed form, with any vegetables, fruits or berries. The most optimal combination-benefit ratio will be a pumpkin-apple vitamin drink. Ripe green apples are suitable for this, since they have a higher concentration of vitamins.
To make pumpkin juice at home, you need to take: a kilogram of peeled pumpkin, a kilogram of apples, 250 grams of granulated sugar and lemon.
It is necessary to squeeze out liquid from apples and pumpkins, then mix. Then add the zest of lemon. Put the dishes on a slow fire and bring the temperature to an indicator no higher than ninety degrees. Do not bring to a boil. Then add sugar and mix thoroughly to completely dissolve. The finished mixture must be prepared for five minutes, then pour into pre-sterilized jars. Banks can be rolled up and stored in a cool place.
Pumpkin juice with orange
The recipe for a drink from this vegetable with orange is in high demand among citrus lovers. For cooking, you need one and a half kilograms of pumpkin, two large oranges, lemon, 250 grams of sugar and a liter of water. From these, three liters of pumpkin juice are obtained at home. Cut the vegetable into small pieces to put in a pan and pour cold water. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the water is one centimeter above the fetus. Put the pan on the fire without covering it. After the water begins to boil, cover and wait until the fruit is soft (about half an hour). When the vegetable is boiled, you need to drain the remaining broth into a separate container.
Mash the finished product and set aside the pan. Now you need to squeeze the juice from citruses, after cutting them in half. Add sugar and drained broth to pumpkin puree . Then add a liter of water and put the pan on the fire again. After the sugar has dissolved, pour the squeezed citruses there, mix everything and bring the ingredients to a boil. Then make the fire smaller and turn off after five minutes. Pumpkin citrus juice at home is ready.
Pumpkin drink with dried apricots
Such an unusual combination will perfectly complement the list of recipes for pumpkin juice for the winter. For cooking, you need to take one and a half kilograms of pumpkin, a pound of dried apricots, lemon (or five grams of citric acid), 250 grams of sugar and a liter of water. Cook washed, peeled and chopped products in a pan (about an hour). The resulting broth is drained and set aside. Mash the cooked ingredients. Then add the set broth, sugar and a liter of water there, then put on fire. When the sugar has dissolved, you need to add lemon juice (citric acid) and bring to a boil. After boiling, leave on fire for five minutes. Pour the finished drink into cans.
Pumpkin and carrot juice
Imagine another recipe for pumpkin juice, now with carrots. To do this, you need to take one and a half kilograms of pulp, two medium carrots, a lemon, 250 grams of sugar and a liter of water. Wash and chop vegetables thoroughly (slices and rings, respectively). Pour them with water (a centimeter higher). Boil vegetables for an hour. Pour the broth into a container, and turn the vegetables into mashed potatoes. Then add sugar, broth, as well as a liter of water. Put on fire. When the sugar has dissolved, you need to add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. After boiling, leave on fire for five minutes. Pour the finished juice into jars.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that this vegetable drink is extremely useful because of the nutrients it contains, there are people who are strictly forbidden to drink it:
- All who have individual intolerance to this product or its individual trace elements.
- People suffering from diseases of the stomach or gastrointestinal tract at the acute stage.
- Due to the laxative effect of the vegetable, it is not recommended to use it for people suffering from diarrhea.
Pumpkin is an extremely healthy product, and if cooked correctly, it’s also delicious. In addition, this fruit is quite simple to prepare. Therefore, in the beginning of autumn, it is worth stocking up time and free space to buy freshly grown vegetables and make them many wonderful vitamin cocktails for the winter.