Smoothie Mixes: Vitamins in a Jar
Homestead Education Channel is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.
Fruit smoothies are a flavorful way to get a ton of vitamins and minerals in an easy to make drink. With additions such as a healthy protein powder, whole milk, yogurt, flax, hemp, or any other seed or nut, a smoothie can be a liquid powerhouse.
It can take a lot of time to cut up fruit, measure out the additives, add liquids, and blend it. Why not make it easier and more convenient, while also making it healthy, low cost, and full of easily identifiable ingredients? Since freeze dried fruit is now readily available in the freeze dryer’s pantry, simply make a few flavor combinations and make a smoothie mix that just needs water.
A simple smoothie mix can be a single flavor, or it can be more complicated by adding different fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, and more. Smoothie mixes are readily available on most grocery shelves or in health food stores. However, the ingredient list is like reading ancient Greek. Most of the ingredients are chemicals that are from unknown origins and have unknown side effects. Creating a smoothie mix from scratch gives peace of mind and the ability to understand the ingredient label.
The first step is choosing the ingredients. For a purely fruit smoothie, choose favorites that will complement each other: Banana Strawberry, Kiwi Strawberry, Apple Berry, Mixed Berry, etc. Clean the fruit, then prepare it for the freeze dry process. Once it is cut up, place it onto cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper, and freeze overnight. This step is not required, but it will cut the freeze time on the freeze dryer. Place the fruit into the freeze dryer and run a full cycle. Make sure to test the fruit for dryness using the method of choice: searching for cold spots, using a moisture meter, or weighing trays. Once all the fruit is completely dry, simply blend it and place into a canning jar with an oxygen absorber and a moisture absorber. (Please see the article, Freeze Drying 101 for more detailed instructions.)
Keep the nuts and seeds separate from the fruit powder. They contain oils which can go rancid and destroy all the hard work that went into preparing the powder. Add them when blending the smoothie for drinking. However, adding a natural and organic protein powder and some whole milk powder will add fat, vitamins, and minerals necessary for a healthy body, and they are already shelf stable, so they won’t destroy the powder.
There are many options in the frozen fruit section of grocery stores. The fruits are slightly more expensive, but the time they save is worth the price. Check the label to see if the fruit is just fruit or if any preservatives have been added. Using frozen fruit saves a lot of time and work, and it cuts out the overnight freezing time. There are often fruits available in the frozen section that aren’t in season or are never available in the area.
Adding vegetables adds more vitamins and minerals that fruit doesn’t contain. Simply freeze dry them with the same method as the fruit, and blend together. Be aware that broccoli has an extremely strong flavor once freeze dried, so it may not be a vegetable to add to the entire batch.
Adding vegetables adds more vitamins and minerals that fruit doesn’t contain. Simply freeze dry them with the same method as the fruit, and blend together. Be aware that broccoli has an extremely strong flavor once freeze dried, so it may not be a vegetable to add to the entire batch.
To use the smoothie mix, just add water. If thick, icy smoothies are preferred, blend with ice and water. While store-bought mixes have measurements, homemade will not. Adjust the measurements to taste. A thicker, creamier smoothie will use more powder. However, that means there are more nutrients entering the body. That simple drink can be a lifesaver in the winter or during times of rationing. Add other ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, yogurt, or milk at this time.
For a quick, on the go smoothie, add mix to a bottle of water and shake. Allow it to sit for a few minutes so the powder can fully soak up the water. This is a great way to add nutrients and water while out hunting, hiking, or camping. Easy to carry, lightweight, and premeasured. Look for Mylar sampling pouches for single serve drink packets like these from Amazon.
Smoothies are a personal choice. Mix and match for each family member. Once the favored amounts are discovered, label accordingly. This is an excellent way to use those weird frozen fruit blends at the grocery store. Mango, banana, strawberry, dragon fruit, and blueberry sounds really odd, but they make a very tasty smoothie that is similar to the Naked drinks available in stores.
Make sure the kids help make the smoothie powder so they know what they are drinking. Even in hard times, kids can become picky if something is weird or tastes funny. However, if they are part of the making process, they will know that the jar of pink smoothie mix is theirs, and they know exactly what is in it
Smoothies are popular and easy to make at home. They taste delicious, have readily identifiable ingredients, and they provide valuable nutrients. Since they are ground into a powder, a lot of produce can be freeze dried and save a lot of space in storage. The powder can be easily stored in jars or small single serve packets. Smoothies are a simple way to get a lot of goodness.
Here at http://homesteadeducationchannel.com/, we are dedicated to helping you find resources, education, and information regarding all aspects of the homesteading lifestyle.
Photos courtesy of Michele Mead
