My Basic Fruit Shake

The best thing about fruit shakes is how easy they are to make.  All you really want in a fruit shake is the icy and refreshing liquid taste of fruit.  To do that all you need is: fruit, ice, coconut water and a simple sugar syrup.
The first thing you will need if you want to make good fruit shakes is some simple syrup.  This is just equal parts sugar and water boiled together and cooled.

NOTE: This syrup will last forever in the fridge, and can be very useful in other recipes.

Basic fruit shake recipe

1 to 2 cups ripe fruit
1-3 or more TBSP of simple syrup
½ to 1 cup of ice
12 oz coconut water (DO NOT USE COCONUT MILK)

NOTE:  The amount of sugar needed will vary with the acidity of the fruit.  A sweet fruit like a banana or strawberry will need very little sugar, but a lime or lemon shake will need more.  Just add a bit to start and go from there…

Dump all the ingredients in a blender and give it about 30 seconds and you are done.

Some great fruits for shakes are:

Pineapple – about a banana sized chunk
Papaya – the same
Watermelon – same
Banana…that’s right, a banana sized piece of banana
Mango (mmm, really good) – same amount
Berries, a good handful
Apple (add a bit of milk as well)
Orange (fill the glass about half full of freshly squeezed juice)
Lime (the juice from one big lime, or two small)

You can also try mixing fruits together and creating unique mixed fruit shakes.
Enjoy these as you take in the lazy days of summer.

On the subject of kitchen gadgets, one of my favorites is the mango slicer.  Once you try one, you will be a user too.  Using a mango slicer is a very simple process.  Place the mango on a cutting board.

Hold the mango in place with one hand, stem side down, and center the mango slicer on the body of the mango.  Now that the mango slicer is in position, place both hands on the handles and press down.  The slicer will cut through the mango, splitting it into two portions.  At the same time, the mango slicer separates the pit from the two portions.

Now, with a paring knife, slice the mango into cubes without cutting through the skin!  The size of the cubes doesn’t matter.  The key is not breaking the skin.  Using your thumbs, press the mango inside out.

You can now break off little pieces with your fingers, the knife or, better yet, a grapefruit spoon.

With that said, my favorite fruit shake is indeed a mango shake. So simple, sweet, refreshing…