Cucumber Orange Juice

Whenever I find something that passes my son's taste test and that I enjoy as well, I am posting because it will become a staple in our home.

I was able to get about 15 pounds of overgrown cucumbers from a local organic farmer and while they taste great, they are very seedy and the skins are pretty tough.  I decided to juice them, and so far my sons and my favorite combo juice is a simple cucumber orange.

Cucumber Orange Juice

2 cups Cucumber, washed, cut into chunks that will fit in the juicer (I use a Champion)  Use organic cucumbers so that you can juice the peel as well.

2 cups Oranges, washed, peeled, cut into quarters and peeled.  You can juice the peel and pith, but it will be a little bitter.  I used Valencia Oranges - a really good juicing orange, but any orange will work.

Run all the fruit through the juicer, stir, strain and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.  This tastes best very cold but my son and I enjoyed it straight from the juicer as well.

Fun info about cucumbers and oranges

Cucumbers are beneficial for both skin and hair.  The cucumber is high in silica - a mineral which strengthens connective tissue.   The cucumber is best natural diuretic known,  secreting and promoting the flow of urine.  The potassium content of cucumber makes it highly useful for conditions of high and low blood pressure.  Cucumber contains erepsin,  the enzyme that helps to digest protein.  

Consumption of large quantities of oranges will decrease the outpouring of mucus secretions from the nose.   Oranges are very well known for thier high Vitamin C content, but also contains the following nutrients

Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm. of raw orange juice (acc. to nutritiondata.com - please not these are values for RAW OJ - once pasteurized, the vitamin and mineral content is significantly diminished)

• Vitamin A - 496IU - 10% USRDA 
• Vitamin C - 124mg - 207% 
• Thiamin - 0.2mg - 15%
• Riboflavin - 0.1mg - 4%, 
• Niacin - 1.0mg - 5%
• Vitamin B6 - 0.1mg - 5%
• Folate - 74.4 - mcg19%
• Calcium - 27.3mg - 3%,
• Iron - 0.5mg - 3%
• Magnesium - 27.3mg - 7%
• Phosphorus - 42.2mg - 4%
• Potassium - 496mg - 14%
• Copper - 0.1mg - 5%,