Susans (aka raw newbie) questions

[Susan123]

I'd love to pick your brains... I just started the May challenge and I'm totally geared up for this!! I do have a few questions :confused:-

--Day old juice is okay, right?? How long can juice stay fresh in the fridge? It's a pain to wash that darn juicer.

--Can you make your own almond butter? I have a Vita Mix with a wet blade (no dry container).

--I made the pai Tai yesterday (YUMMMM) and even though I do have a julienne slicer (from Pampered Chef) is a spiral slicer something I should look into getting?

--Do I need a food processor if I have a Vita Mix? Of course I want to go out and get all teh gadgets (like the spiral slicer mentioned above :D ) It seems a lot of recipes call for a FP, but I wasn't sure if I could just use the VM instead. TIA!!

I'm sure I'll have more questions later!! ;)

[RawHeaven]

I'd love to pick your brains... I just started the May challenge and I'm totally geared up for this!! I do have a few questions :confused:-

--Day old juice is okay, right?? How long can juice stay fresh in the fridge? It's a pain to wash that darn juicer.

You get the most nutrients and minerals if you drink it straight away. If you cannot, I believe you can keep in the fridge for 24 hours. If cleaning the juicer becomes a pain, you can blend the veggies or fruits in your vitamix, then strain with a nut bag or paint straining bag you can find cheap in a hardware store. It seems easier doing it this way.

--Can you make your own almond butter? I have a Vita Mix with a wet blade (no dry container).

Yes. You can also make it in a food processor.

--I made the pai Tai yesterday (YUMMMM) and even though I do have a julienne slicer (from Pampered Chef) is a spiral slicer something I should look into getting?

It will be up to you after you get in the swing of things. The spiral slicer is fun to use for making raw pastas. Then we're probably talking about aesthetics and appearance. Depends on the width, texture you're desiring or let's say if you're hosting a party. I'm pretty much a simple person. If it's raw and it tastes good, I eat it. I don't care what it looks like. LOL.

--Do I need a food processor if I have a Vita Mix? Of course I want to go out and get all teh gadgets (like the spiral slicer mentioned above :D ) It seems a lot of recipes call for a FP, but I wasn't sure if I could just use the VM instead. TIA!!

Some recipes call for either or both. It depends on what you're making and your preference with the end result. For example the nut pates and some of the dessert batters seem to come out better when food processed.

I'm sure I'll have more questions later!! ;)

Best wishes.

[Susan123]

Thanks Raw Heaven!! I appreciate it!!

[ShelShel]

Honestly, it's all up to you...the recipes you love and what you are willing to do with...or without. ;) I started with a Walmart blender, dehydrator and one of those really small 2 cup food processors. After several years eating raw now...I still didn't move on to the vitamix or excalibur. I know they make some recipes smoother or stuff like lasagna you can make in a pan, but for the recipes that I enjoy the most, I don't need more than I have. It's all in your preference. (I do have the spiral slicer because one of the my favorite recipes is raw ravioli.)
Good luck! Raw Rawks!

[Jehote]

LOL i have a Oster blender, a good knife, and a cutting board. i WANT a Vitamix or Blendtec so bad! :mad:

[jimmorti]

I'd love to pick your brains... I just started the May challenge and I'm totally geared up for this!! I do have a few questions :confused:-

--Day old juice is okay, right?? How long can juice stay fresh in the fridge? It's a pain to wash that darn juicer.
Yes, day-old juice is okay. Concerning the juicer, since I burned the motor out on my old one, I use an old-fashioned glass juicer - you know the bowl with a ridged dome in the middle, or a blender. The ease in cleaning it offsets the extra pulp I drink.


--I made the pai Tai yesterday (YUMMMM) and even though I do have a julienne slicer (from Pampered Chef) is a spiral slicer something I should look into getting?
It all depends how much you want your food to resemble SAD foods. It doesn't matter much to me, so my French knife, paring knife, and (box) grater are fine for now. That said, I think I will buy a spiral slicer in the next month or so.... because I sometimes like to play with my food :)


--Do I need a food processor if I have a Vita Mix? Of course I want to go out and get all teh gadgets (like the spiral slicer mentioned above :D ) It seems a lot of recipes call for a FP, but I wasn't sure if I could just use the VM instead. TIA!!
While I can't advise about the VitaMix, I can say that my weeny 21oz food processer can DEFINITELY do stuff that my blender cannot. For example, this afternoon, I made Alyssa's recipe for a Date-Nut Torte; while I could blend only one cup of walnuts and raisins at a time in the FP, it would not work at all in the blender. They each have their specializations....

[spicyfull]

A Vita-Mix which you already have and Definately a Food Processor. A Food Processor is your Personal "Sous Chef".