Apple beet ginger juice

This apple beet ginger juice is a tasty mix of sweet, tart and a bright ginger kick. It's easy to make, with no juicer required, and is great to give you a little boost any time you need it.

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As we get into colder weather, it also gets to that time of year when there are more bugs and other illnesses going around. Especially with kids, it can be pretty hard to avoid getting sick at some point or another, but I have a few things I always tend towards if it happens.

I imagine everyone has their own list of things that help, but to me a comforting, brothy soup (like pancake soup or avgolemono soup), lots of fruit and some energy-boosting drinks tend to help. And that's where things like this juice comes in handy.

A homemade alternative

These days you can find a whole host of different bottled drinks marketed at boosting your energy, immunity and more. And don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of them have certain benefits, but I do find you need to read the ingredients carefully. Some are simple and natural, while others have more obscure ingredients which I am less convinced on. Plus even (or maybe especially) the good ones carry a hefty price tag so they're not exactly everyday purchases.

That's where homemade comes in. Not only is it cheaper, the ingredients have that extra freshness by being just-combined. And before you go thinking you need a juicer to make juices home, you don't. Some, like this one can be made with a blender in no time at all.

I'm far from a dietician, but apple and beet/beetroot are good sources of vitamin C, which supports your immune system. Beet also has lots of other good things like iron and antioxidants, and ginger has anti-inflammatory qualities and other health benefits. All together, they're a pretty great combination, and they taste good, too.

The beet gives a bit of an earthy flavor and adds depth, as well as that amazing color. In case you are worried about it being too much of an earthy flavor, don't as that's where the other ingredients balance things out. Apple juice adds some sweetness and the ginger gives a fantastic bright zing that really perks you up.

Tips for making this juice

This drink is really easy to make as it's only three ingredients and the blender does the work, but a couple tips that may help:

• Use a good apple juice to get the best flavor - fresh apple cider/cloudy apple juice is my go-to here (and generally). But at a minimum use fresh juice rather than from concentrate.
• Pre-cook the beets so they are softer and will break down better. They also have a more mellow flavor that way. If you can roast them, this brings out the best in them, but boiled also works well. Just be sure not to use pickled.
• Don't forget to peel the ginger and roughly chop it before adding. It is probably the thing that's hardest to break down so worth giving your blender a head start, even a good one.

I definitely recommend drinking this straight away, if you can, but if you make too much or need to make ahead, it will keep for a day or two in the fridge. Be sure to store it in an airtight container and give it a shake before serving, in case solids have settled out.

This apple beet ginger juice is as bright in flavor as it is in color. It's quick and easy to make and has a delicious balance of flavors. Sure to give you a boost when you need it.

Try these other easy drinks:

• Cranberry smoothie
• Watermelon coconut agua fresca
• Hibiscus tea, agua de jamaica (serve either hot or cold)
• I also like the sound of this immunity boosting carrot orange juice from Choosing Chia as another drink to help this time of year.
• Plus get more drinks recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was originally shared in February 2015 and has been updated primarily with new photos and additional information.

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