My husband’s got a bad habit. And I’m not just talking about the dirty clothes piled up on the floor right next to the hamper.
He’s an orange juice drinker. He did great the first 6 months of our eat local pledge but then when his birthday rolled around I bought him a half gallon of orange juice and a bag of tortilla chips since I knew he was missing those. And then once he drank orange juice again he wanted to keep drinking it so he was buying it occasionally.
We had the conversation about how it was a gateway juice that could lead to more serious digressions and he really should just say no. But try as he might he just couldn’t shake his orange juice cravings. And seeing as there currently exists no twelve step program or clinic where one can go and be cured of this addiction the habit has continued.
I’ve taken some measure like making grape juice last summer from foraged local grapes. I’ve bought rockin’ Rockridge Orchards apple cider on many occasions for a bait and switch. I’ve even tried to get him hooked on CommuniTea kombucha which was almost working until he drank the bottle dregs one day and swallowed some scoby. I’ve even planted seaberries and a Yuzu tree in the hopes that I’ll be able to make seaberry or yuzu juice that will stop this non-local, non-seasonal addiction.
I finally broke down and bought a cheap electric juicer at Target and a case of organic oranges. I told him if he wanted orange juice that he would be juicing it himself because I was not about to give any money to a company owned by Coca Cola, no matter how nostalgic that company might have been for me (from the days before they were bought by said large evil corporation.)
He grumbled and mumbled but he’s been juicing the oranges.
Then today I saw a story in my google reader which I forwarded to him immediately. And boy does it make me feel good about my decision to make him juice his own.
Did you know that orange juice flavor comes not from the orange juice itself but from the “flavor pack” and it has since the ’60′s?
Without that flavor pack you would actually be able to taste the poor quality and oxidizing, flat flavor in that orange juice. It makes perfect sense that something that starts oxidizing the minute you juice it would not be so tasty weeks later when you buy it at the grocery store. That’s not the oranges you are tasting, it’s “orange essence,” designed by a specialty company just like your perfume. Flavor packs are then sold back to orange juice manufacturers to create the flavor profile they desire.
You can read more about it here. Just maybe there will be a run on electric juicers now…
My husband has the same addiction. For the longest time he insisted that morning oj was a healthy habit. We were on WIC for a while and got all this free juice but I didn’t want to feed it to the kids as it was pasteurized etc. and it just made sense to feed them real fruit instead. Recently we saw some documentary on orange juice and they exposed it for what it really was – sorry, I can’t remember what we saw exactly. I was like aha! I knew it! OJ consumption has slowed to an almost halt around here. My kids like carrot juice better as they actually get to help make it, and that feels good and is way healthier, and for most the year, local. Success!
While I’m at it, I made your soaked whole wheat sandwich bread with fresh ground wheat berries and it actually turned out great. I have to say I’ve been a skeptic when it comes to 100% whole wheat bread. My kids like it as it is soft. I even made cinnamon rolls with a third of the dough and they were very soft and tasty. This coming from a baker that usually makes Brioche type cinnamon rolls. I also made your cracker recipe but didn’t have the right oil so I used butter instead and they were great as well. Thanks for the great recipes and all the inspiration! Emily
My husband has the same love of orange juice. But, he also tends to drink it in spurts, which meant we were also never finishing a carton or pitcher before it went bad. So…not only non-local and non-organic, but wasteful too! Yikes!
I’ve had some success substituting strongly flavored iced herbal teas. It seems to give him the cold drink, strong flavor hit that he’s looking for.
My daughter and hubby have the same addiction. I’ve been doing my best to buy organic, but need to get them onto something else. I think it’s time to go get more cider from the farm down the street.
Well, hopefully that article will do the trick. I’d like to know what’s in that “flavor pack.”
Emily,
Annette’s soaked 100% whole wheat bread recipe is marvelous, isn’t it?
The whole world should make that bread.
Hey, maybe he’s addicted to the Fla-Vo-Pak, but maybe he needs more vitamin C.
An idea: If sumac is native to your area, you can look forward to trying “sumac-ade” later in the year. The berries are full of vitamin C. Harvest entire bunches of deep red stag’s head sumac berries in late summer to fall, and “steep” one bunch in a pitcher of cool water to yield a yummy drink reminiscent of pulp-free lemonade. It’s kinda fruity, kinda sour, very refreshing. Mix in a bit of sweetener if you like. It’s not thick like OJ, but really good.
Emily – that is great they like carrot juice! I wish you could remember what it was about the OJ too. More fuel for the fire. And I’m so glad you guys like the bread and crackers. I never thought whole wheat bread could be so soft and tender either but the overnight soak really changes everything. The pancakes are amazing soaked overnight as well!
ESP – I’ve recently started making chai lattes which I keep in a pitcher so it’s easy to grab. It keeps me from making a second cup of coffee later in the day or looking for something sweet to eat. It’s a good idea to try it for breakfast too!
The Mom – cider is great! If I have that around he does drink it. I’m hoping easy to grab cider vs hard to squeeze oranges will help shape some behaviour around here.
Auburn, you are so sweet. I would LOVE to know what they do to make it too. Proprietary secret though. And I don’t pay money for people with propietary secrets. There should be nothing secretive about what you put in your body.
SGFB I wish I had local sumac trees. They may grow somewhere around here but the only time I’ve ever tasted sumac was at the herb farm and I think it was in ice cream. I’m hoping the seaberry bushes do the same thing. They have something like 6 times the vit C of oranges but I understand they are very sour and would need honey. So next step…bees. ;p
I laughed out loud when you wrote that your husband choked on the scoby! Ha! So funny (and understandable). Yes, I am also married to an OJ addict. He asks me if we can buy it, and I think tries to go shopping with me so he can sneak it in the cart.
Julia, I had a hard time not laughing when he told me about it myself. ;p
I’m off to read the article. I’m curious if this also holds true for mass-produced organic juice… Love your project. I’m trying baby steps, but am thinking about upping the ante now.
I donated three juicers last summer…. darn. I had tried several types but always found they made more of a mess with the drippings and pulp than the juice they produced. What style/type of juicer are you using?
Renae, I’m not sure that it is. I had always wondered why minute maid always tastes the same when Odwalla varies quite a bit in taste.
Jessie Momma, nuts. I just got a cheap one from Target but it works fine. Maybe before getting another one research and see how easy it is for you to get cases of citrus that work well for juicing. I can sometimes get them through Azure but if I get a case at the store they are always rock hard. Not being able to get them frequently through Azure is helping curb that habit though…
Yes, I read about this in a book a couple of months ago. Also, if a rodent runs into the machine (and they frequently do) they get juiced as well. We hand juice ours, when we have OJ. It is SO much tastier that way.
Suzanne, the image of that alone would have been enough to convince me.
Annette, sumac trees grow wild all over the place around Seattle. Do you mean you wish you had some in your yard? They’re pretty (brilliant fall leaves), grow like weeds, and would look great in a neglected corner of your yard.
Say WHAT? When are the sumac berries ripe? I may need an expedition guide. I’ve not a clue what to look for. Are you game for sumac hunting Joshua? Those wascally sumacs.
Make sure you get the right sumac, folks!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhus_typhina
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