How to prepare delicious and healthy carrot juice for the winter at home

The beneficial properties of carrots have been scientifically proven - the vegetable contains dozens of vitamins and minerals important for health. Root crops are grown on plots, bought in stores and markets, and housewives use them to prepare the main dishes of the daily diet. Carrot juice brings particular benefits to the body - it contains the maximum concentration of active substances in a form accessible for absorption.

Read our article about how to prepare carrot juice for the winter at home and preserve it for many months.

Selection and preparation of carrots for juice

Not every orange root vegetable is suitable for cooking. juice. The drink will be tasty, fresh and useful only if the vegetables are chosen correctly.

Here are some tips:

1. Color. The color of carrots should be bright - this indicates health and ripeness. The brighter the root vegetable, the tastier and healthier the drink will be. All specimens that have ugly bumps, dents, cracks and traces of pests and bacteria are rejected.
2. Degree of maturity. The vegetable chosen is dense, fully ripe, elastic and juicy. Unripe, flabby and dry carrots are not suitable for extracting juice.
3. Size. You should not take large carrots from the store to make healthy juice - nitrates could have been used in large quantities when growing them.Often it is the large size of root vegetables that indicates that they contain excessive amounts of harmful substances. Large specimens will not be a problem if the crop was grown on your own plot. In other cases, choose fruits weighing no more than 150 g.

The main mistake many inexperienced housewives make when preparing carrot juice is that they peel the root vegetables before use. Meanwhile, it is the top layer of the vegetable that contains the maximum amount of substances beneficial to the body, primarily carotene.

Therefore, in order to prepare the orange root vegetable for juice production, it is thoroughly washed and cleaned with a special brush. Cut off the tip and tail. The part of the carrot tail that sticks out above the ground becomes dark brown or green over time. When preparing a vegetable for use, this part is cut off completely; it is not suitable not only for juice, but also for consumption in general.

How to squeeze carrot juice

There are several ways to get a delicious orange drink; we’ll tell you about each separately.

In the juicer

The easiest and fastest way is an electric juicer. The whole process happens automatically, you just need to press the start button and place the prepared carrots into the device in time.

In a meat grinder

If the meat grinder is automatic, then you can get vegetable juice in the same way as using a juicer. A mechanical device will make you work harder and take much longer. The resulting carrot puree is placed on double-folded gauze and the juice is squeezed into a saucepan.

In a juicer

The main difference between a juicer and other devices for preparing juice is that vegetables are heat-treated. Under the influence of steam, the carrots heat up, juice is released, and the product is pasteurized.This is convenient for preparing preparations for the winter.

Blender

Juicing in a blender is similar to using a manual meat grinder. A puree is prepared from finely chopped vegetables, which is then squeezed to create a tasty and healthy drink.

Manually

But how to squeeze juice out of carrots without a juicer or other equipment? There is a way, it is most often used to process a small amount of root vegetables - one or two, for example, to prepare complementary foods for a small child. To do this, grate the carrots on a fine grater, and pass the resulting pulp through a strainer.

Attention! Before drinking carrot juice, it is recommended to add 1 tsp to it. olive oil - this promotes better absorption of the product.

How to prepare carrot juice for the winter

There are only two methods for preserving juice for the winter, and they are fundamentally different from each other.

With sterilization

This method is also called “hot filling”. The resulting juice is boiled over low heat. Then they are poured into sterilized jars and sealed. The container is turned over to allow excess air to escape, this is how the quality of the seaming is checked. In this position, the jar must cool completely, then it is put away in a dark, cool place for the whole winter.

Without sterilization

Pasteurization does not involve boiling. This compares favorably with the first method of preservation. All nutrients and vitamins remain in the juice. The drink is heated to 90-95°C, then immediately poured into cans. The jars are placed in a large saucepan. Pour water into the pan so that it covers the jars to the very neck. Pasteurization lasts about 30 minutes at a temperature of 70-80°C. After the procedure, containers with juice are closed with tin lids.

Interesting carrot juice recipes for the winter

The fact that carrot juice is incredibly tasty and healthy is evidenced by the number of different recipes for this drink.

With orange

For preparation you will need:

• oranges – 8 pcs.;
• carrots – 8 pcs.;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• honey – 4 tsp.

Peel the oranges and lemon and cut each into 4 pieces to fit in the juicer. Wash the carrots and load them into the machine, alternating with fruits. Pour the resulting vitamin mixture into jars and pasteurize, then start rolling. When drinking, add a spoonful of honey to each glass of drink.

With pumpkin

Ingredients:

• pumpkin - 1 kg;
• carrots - 4 pcs.;
• citric acid - 1 tbsp. l.;
• sugar - glass;
• water - 10 glasses.

Cooking process:

1. Prepare the vegetables: wash the carrots and cut into pieces, cut the skin off the pumpkin and divide into slices.
2. Place the ingredients in a saucepan, pour in 2 cups of water, add sugar and stir.
3. Place on the stove. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, then puree with a blender.
4. Boil the remaining 8 cups of water and pour them into the vegetable mixture.
5. Add citric acid and let simmer on the stove for 5 minutes.
6. Place in containers, screw on the lids.

With apple

For this drink you need:

• apples - 5 kg;
• carrots - 1.5 kg;
• sugar – 300 g (if apples and carrots are sweet, then you don’t need to use sugar at all).

Place prepared fruits and vegetables in a juicer and prepare juice. It needs to be defended so that the foam, together with the pulp, rises to the top. Collect the floating mass in gauze and squeeze out. Strain the remaining juice through several layers of gauze. Place the pan with the drink on the fire and heat to 90°C, stirring all the time so that the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot juice into sterilized jars. Cover them with boiled lids.Place it upside down and leave it in this position for a day.

With peach

This juice requires no added sugar since peaches are very sweet on their own.

Ingredients:

• peaches – 1 kg;
• carrots – 1.5 kg;
• citric acid – 1 tsp.

Using a juicer, prepare peach and carrot juices, mix both drinks, add citric acid and put the mixture on fire. Heat the juice, without boiling, for about 5 minutes at a temperature of 95-98°C. Pour the drink into jars and pasteurize for 15 minutes, then roll up and place upside down. After a day, turn it over and store it for storage.

With beets and celery

• root celery – 250 g;
• carrot – 200 g;
• beet – 200 g;
• lemon – 1 pc.;
• water – 200 ml.

This juice is best drunk fresh. Use a juicer, alternating vegetables. Pour the resulting drink into glasses and add a slice of lemon to each. You can also resort to canning, then a delicious vitamin cocktail will delight you throughout the winter months.

Terms and conditions of storage

It is recommended to store twisted jars of juice in a dark place at a temperature of 0…+15°C. Sterilized products can be kept unopened for up to 2 years, and pasteurized products - no more than a year.

If the jar has been opened, then it is best to place the remainder in the refrigerator; the maximum period for such storage is 3 days.

Conclusion

It’s easy to prepare carrot juice; there are many different devices for this – electric and manual. It is important to choose ripe, healthy root vegetables for harvesting and choose a recipe and preservation method that suits the housewife’s taste preferences.