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Introduction
Sharing the Juice, or Why a Successful Juice Company Would Give Away All of Its Recipes
by Carly de Castro
What do you do when you wake up in the morning? How do you energize, uplift, and get yourself going? We all have our little rituals, the things that we do to feel bright eyed and ready for the day ahead. For all of us at Pressed Juicery, drinking a green juice in the morning is one of our rituals, like washing our faces or brushing our teeth. It’s something we do every day, without even thinking about it. We do it because we know how good it makes us feel—because it gives us a lift, replenishes our nutrient levels, and tastes amazing. When we’re on the road and fresh juice isn’t within easy access, we miss our juice. We’re so grateful when we are home or at the shop and can easily drink a glass brimming with green goodness. Juicing has become more than a habit for us; it’s a priority and one of the ways that we care for ourselves.
Our devotion to juice is the origin story of Pressed Juicery, and it is the reason for this book: because at Pressed, we think the real secret to a healthy and happy life shouldn’t be a secret at all. The proof is in these pages. Everything we’ve learned over the past decade on our juicing journey is here for you to share.
Whether your goal is to add a glass of green juice to your daily routine or take the plunge and see what cleansing is all about, this book is your invitation to experience the impact that drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices each day can have on your mind, body, and soul so you can move through your day at full capacity instead of feeling sluggish or as if you’re operating in a mental fog. What we hear from customers all the time is that health and vibrancy are much sought-after states of being—everybody wants to feel amazing and alive! But too many people are missing the mark on how to achieve these states. Balance is hard to come by these days, or so it seems. But it is not impossible! Juicing is a simple and powerful way to support your health and the health of your family.
From choosing the right style of juicer to learning the difference between juicing and blending, discovering how to pick produce, and making delicious juices, this book has everything you need to know to bring the juice home. We call it our cookbook/how-to juice guide/cleansing manual/produce handbook. In short, it’s an all-around guide to making juices at home that will completely wow your taste buds. We’ve got sweet juices and savory juices, spicy juices and creamy nut milks, and smoothies and refreshing flavored waters and elixirs. Your body needs quality nutrients! Why fall into the trap of fast and convenient food and beverage options when you can have fast, convenient servings of fresh, delicious juice? When it comes to juicing, once you start making the effort, it stops feeling like work—or rather, the work feels worth it. Give it a try and you’ll see what we’re talking about!
How a green juice changed my life
The amazing effect that juicing can have on your life and your whole being is something that I have experienced personally. When I was in my early twenties, before I discovered juicing, my main form of vegetables was the iceberg lettuce on my hamburger. Whatever I felt like eating, I ate. Meanwhile, I felt sluggish and out of shape, depressed and unmotivated, and I wondered constantly why I felt so low.
I was twenty-two when I hit 175 pounds, and that’s when I decided I’d had enough. I had tried various fad diets, and none of them worked. I needed to make a change—not just in my diet, but also in the way that I lived my life.
I began reaching out to friends and family, asking for advice. One friend advised trying green juice. So I began buying a fresh green juice at my local market on the way to work. It completely energized me. It was different than the diet sodas and sugary juices I was used to; I felt remarkable. I hadn’t felt that energetic since I was a child, and my moods noticeably improved.
So I began reading books about raw food and juicing. Over the next year or so, I began making my own juices at home and experimenting with various ingredients. I slowly stopped craving unhealthy foods and started reaching for fruit in place of cookies, and salads in place of pizza. There was no coach breathing down my neck or forcing me to do this—my body was telling me what it needed and what it craved, and for the first time, I felt empowered.
On my journey, I ended up losing about forty-five pounds and gaining a new life and a new perspective. And it all began with drinking green juice every day.
To me, this was pretty powerful stuff. I had spent so much time buying into the idea that it was complicated to be healthy and fit, that once I figured out the magic set of rules to follow, I would become an ideal version of myself. Instead, I learned that there are many options for living a healthy life. The shift that I required was to develop a new perspective on what healthy means to find out how I fit into the puzzle.
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Carrot Bread
As you will notice once you start getting your juice on, juicing means pulp. A lot of pulp can build up when you extract the juice from your produce. The amount depends on the type of juicer you have, how much produce you are using, and how many times you run it through the machine. When you’re finished juicing, don’t just toss all that yummy pulp! It is full of nutrition and fiber, and it can be incorporated into some delicious recipes, like this wonderful carrot bread.
Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 9 pieces)
11⁄2 cups carrot pulp
4 organic eggs
1⁄4 cup melted organic butter or ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Juice of 1⁄2 small lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1⁄2 cup walnuts (optional)
2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325˚F and place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a generous trim.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the carrot pulp, eggs, butter, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, vinegar, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add this to the carrot mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the walnuts and raisins.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 70 minutes.
Allow the bread to cool in the baking dish for about 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the dish and let it cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve warm or at room temp-erature. The bread will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
