Making Fresh Fruit Juice In Jamaica

By Author: Andy Mullins
Total Articles: 8
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There are many varieties of fruits grown in the Caribbean. The tropical island of Jamaica is no exception. There are many types of fruits widely available in Jamaica. The fruits are not only eaten, but they are also used in salads, fruit bowls and for making drinks. Swapping fruits is also popular among neighbors in Jamaica. For instance, if one person has a mango tree and it bears extra fruit (too much for his family and household) he will usually give some of the fruit to his neighbors. And, if one of those neighbors has another type of fruit tree growing in his yard and he also has extra fruit, instead of letting it spoil, he will give some of the fruit to his neighbors. Fruits can also be purchased locally in Jamaican supermarkets and markets. Here are some of the typical fruit juices that people make at home (from scratch) in Jamaica.

Mango Juice

Mangoes make a delicious drink. To prepare the drink, first wash the mango then peel it. Slice the mango into small pieces, avoiding the large seed in the middle. Throw away the seed. Place the pieces of mango into a blender. Add milk or water. Sweeten ...
... with sugar if necessary. Strain the mango juice if you want a smooth textured drink. Add ice. Serve chilled. Put the rest in the refrigerator.

Papaya Juice

Jamaican papayas are different than the papayas you find in some of the other countries (America, for example). Papayas are also delicious but the taste takes a little getting used to, in my opinion. To make a drink from the papaya you first wash the papaya, peel it then slice it in half. Use a spoon to remove the hundreds (maybe thousands) of little round black seeds. Throw away the seeds. The selected papaya should be ripe and soft. Slice the papaya further into smaller pieces. Put the sliced papaya into a blender. Add milk or water. Add sugar and/or condensed milk to sweeten if desired. Blend for a few minutes. Strain if desired. Add ice. Serve cold. Refrigerate the unused portions of juice.

Sweet Sop Juice

Sweet Sop drink is very tasty. However it takes some time to prepare and it is difficult to get Sweet Sop to buy if you live in a North American country; for reasons unknown. As mentioned previously, Sweet Sop drink is more difficult to prepare because you cannot peel off the skin of the Sweet Sop so you will have to cut or break open the fruit and scoop out as much of the sap as possible with a spoon. Furthermore, there are dozens of black seeds within the fruit and each one is encased within the sap of the Sweet Sop. You will need to separate each seed individually from the sap and try not to throw away any of the sap. Once this is done, you can place the sap in a blender, add water or milk. You can sweeten with condensed milk or sugar. Blend until satisfied. Strain if necessary. Add ice. Serve cold. You should refrigerate the left over portions of juice.

Sour Sop Juice

Another delicious drink is made from the Sour Sop fruit. Sour Sop is actually not entirely sour as its name suggests. Sour Sop is a popular drink which is also widely known among the Hispanic community (where it is known as Guanabana). To make Sour Sop drink, first you wash the fruit, cut it and then you remove the seeds. Peel the remaining skin. Cut the Sour Sop into sections then place them into a blender. Add milk or water. Sweeten with sugar or condensed milk. Blend for a few moments. Strain the juice. Add ice. Put the unused portion in the refrigerator.

The above are a few of the many freshly made juices you'll find in Jamaica. The recipes above for making each drink will vary from person to person. Of course you can make more elaborate tasting drinks by adding additional ingredients or by varying the recipe. Happy experimenting.