How To Make Very Low Sugar Organic Peach Jam With A Touch Of Stevia

Organic Peach Jam - only 13 calories per tablespoon!

See more healthy jam recipes in my ebook:
 Health Begins in the Kitchen

Peaches are in Season - Time to Make Jam
I no longer have a peach tree but luckily the roadside stands and farmers' markets are loaded with fresh, ripe peaches. They have found their way into my smoothies, raw breakfast salads, raw crisps, cooked crisps, and salads. But looking ahead to when they will no longer be available, I need to make some delicious jam.

It's Fruit Jam, Not Candy!
As my longtime blog followers know, I'm a big fan of Pomona's Universal Pectin because it allows me to make jam with little or no sugar. Most pectin products require tons of sugar in order to activate the jelling process resulting in jam tasting more like candy than a fruit spread. But Pomona's Universal Pectin is extracted from citrus peel and is activated by calcium, NOT sugar. The result is that you can make jam or jelly with a little sugar, no sugar, concentrated apple or grape juice, agave nectar, honey, or no calorie sweeteners like stevia. I love this product so much that I have dedicated an entire chapter in my ebook, Health Begins in the KItchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan, to making jam with Pomona's Universal Pectin. You can buy this pectin product at your local health food store or, if they don't have it, you can purchase it online from Pomona's website or Amazon.

Each box comes with calcium powder and pectin.

Select Organic Peaches
According to the Environmental Working Group, certain fruits and vegetables contain more pesticides than others and each year they list the "Dirty Dozen Plus". So when you buy fruits and vegetables that are on the "Dirty Dozen Plus" list, you should buy organic produce when possible. In 2013, the list includes peaches. The total list is as follows:
* Apples
* Celery
* Cherry Tomatoes
* Cucumbers
* Grapes
* Hot Peppers
* Imported Nectarines
* Peaches
* Potatoes
* Spinach
* Sweet Bell Peppers
* Kale/Collard Greens +
* Summer Squash +

Making VERY Low Sugar Jam
For low sugar jam, I generally use 1 1/2 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of mashed fruit. To cut the sugar down even further in this recipe, I use only 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of stevia powder (or the equivalent of 1/2 cup of sugar). The resulting jam is only 13 calories per tablespoon! 

Please note, this recipe is for sugar plus stevia. Or, you can omit the stevia and use 1 or 1 1/2 cups of sugar. But do not omit the sugar as It is an entirely different process to make jam with only stevia. The technique for making sugar-free jam with stevia is mentioned in the directions that come with each box of Pomona's Universal Pectin. I also give detailed instructions and several example recipes for stevia-sweetened jam in my book.

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Very Low Sugar Organic Peach Jam
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes about 144 tablespoons or 9 cups]

For the calcium water:
1/2 teaspoon Pomona's calcium powder
1/2 cup water

For the jam:
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon gluten-free stevia powder (equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar), or to taste
2 tablespoons Pomona pectin powder
About 6 pounds of peaches
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons calcium water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime  juice

Make the calcium water by mixing the white calcium powder and the water in a small jar with a lid. Set aside.

Make the jam: Wash the jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and let them stand in hot water. 
Wash the lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and place in a pot of simmering water, simmering for at least 10 minutes. Remove as needed.

Fill a large canning pot with water and bring to a boil.

Mix the sugar, stevia and pectin powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

Sugar, stevia, and pectin powder.

Prepare the peaches. Score each peach with a little X.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Drop in the peaches, a few at a time, for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a colander. When cool enough to touch, remove the skin from the peaches. Place the skinned peaches on a cutting board.

Place peaches briefly in boiling water.

Remove skin.

Cut the peaches in half, remove pits, and then dice. Place diced peaches in a bowl and mash with a potato masher.

Mash peaches

Measure 8 cups of mashed peaches and put them in a pot with the lemon or lime juice. 
Shake the calcium water to combine and add 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons into the pot of mashed peaches and stir well. (Save the remaining calcium water in the refrigerator.)

Shake calcium water well. 

