Pomegranate, orange and aloe vera cocktail recipe

Put a parasol in it!

So, did you ever wonder what the difference is between juice and a juice cocktail? In other words, we always thought a juice cocktail just had an extra fancy word slapped on. Therefore, we decide to investigate. Very important when it comes to your food, and also when it comes to cooking. For example, we find that understanding what makes a dish what it is helps us be a more creative cook whilst keeping the essence of the dish - or a drink - intact. But we digress! Our research turned up that a juice is almost completely fruit juice. On the other hand, a juice cocktail has fruit juices as well as other ingredients. In the United States, drinks marketed as juice cocktails usually had high-fructose corn syrup in them. However, the juice cocktail is now being reinvented. Not least - ahem! - by us. We are not huge fans of high-fructose corn syrup. But we are rather fond of coconut nectar and of Erbology Organic Aloe Vera Shots. Words are important, and a cocktail really does feel much more celebratory than a juice, no matter how much we love juices. So go on, put a parasol in it!   

What's in it

Oranges and pomegranates are alkaline foods. These are thought to help balance the acidity in your body and to keep you operating at optimum levels. Of course, citrus fruits are also wonderful sources of vitamin C, which boost the all-important immune system.

Juice it up

Home juicers are becoming more popular these days. However, a blender and a strainer to retain pulp works well too. Juicing at home, like cooking at home, means that you can get it just the way that you like it. We love our fruit juice 'with bits' aka pulp, but do realise that many people like theirs smoother. The coconut nectar in this recipe brings a cool sweetness which may be more to some people's tastes than to others. Try adding a bit at a time and tasting until you find the balance that most appeals to you. Another particularly juicy (sorry, we can't resist a bad pun...) tip is to select fruit that seem heavy relative to their size. They will contain more juice!

The benefits of aloe vera

Erbology extracts aloe vera from the inner leaf of the plant, rich in acemannan polysaccharides. This is the component that differentiates aloe vera from other species of the aloe plant. A polysaccharide is a large molecule composed of simple sugars called monosaccharides. Most of the health benefits associated with aloe vera can be attributed to acemannan polysaccharides. Aloe vera is beneficial to the immune and digestive systems.(1) Research supports the healing properties of aloe vera when applied to wounds. Anyone who has applied raw aloe to a sunburn or observed its use by numerous folk healers will not be surprised.