CARROT BOOST

This carrot boost is vibrant, packed with lots of nutrients and absolutely delicious too. Spring may be about a month away but we are not out of the woods yet. They literally closed school for a few days because of the number of flu cases. You can grab an immunity shot at health foods store or grocery store for about $2.99 to $4.99 for a 2 ounce bottle. Here’s a much cheaper route we love. For about $10 and with a little time we have enough of these carrot boost for our family. Here is all what you’ll need to make them.

CARROT BOOST INGREDIENTS

Carrots: This cool season root vegetable brings in the vibrant orange glow. Packing loads of beta carotene and anti oxidant properties, carrots bring in some natural sweetness.

Pineapple: Bringing in some tropical sweetness with lots of vitamin C. Pineapple has some anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. A digestive aid that works well with this carrot boost.

Ginger: We love the kick and you can add to taste. Ginger has long been praised for its ability to sooth the stomach, reduce nausea and also has some amazing anti-inflammatory properties.

Lemons: We welcome the tartness to help balance the sweetness from the carrots and pineapple. A champion in vitamin C. Most of our immunity drinks features lemons for a reason and this is no exception.

Turmeric: Turmeric gets its distinct bright color from curcumin, a compound which has long been studied for its many health benefits. Just a little will suffice for the purpose of this immunity drink. We are using turmeric powder but feel free to use fresh turmeric if that is what you have.

Black pepper: This helps us fully take advantage of the turmeric benefits by enhancing the absorption of Curcumin.

Water: To blend, bring everything together and help with dilution.

MAKING THE CARROT BOOST

Get organic produce if you can. You want to boost your immunity, its best to avoid introducing unwanted chemicals. Thoroughly wash carrots, pineapple, ginger and lemon. Scrape off carrot skin, peel pineapple and cut into small chunks. Peel lemon, removing as much of the white part of the rind as you can because this will bring an unpleasant bitterness.

Transfer all ingredients into a high speed blender, then add water, black pepper and turmeric powder and blend until smooth. Use a clean cheese cloth to strain , squeezing out as much liquid as you can. Make sure you wear food grade gloves.

You can bottle as you desire. We make 2 ounce jars for the family. Sometimes we just store in bigger glass bottles and pour out what we need everyday.

HOW TO STORE

Food born pathogens are definitely a concern when making juices at home for consumption, so good sanitation and hand hygiene are a must. We store these in the fridge and consume within 3 days if not pasteurized at home. When we do pasteurize, we still consume within 7 days. Checkout this post to see how we pasteurize at home.

WHY WE LOVE THIS

These immunity drinks are our little ways of being proactive with our health by using the amazing seasonal produce we have on hand. Food really is medicine and the joy of combining these different ingredients for our overall health is priceless. When you try this, do not be limited to the quantities and ingredients. Make it your own. If you want a little more sweetness, add a little more pineapple. A little more kick, go for more ginger. Some recipes are a guide for you to take and run with.