Bring the peach mixture to a boil. Add the pectin-sugar-stevia mixture to the pot and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the pectin mixture dissolves. Return to a boil and then turn off the heat.

Immediately fill each jar with jam to 1/4 inch from the top. Wipe the jar rims clean, screw on the 2-piece lids and submerge filled jars in the canning pot of boiling water to cover. 
Cover and boil for 10 minutes. If you are above sea level, add 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet above sea level.

Always use a jar lifter when placing jars in or removing jars from the canning pot full of boiling water.

Remove the jars from the water using a jar lifter and place upright on a rack or towel spaced several inches apart from each other. As they cool, the seals and lids will be sucked down. Let the popping begin!

You'll hear the lids pop as the jam cools.

Label with the contents and the date. Store in a cool pantry. Once opened, the jam lasts about 3 weeks. 

Per tablespoon: 13 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g omega-3 and 16 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 0.3 g dietary fiber and 0 g sodium.

Refreshingly Raw 20-Calorie Strawberry Popsicles - Gluten, Dairy And Sugar Free!

Delicious, raw vegan,strawberry popsicles - only 20 calories!

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Getting Ready for Summer Fun
My grandson is coming this summer to visit, as he does every summer. We have a folder called "10 days of fun" which we have been filling with ideas of things to do while he is here. He has recently taken an interest in cooking, so I thought one of the "fun" ideas would be to make popsicles. I will put this recipe in the folder but I'm hoping he will invent his own favorite concoction. 

My 10-year-old grandson, Xavier, loves to cook!

Ice Pop Maker
You don't need a mold but they are very inexpensive and make the process pretty fool proof. The results also a lot more professional looking.

 I bought a Norpro Ice Pop Maker for under $13 on Amazon and an extra bag of popsicle sticks for another few dollars. Some people just freeze the fruit mixture in a tall shot glass or ice cube tray and place a popsicle stick in it when it starts to freeze. But using a mold is a lot easier.

This frozen pop maker produces a nice looking popsicle! 

  
Here's a recipe, but like all recipes, it is just a suggestion.
Use any fruit or juice. Use your favorite sweetener or none at all. I love stevia because it's safe and calorie free. You can also blend fruit with non-diary milk or yogurt. The combinations are endless! 

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Sugar-Free Strawberry Popsicles
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 popsicles]

1 pint strawberries
4 packets stevia
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Wash strawberries, remove tops and thinly slice.
Place in a bowl and sprinkle with stevia. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Slice strawberries and add stevia.

Placed in a food processor with an S-blade. Add lemon juice and process until it reaches the consistency of tomato sauce.

Processs until almost smooth.

Pour into molds but leave about 1/4 inch at the top to allow for expansion. This recipe will make about 6 popsicles.  

Fill popsicle mold with strawberry mixture.

Place the lid over the filled molds and insert sticks.

Place lid and insert sticks.

Pop in the freezer unit frozen, about 4 or more hours, or overnight.

Place in the freezer.

To remove the frozen popsicles from the mold, briefly submerge the popsicle maker in a large, deep bowl - the depth of the popsicles. Leave in for 20 to 30 seconds, until the popsicles slide out.

Dip in a large, deep container filled with warm water.

You can eat them right away, although you might want to return them to the freezer for another hour, wrapped in wax paper, to harden up a little.

You can store these in the freezer, wrapped, for a few weeks.

Enjoy!

* Per popsicle: 20 calories, 0.2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 39 mg omega-3 and 54 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber and 1 mg sodium.

Hemp, Almond Butter and Raisin Cookies - A Healthy Vegan And Gluten Free Treat Packed With Omega-3 And Very Low In Sugar!

This EASY, HEALTHY and DELICIOUS cookie
makes a great afternoon snack!

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A Healthy Remake
My nephew made some delicious cookies this weekend from a popular recipe on the web that called for peanut butter, hemp seeds, sugar, chocolate chips and eggs. As I am always looking for ways to turn delicious recipes into delicious and healthy recipes, I created a remake that:
* Made it vegan by replacing the egg with a flax egg. (This also added omega-3 and made them cholesterol free).
* Reduced the sugar by 75% and added some stevia to make up for it.
* Replaced the chocolate chips with raisins.
* Replaced the peanut butter with almond butter for those followers with peanut allergies. (Peanut butter is fine to use too if that's not a problem.)

