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I love Fruit Smoothies. I love
their flavor, how easy they are to make, and their versatility. There is no denying
their popularity. A Fruit Smoothie is a very nutritious blended drink with a
milkshake-like consistency that starts with either fresh or frozen fruit. To
the fruit you can add a variety of ingredients. Popular choices are frozen
ices (sorbet or sherbet), yogurt (plain or flavored), crushed ice, and/or
fruit juices.
Smoothies are best enjoyed shortly after making them as they do begin to
separate over time.
The Fruit Smoothie recipes given here are different from most in that they
include frozen ices.
You can use either a sorbet or a sherbet as both are made using fresh fruit (juices/purees),
sugar, water and sometimes lemon/lime juice. Sherbets, though, also contain
milk and/or cream, and sometimes even eggs which will give your Smoothie a
rich and smooth consistency.A good Smoothie uses high
quality ingredients, that means fresh fruit at its prime.
Some excellent choices are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries,
blackberries, cherries, peaches,
nectarines, kiwi, cantaloupe, honeydew, papaya, pineapple, bananas, mango,
and orange segments. You can also use frozen fruit which has the advantage
of chilling your Smoothie so you do not have to add crushed ice and
giving it a thick consistency. You may, however, have to add a little
extra fruit juice if you find your Smoothie is too thick. Also, try to use
unsweetened fruit and it does not need to be thawed. Another point on
fruit choices. Keep in mind that some fruits, like bananas, add both
sweetness and flavor to your Smoothie, and they also have the advantage of
being a natural thickener. If you are going to add ice, try to use crushed
or shaved ice as it easier to blend than ice cubes. If you do not have
crushed ice, then place ice cubes in a plastic freezer bag, wrap it in a
dish towel, and pound it with a rolling pin or meat mallet until it is
crushed.
Smoothie recipes should serve as a template only. Both the type and
amount of fruit, frozen ices,
yogurt, and fruit juice can be adjusted to suit your taste. Although
sweetness usually comes from the fruit and yogurt, add a little granulated
white sugar, maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup or even a banana if you
like a sweeter drink.
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