# Juicer/steamer



## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

Since I live in the PNW blackberries are abundant here on our property. Last year I made juice out of them and it took FOREVER! So I have recently invested in one of those juicer/steamers to hopefully make the job go a little quicker.

My questions- Are there any tips or tricks that anyone has before I start playing with this new toy? Also I see that you can pretty much make juice out of any fruit, are there any combinations of fruit juices that are especially good and I should try and make? Also do you can or freeze your juice?

Thanks-Lillian :kiss:


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## lickcreek2 (Dec 15, 2009)

Lillian, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my juicer. And I think you will too!

Initially I just bought mine for grape juice. A pretty big investment for that, I know, but we have a LOT of grapes, and DS goes through a lot of the juice. Like you, it took forever to juice them, not to mention the mess and stains. I'm not the neatest person in the kitchen. LOL!

Since then I have juiced apples, peaches and DH's cousin also borrowed it once to juice rhubarb for wine making. :buds: So far I have only done plain juice, adding sugar later when I use it. I have a tendency to go back later and make jelly, so I don't want anything added. I can the juice in mason jars, following their instructions, and have not had any problems with any of it. 

I've not used it for steaming yet, but have plans to try that this year. 

Mine was a Mehu Liisa brand, and the booklet with it had very clear instructions, making it very easy to use, and lots of recipes. I don't really have any tips or tricks, other than to mention to make sure the bottom pan never runs out of water, which it tells you in the directions. Clean up is relatively easy, too! :happy:

Hope you enjoy your juicer, and find many ways to use it. Did I mention, I LOVE mine?


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

We LOVE our juicer/steamer too....It makes Blackberry jelly so much easier, jeez it takes forever to strain the juice through a jelly bag doing it the 'old fashioned' way.
I did up some apple juice for the neighbors, the instructions said that apple butter or sauce could be made with the pulp...HOW? the pulp has no flavor left after the juice is extracted.
Living in the PNW we have to take advantage of the FREE food our invasives produce otherwise they might get REAL serious about taking over the world.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We juice elderberries, chokecherries, gooseberries, serviceberries, most anything we can find. Also apricots, apples, plums, and one watermelon for fun. Most go in to jams or jellies or syrups.


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## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

Thanks for the input everyone! I can't wait to get started with my juicer. I am sure I will LOVE mine too. I never thought of watermelon, curious how that one turned out.

Lillian


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

One year I had tons (seemed like it) of cranberries. I juiced them in my steamer/juicer and then canned the concentrate. It took a 5 gallon bucket of cranberries for every gallon of juice. I ended up canning 109 quarts. I didn't think I would ever use that much cranberry juice but it is all gone now.

Makes me want to make a trip to the coast this summer for blackberries and cranberries.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Mosepijo...If you don't mind my asking ...where do you find Cranberries?

Ed Norman...Service Berries! Wow, never thought about juicing or canning those. I've heard of folks drying them though.
Have you ever done anything with Indian Plums? They're about the same size as the Service Berries, the flowers a long, white and dangly thing.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

here are pics of the flowers, leaves and berries http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=slv8-fp&va=indian+plum&sz=all


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

I too love my steamer/juicer. I've had it for nearly 20 years and have not bought store-bought juice since. Being in the wilds of Alaska there are berries enough to make juice for the whole year and I just love free food. There's nothing better than an ice cold glass of wild berry juice. You're gonna love that new toy, Ms. Lilly!


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

marinemomtatt said:


> Mosepijo...If you don't mind my asking ...where do you find Cranberries?
> 
> Ed Norman...Service Berries! Wow, never thought about juicing or canning those. I've heard of folks drying them though.
> Have you ever done anything with Indian Plums? They're about the same size as the Service Berries, the flowers a long, white and dangly thing.


I got them in Bandon, Ore. Several years ago, Ocean Spray had cut prices and the cranberry Bog Owners just had to dump them. We had a friend with some bogs who told us to help ourselves. My husband came home with a 64 qt. cooler and many buckets. I finally got so tired of doing them, I ended up dumping the cooler full. Would have been fine If I wasn't working 9-5 job first. Never tried to dry them. Never Heard of Service Berries or Indian Plums either. But would probably work the same.


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## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

HMMMM...might have to make a little trip to Bandon this cranberry season!!!

Lillian


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

Wild cranberries grow on the edges of the muskegs up here so full of flavor hey they just explode in your mouth. I love to put on my raingear and crawl along gathering them on cool sunny September days. I can get lost in thought all day, run into all kinds of critter tracks crossing the muskegs, bear, wolf, elk, deer. It's fun to figure who went where and why. Last year I picked 12 gallons which was a record for me. I juiced some about 1/3 wild cranberry with 2/3 wild blueberry. Thought I'd died & gone to heaven that juice was so good.


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## Ms.Lilly (Jun 23, 2008)

I am just dying to try out my juicer/steamer! Everyone has such tempting ideas. There isn't much available right now, but I am tempted to go to the store and buy a bunch of apples just to try it out.

Lillian


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

Which juicers does everyone like and have, My grapes have seeds and I thought I would go crazy this past summer making juice. The only one I have seen is in Lehman's and wasn't sure if that was the best way to spend 200 dollars, which ones do you guys/gals like?

Thanks


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

I have a stainless Back to Basics I bought new, and just a month ago I found an Enamelware new in the box for a giveaway price. Love the stainless so I'm sure the other will work great as well. I don't even take the grapes off the stem, wash well, remove most of the bad looking grapes, and steam. Wash and quarter apples and steam. That it. Makes juice worthwhile for me. I tried tomato juice and will stick with my Squeezo instead of steam.


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