The result was not only irresistibly delicious but each cookie has 563 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and a very favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 3.5 to 1 (anything less than 4 to1 is good). These beneficial omega-3 fats come from the power seeds, hemp and flax. 

And they are very low in sugar with only 1 tablespoon used in the entire recipe! You can reduce the sugar in any recipe by adding some stevia to compensate. Even if you don't like stevia, if you leave a bit of sugar in the recipe, you will can get the sweetness you desire with much less sugar and without noticing the stevia. Personally I love stevia but some people don't care for it as much as I do.

Hemp seeds, almond butter and flax seeds

Cookie Sheets
I have an insulated cookie sheet that makes terrible cookies. Every time I try to use it, the cookies don't brown and never cook in the specified time. So if you are using one of these, you may have to extend the cooking time.

Nut Butter 
These cookies have a much better texture if you use crunchy almond or peanut butter.

Another tip for having success with this recipe is to stir up the nut butter to mix in the oils that are usually sitting on the top. The recipe is even better if you use a fresh jar because old almond and peanut butter can get hard and dry and won't make as good a cookie.

This recipe makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies. Feel free to double it for 3 dozen.

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Hemp, Almond Butter and Raisin Cookies
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 18 cookies]
Requires a Cookie Sheet and 1-Tablespoon Cookie Scoop (Optional)

1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoons room temperature water
1/2 cup shelled, raw hemp seeds
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
2 packets stevia powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup raisins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crunchy almond butter (or peanut butter)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Make a flax egg by combining the ground flax seeds and water in a small cup. Beat with a fork until the mixture becomes gooey. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, mix the hemp seeds, sugar, stevia and baking soda. 

Stir in the chopped raisins until they are separated and coated.

Coat chopped raisins with hemp mixture to prevent clumping

Add the nut butter and the flax egg and stir until well combined.

Mix in nut butter and flax egg

Using a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop, drop tablespoons of batter onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Flatten with the back of a fork.

Flatten with a fork

Bake in the preheated oven until they firm up and brown slightly, about 13 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Move them to a serving plate and let cool completely. Enjoy!

Per cookie: 75 calories, 6 g total fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 563 mg omega-3 and 1,979 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g dietary fiber and 49 mg sodium.

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding With Pecans - A Great Thanksgiving Dessert! And, It's Gluten Free!

Raw Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding with Pecans makes a healthy and delicious Thanksgiving Dessert!

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Chia Seeds
If you know me or follow this blog, you know that chia seed pudding is top on my family's list of favorite desserts. So I thought it would be fun to create one for Thanksgiving! Chia seeds are packed with ALA omega-3 fatty acids (7 grams per quarter cup) and they are also very high in dietary fiber (15 grams per quarter cup). If you love chia seed pudding, you will love the autumn flavors of pumpkin pie spice in this recipe!


Not Really Pumpkin!
Although this pudding looks and tastes like pumpkin pudding, it's actually made with a carrot! Carrots give this a more intense "orange" color and it's the pumpkin spices that really make you think you're eating a pumpkin dessert. Carrots are also more commonly found in your refrigerator so you can make this dessert anytime.

When making this dessert, shave the carrot until you get to the pithy center. Use the shavings and discard the center.

Cashews make it Creamier!
I have posted many chia seed pudding recipes. The easy ones involve mixing chia seeds with prepared non-dairy milk. For example, Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with Hemp Milk and Blueberries uses vanilla Living Harvest hemp milk (now called Tempt). Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding uses Earth Balance (or other) non-GMO chocolate soy milk. But for the creamiest chia pudding, like in my original Amazing Chia Pudding recipe, start with soaked cashews and dates. 


Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding with Pecans
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free


1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 to 6 hours and rinsed
3 Medjool dates, pits removed, cut in quarters, soaked in 2 cups water (reserve soaking water)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract *
2 packets stevia extract, or to taste *
1 large carrot, peeled
1/4 cup dried chia seeds
1/4 cup chopped, raw pecans
* For gluten free, make sure vanilla and stevia are gluten free


Place soaked cashews in a Vitamix or other high speed blender. Add soaked dates and the reserved soaking water, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla extract and stevia to the blender. 
Using a potato peeler, shave the outer part of the carrot into the blender until you get to the pithy center. Discard the center.
Blend until smooth and creamy.

You will need a very good blender, like a Vitamix, to make a smooth and creamy nut milk. The carrot gives the milk a nice, orange color.

Pour the cashew-carrot milk into a one quart container. 
Add the dried chia seeds to the milk and stir vigorously with a fork for at least a minute.
Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again until the chia seeds are well blended and no longer clump together.

Stir chia seeds into the cashew carrot milk until well blended.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 to 8 hours. I usually make this a day before I serve it. The longer it sits, the creamier it gets!
Serve in small bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans.


Per serving: 235.1 calories, 14 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 1.8 g omega-3 and 3.1 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.0 g protein, 25.9 g carbohydrates, 7.2 g dietary fiber and 16.3 g sodium.

Raw Vegan Watermelon Italian Ice -Fat Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free And Delicious!

Rich in lycopene, vitamins A and C, yet each serving is less than 50 calories!

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Italian Ice
I remember Italian ices when I was a kid. They were these thin little white paper cups filled with sweet, slushy fruit flavored ice. I'd finish the ice and squeeze the paper cup until every drop was gone. Most Italian ice recipes are full of sugar but a sweet watermelon makes a wonderful frozen dessert with just a little stevia and a touch of lemon zest. And you don't have to tell the kids that they are only 35 calories each!


Watermelon Benefits
You've probably read about how tomatoes are a rich source of the carotenoid, lycopene. This plant chemical is known for its antioxidant and cancer protective properties. Well, watermelon is also a very good source of lycopene! It's also a great source of vitamins C and A.

Simple ingredients for Italian ice:  Watermelon, grated lemon peel and a touch of stevia (not shown).

Watermelon Italian Ice
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]


6 cups diced seedless watermelon
2 packets stevia (or to taste)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel


Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.
Serve immediately.


If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze mixture in a shallow pan, place pan in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes until slushy.
Another technique you can try is to freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray. Place the frozen watermelon ice cubes back into the food processor and pulse until it's slushy being careful not to over process. Serve immediately.


Per serving: 34.6 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g protein, 8.3 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g dietary fiber and 1.1 mg sodium.

Vegan Recipe For Spicy, Sugar-Free, Three Bean Salad Made With Stevia And Dragon's Tongue Beans

Enjoy this spicy three bean salad without all the sugar!

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Beans Rock!
What is there not to like about beans? OK, there's that. But nutritionally, they rock. They are a great source of protein (without the saturated fat and cholesterol) and very high in fiber. Plus, they are inexpensive! 
Because of their fiber, they make you feel full so they can really help control your appetite. Their fiber also helps lower cholesterol and stabilizes your blood sugar. All around, they are great for your diet. And about that gas issue, draining and rinsing the canned beans will help. 


Dragon Tongue Beans
It's fun to have a vegetable garden. You get to plant unusual veggies that you don't normally find in the grocery store. This year I planted Dragon Tongue bush beans. They grew quickly and they are really beautiful. I'm using them in today's recipe but of course, you can use any fresh green bean. 

Dragon Tongue Beans

Three Bean Salad
I love three bean salad. It's so colorful and I enjoy the contrast of the sugar and vinegar. But who needs all that sugar? So I thought I'd try making it with stevia. To provide even more contrast, I threw in a fresh jalapeno to spice it up!
I get feedback occasionally from some of you who don't like stevia. For me, it's the only calorie and fructose free sweetener that I feel is safe. If you use it sparingly, it doesn't give you the bitter after taste that some complain about. For example, A typical three bean salad recipe calls for 1/3 cup of sugar or more. It only took 1/2 teaspoon of Sweetleaf stevia extract (which is equivalent to only 4 teaspoons of sugar) to give me the sweetness I liked in this recipe. If I had dumped in the equivalent of 1/3 cup of sugar before tasting it, I would have been very disappointed. So go very lightly with stevia and you will find that it's a very good sugar substitute.

