Blenders have been part of every family’s life, making delicious thirst-quenching drinks and healthy fruit shakes – it just never goes out of style. But sometimes, we forget that blenders have other functionalities besides making your favorite drinks; you can also create meals and other desserts! Lately, people have started creating healthy meals using their trusty blender, and the creativity of some is just amazing to see. Blender is an excellent alternative; instead of just regularly chopping your vegetables then cooking them afterward.
Tips for Making Meals in a Blender
Before you can start making your meals using your blender, you must consider few things to avoid unnecessary conflicts. First, of, the blender type; not all blenders are used for everything. Some blenders are efficient and effective with other ingredients, while some are not.
- Basic Blender: This is your to-go blender; though it might be cheap, it can still get the job done with some minor changes to your recipe.
- Bullet Blenders: With their small compact design, people also call them “single-serving” blenders as well. They commonly use this blender for smoothies and sauces, but a no-go for hot liquids.
- Immersion Blender: This one-of-kind blender is somehow the complete opposite amongst them all. Instead of placing the ingredients on the blender, you’ll be just putting this handheld blade in a pot or bowl to blend the ingredients thoroughly.
- High Powered Blender: This might be the best choice among the rest due to the efficiency and effectiveness it possesses. It can virtually pulverize anything from hard nuts and even rocks. Restaurants also prefer these blenders since they are working in a fast-paced environment, and having a dull blender wouldn’t just cut it. Though this might be a good choice, remember that great power comes with great prices, so consider your budget before getting this type of blender.
Blending Properly
Everyone who has a blender would wish to have a high-powered blender due to its effectiveness; it won’t take much effort before those hard chunks turn to dust. But what if you don’t have a high-powered blender? Would you still be able to blend smoothies properly? Of course, you just need to follow some steps to make it efficient.
- Chop evenly: If you’re planning to blend large fruits like bananas or apples, it’s best if you chop them into smaller portions and hardening them. Doing these steps beforehand will help you mix them correctly, plus preventing any damages that your blender can incur.
- Ounces of Liquid: If you’re using a basic blender, it’s recommendable to add small amounts of liquid to help the blender to keep spinning. Fluids will help the blender and make your recipe much better as well; it makes smoothies thicker and richer.
- Leafy first: Herbs and other green leafy vegetables are great add-ons to any smoothie drink. But if you’re planning to use them, make sure to blend them first before anything else. Make sure that there are no huge chunks of leaves left before adding the main ingredients.
- No to steam: When blending warm or hot liquids, never completely close the blender’s lid. Always allow the steam to escape as it can cause a build-up that can eventually lead to damages.
- Bullet blender precaution: We’ve already mentioned this, but please, don’t try blending hot liquids or soups with bullet-style blenders. Due to the airtight capabilities, blending hot liquids could cause pressure build-up, leading to an explosion.
- Blending accessories: Having the right blender is just part of the process. Remember that having the right tools for the job is necessary, for example, using a rubber spatula instead of a regular spoon. Using a rubber spatula is much more efficient, especially if you’re scooping in thick smoothies.
Proper Cleaning
You might consider this as a last part of the process, well, technically, yes, but you must remember that blending is somehow a never-ending cycle. You must make sure that your blender is thoroughly cleaned and washed since some ingredients could be strong enough that it could leave a scent in the blender, thus mixing with your future meals or smoothies. Check if the parts are dishwasher safe; if not, pour some warm water while washing them with dishwashing soap.
Blending to Hearts Content
Once you’ve learned the basics of proper blending, you might want to check recipes online to get ideas of what you can blend. Creativity is the key, but you might want to check if you’ll like those kinds of meals or smoothies.