As you probably know, adding raw fruits to your drink is a great way to boost its flavor and health benefits. But what if I told you that you can make even more powerful drinks by combining different fruits in interesting ways?
That’s exactly what we are going to do today! So get ready for some fun experimentation with our jungle juice recipe!
Here’s an important tip before starting: unless it says so, don’t add salt to any fruit-containing beverages (juices or water extracts) until after mixing because the salt will likely dissolve into the liquid and then cannot be tasted.
So let’s dive right in!
General tips
The first thing you should know about making most juices and cocktails is how to measure liquids. The easiest way to do this is using a glass measuring cup. You can buy these special at home stores or online shopping sites like Amazon.
But if you would rather just not spend much money, you can also use plain glasses with plastic lids as substitutes. Just make sure they aren’t made of thin material though, otherwise they may break easily when mixed with other ingredients!
Another option is buying a digital scale which has liquid volume measurements.
Know how to chop vegetables correctly
Chopping veggies can be tricky, especially for novice veggie eaters! Most recipes call for carrots, cucumbers, green peppers, tomatoes, or whatever other vegetable you have at hand when they mention “salt and pepper” as ingredients.
But what kind of salt and pepper are they talking about?
I would like to give you some tips on how to prepare your own jungle juice here so that you do not feel overwhelmed.
Know how to properly blend ingredients
When mixing drinks, or as they are called in the bartending world, recipes, there is an order that you must follow when adding each liquid ingredient into your drink. This is important to know so that you do not waste good alcohol or mix wrong ratios!
When using fresh fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, limes, cucumbers, strawberries, etc., always wash them first and then dry them off before incorporating them into the recipe. This removes any moisture that may prevent the flavor from seeping out fully while being mixed in with the other liquids.
Never put more than two of the same type of fruit together in the blender or cup measure unless it has been pre-washed. More than two pieces of one kind of acid can result in chemical reactions causing bubbles and burn marks on the glassware you use. Also, make sure to check your proportions after everything is combined and see if your drink tastes less than what it should. It could be because you ran out of something necessary for taste.
Know the difference between alcohol and sugar
When it comes to making your own jungle juice, one of the first things you should know is the difference between alcohol and sugar. Alcohol can be categorized as either clear or alcoholic, with most beverages having an abundance of white alcohol.
But what people tend to forget about alcohol is that it contains some glucose (sugar) in the form of ethylenglycol, which makes it slightly more powerful than plain liquid sugar.
Alcohol also has ketones in it, which contribute to its intoxicating effects. Ketones are actually very important for human health, but too much can cause issues such as acidosis.
Know your guests’ drinking preferences
As mentioned earlier, knowing someone’s alcohol tolerance is an important part of being prepared as a party planner.
For example, if you know that one person likes white wine very much and another person does not like it at all, then having both types available can help to keep people happy!
And while some people prefer beer or liquor over plain water, there are ways to include this element into the drinks for the guests who ask for them.
Making their drink with just liquids is the easiest way to do this, but adding solid ingredients such as berries or cucumbers can also be done in a fun way that adds flavor.
What is jungle juice?
Drinking berry-based juices is a popular new health trend called jungle juice. They say eating lots of fruits and vegetables helps improve skin tone and prevent sun damage. For more information, see our article: Best Berry Juices for Health.
Serve at the right temperature
As with any new recipes, it is important to test your drink before you give up on it!
The first rule of making our jungle juice recipe is that you must serve it at the correct temperature.
Too hot or cold will ruin the taste and/or texture of the beverage! Because this drink contains pineapple, it will become slightly syrupy when warm so keep that in mind as you prepare it.
Also, remember that tropical fruits such as pineapples contain lots of water so unless you want to waste money buying extra glassware, let the drink cool down naturally.
Take time to taste and adjust
As with any new drink, your first instinct will be to pour all of it into things as quickly as possible! While this is a good start, you should take some time to really enjoy each part of the drink before adding the next one.
If you are having trouble determining how much of each ingredient to use, do not worry! This can easily be done in a digital setting such as our general recipe recommendations here at SparkPeople. You can also search for recipes online or visit your local grocery store to find tips there!
Taste your drinks slowly so that you can appreciate them more. Also, remember that if you like stronger flavors, then less of those ingredients may be needed to make enough juice to satisfy your thirst!
Drinking alcohol can have an effect on someone’s body, even if they are drinking just a little bit. Different people metabolize alcohol differently, which means what works for one person might not work for another. Because of this, everyone’s tolerance for alcohol is different.
Serve in small doses
As with any new drink, taste it first to determine if you like it! If you do not, try serving it later or having it diluted with water or milk.
Many people begin adding jungle juice as an after-party drink, which is why there are so many variations. This can be tricky because although it may taste good at one strength, it may not taste quite right when mixed with other beverages.
Jungle juice has a lot of acid content, which makes it very strong. Because this liquid is meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly, it may cause stomach discomfort for some users.
If these symptoms occur, stop drinking the mixture immediately and switch to plain water or another type of beverage. Also, make sure your mouth is well hydrated – chew gum or suck on some sugar free drinks. These will help keep your teeth and gums healthy due to the decrease in acidic saliva.
Know how to properly store your ingredients
When you are making jungle juice, there is some liquid needed in the recipe! Therefore, it is important to remember where these liquids go after they have been used.
Most recipes call for using either water or alcohol as a solvent to mix with the other juices. These liquids can be recycled or re-used later. However, before mixing them back into new drinks, these liquids must first be stored correctly!
Alcohol should be completely evaporated off of the drink mixture. If not, then toxic residues will remain that could potentially harm people drinking the beverage later.
Water also needs to be discarded responsibly. Because jungles contain many minerals, adding extra water may actually improve the healthiness of the drink! Simply pour away all of the fluid to keep this fact secret known only to bar professionals.
Your final option is to recycle the liquids by boiling them down and redistilling them.