Dragon tongue beans before and after steaming. Unfortunately, they lose their unusual markings but thankfully, not their wonderful flavor!

Not all Jalapenos are Created Equal!
If you decide to spice up this recipe with a jalapeno, please remember that not all jalapenos have the same amount of heat. Yesterday, I made this recipe with a huge pepper and I removed the seeds. It wasn't very spicy at all. Other times, I have just added a few slices and it burned my mouth off! So be careful and try to gauge the heat of your jalapeno. Generally the smaller the pepper, the hotter it can be. And adding the seeds, of course, adds significantly to the heat too.

The "heat" of jalapenos can vary widely!

Sugar Free Three Bean Salad
Vegan, Gluten Free
Makes 6 - 8 servings
1/2 cup raw, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sweetleaf powdered stevia (equivalent to 4 teaspoons sugar)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
3/4 cups red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely minced (with or without seeds depending on heat desired - also optional)
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, stevia, salt and pepper. 

Stir in the red onion. Set aside for 15 minutes to partially marinate the onion.

Steam the green beans until fork tender - don't overcook. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Add jalapeno, green beans, kidney beans and garbanzo beans to the bowl and gently mix with the vinegar dressing.

Refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend together. You can even make it the night before.

Per serving (6): 224.6 calories, 10.6 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.2 g protein, 28.5 g carbohydrates and 8.0 g dietary fiber. 

Per serving (8): 168.4 calories, 7.9 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.4 g protein, 21.3 g carbohydrates and 6.0 g dietary fiber.

These nutrient calculations include all of the dressing. As you know, some of it stays on the bottom of the bowl, especially if you serve it with a slotted spoon. So you are probably consuming less calories than stated here.

The Mother Of All Smoothies! Healthy And Delicious, High In Fiber And Omega 3. Also, How To Freeze Seasonal Fruit!

Fruits, veggies plus healthy additions make this the Mother of All Smoothies.
Contains almost half the daily requirement of dietary fiber and over 3 grams of ALA omega 3 fatty acid!

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Chemistry in the Kitchen
My morning smoothies are like a chemistry experiment. Every day, for the last week, I've been drinking and perfecting this recipe. It has a number of the healthful ingredients I've used in previously posted smoothie recipes.
I always start with some dark green veggies like kale, spinach or chard. Lately I've been adding other vegetables like cucumbers or celery. 
To make the smoothes sweet and delicious, I add a small banana and some big juicy figs that I still have in the freezer from my neighbor's last years crop. ( I also drop in a packet of stevia for added sweetness). To get lots of vitamin C and some "detoxing" pectin, I throw in an orange from my tree, skin and all! Sometimes, instead, I use an apple or pear, depending on availability.
And, of course, I always keep a huge bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer so I add a cup of them for their high antioxidant properties. Sometimes I throw in the tops of strawberries that I keep in the freezer too.
To make this the "Mother of all Smoothies", I add some healthy additions:
* Brazil nuts for their enormous selenium content. Selenium is a mineral with high antioxidant properties.
* Unfiltered Flaxseed oil for its ALA omega 3 fatty acid content.
* Vitamineral Green - my absolute favorite green "superfood"  by Healthforce Nutritionals.
* Matcha powdered green tea, known for its many health benefits.

This brand of UNFILTERED FLAX OIL provides 6.2 g ALA omega 3, plus 10 - 14 mg SDG lignans.
Lignans contain phytoestrogen substances which are associated with lowered breast cancer risk, heart health,  improved immune function and many other health benefits.
I noticed this product is manufactured in the same plant as wheat products so I don't think it is guaranteed gluten free.

