Imagine making strawberry smoothies, cherry vanilla smoothies, mango smoothies, even carrot cake smoothies. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!
- Choose the right tool for the job.
The tastiest smoothies are frosty, so you'll need to crush either frozen fruit or frozen ice. Choose a blender that can crush ice well, a professional-style blender, such as a Vita-Mix Blender, or a food processor. While the food processor can be messy for pouring, it does puree smoothies beautifully.
I don't recommend an immersion blender for smoothies. It can do the job, but it'll take more time and effort than other tools.
- Learn the basic recipe.
For a fruit smoothie, it's:
- about 2 cups of frozen fruit
- about 3/4 cup of liquid
- 1/2 cup of yogurt
Unlike a recipe for cookies or bread, smoothie recipes do not have to use exact measurements.
- Make sure your fruit or ice is cut into fairly small pieces. Frozen blueberries and raspberries tend to work well, no matter what type of equipment you're using.
Frozen pineapple, mango and strawberries can often be too big for blenders (except the Vita-Mix). You may have to cut them in half before loading them into your blender.
- Load the frozen fruit or ice into the container first. This helps ensure all of the fruit gets crushed.
- Pour the liquid right on top of the frozen ingredients. The liquid will help the fruit melt a bit, making it easier to puree.
- Before pouring your smoothie, check to make sure all of your ingredients are completely pureed. You may need to stop the blender and stir the ingredients in order to puree everything completely.
- Try varying the ingredients in your smoothies to suit your tastes. If you want a sweet smoothie, use pineapple juice for the liquid. Something creamy? Try milk. Try using different flavored yogurts or combinations of fruit.
- Experiment with add-ins for new tastes. Try coconut flakes, nuts, peanut butter, wheat germ, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, honey, and more!
- A good blender or food processor.