VITAMINERAL GREEN contains a large collection of green foods like wheat grass, broccoli and kale juice, nettle leaf and many others.
From the waters are spirulina and chlorella.
 From the oceans are sea vegetables like kelp, dulse, laver, bladderwrack and more.
Each heaping tablespoon contains necessary digestive enzymes and probiotics.
If you experience beneficial cleansing reactions, start out with a lesser amount.
Latest formulation is vegan and gluten free.

Green tea is my favorite beverage. I enjoy hot Sencha tea and I use a powdered "Matcha" in smoothies.
MATCHA POWDERED GREEN TEA contains the potent cancer fighting catechin antioxidant, EGCg.
It has an ORAC rating of 1300 units/g (higher than blueberries and chocolate).
Its high chlorophyll content removes metals and chemical toxins from the body.
It contains L-theanine, a mood enhancing amino acid.

STEVIA is a plant native to South America.
This natural sweetener has been used by the Indigo people for hundreds of years.
It's been used as a sweetener in Japan and Brazil for 3 decades.
It was only approved by the FDA as a food additive in 2008.
It's a good, natural sweetener for diabetics and others wanting to avoid sugar.

Freezing and Preserving Seasonal Fruits
In the summer, you may end up with lots of beautiful fresh fruit. You may have fruit trees or a generous neighbor with fruit trees. Or, you may find wonderful deals at your local farmers market. In any event, you will have to figure out what to do with it all! 
You may want to use some to make Low sugar jam but if you want to enjoy raw smoothies throughout the year, your best bet is to freeze it.
Just throwing fruit in a freezer bag doesn't work very well. In a matter of weeks you'll have freezer burn and the fruit may turn a different, unappealing color. To successfully freeze fruit you'll need a heavy plastic bag and a vacuum sealing machine. 
There are a number of products available. Since we bought ours a while back, I don't really know which is currently the best on the market. I can only say it was one of the best purchases we ever made. 
The trick to successfully freezing fruit is this:
1. Clean fruit and dry it.
2. Halve or quarter figs or slice peaches or apricots but make the slices big enough so that they can stand up on a cookie sheet.
3. Place fruit skin side down on a small cookie sheet that fits in your freezer.
4. Freeze the fruit until it is hard.
5. Place frozen fruit in the plastic bag that comes with the vacuum sealing machine keeping the fruit pieces in a single layer.
6. Seal the bag with the machine making sure the fruit remains in a single layer. 
7. Place in freezer.

A FoodSaver vacuum sealing machine that we bought years ago.

You can buy individual freezer bags or a continuous roll that allows you to adjust the size.

We froze these figs 9 months ago and they were still fresh and delicious in this morning's smoothie!
Notice how we kept figs in a single layer. That makes it easier to break off the frozen pieces as needed.

The Mother of all Smoothies
Vegan or Raw Vegan options
[makes 4 cups or 2 breakfast servings]
1 1/2 cups cold organic vanilla soy milk*
2 Brazil nuts
1 cup organic kale, stems removed, chopped
1 cup organic celery, chopped (or organic cucumber with skin)
1 small banana
2 medium figs, cut in half
1 small organic orange, seeds removed, with skin
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon unfiltered, organic, high lignan flaxseed oil
1 heaping tablespoon Vitamineral Green **
1 teaspoon Japanese powdered Matcha green tea
1 packet stevia natural sweetener


* For a completely raw smoothie, replace soymilk with 1 1/2 cups cold water, 12 soaked, raw almonds and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
** Cut down the amount to start with to avoid a possible cleansing reaction.


Add all ingredients to a Vitamix or high speed blender.
Process until smooth and serve immediately.


Per serving (with soy milk): 384 calories, 12.4 g fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 3.2 g ALA omega 3 and 2.2 g omega 6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 11.2 g protein, 59.5 g carbohydrates and 10.9 g dietary fiber.


Per serving (with raw almonds, water and vanilla): 345 calories, 12.9 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 3.2 g ALA omega 3 and 3.9 g omega 6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 8.2 g protein, 54.3 g carbohydrates and 11.6 g dietary fiber.