How to keep a green smoothie from getting 'frothy'?
I've been making a lot of green smoothies (using a Vitamix), and they have a tendency to end up with about 2 inches of undrinkable froth/foam at the top. It seems a higher percentage of veggies vs fruit makes it worse, and spinach is particularly bad.
2 questions:
What causes this? (my wife suspects it has to do with the fiber not breaking down -- which seems plausible, but it's just a guess)
And what can we do to prevent it? Is there anything we can add to get them to more fully integrate?
A sample recipe, if it helps:
- 1-2 handfuls spinach
- 1 apple
- 1" piece ginger
- 1 persian cucumber
- 1 stalk celery
- juice of 1 lemon
Best Answer
As Catohound already mentioned, it's a symptom of using a high speed blender. You may find this technique useful.
Tcrn the blender to its lowest setting and then slowly ramp it up until the top of the liquid just starts to circulate (usually around speed 4 or 5 on a Vitamix). As you run it at this low speed, you will see bubbles coming out in the center.
My wife and I do this with our Vitamix and it generally gives good results.
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Quick Answer about "How to keep a green smoothie from getting 'frothy'?"
To prevent foam to begin with, use fruits and vegetables with soluble fibers, like bananas, peaches, pears, and mangoes. You can also use frozen fruits and vegetables that have soluble fibers, instead of fresh; their icy consistency helps them from causing foam build-up in your smoothie.Why do my smoothies turn out foamy?
Insoluble Fiber Is The Culprit If you're wondering \u201cwhy is my smoothie foamy\u201dafter your blend, it's typically coming from the type of fruit or leafy greens you add to your green smoothies. The reason for this is insoluble fiber which is usually found in the skin of fruits and vegetables.How do I get rid of froth?
Put the liquid in a container and draw a vacuum, most of the air will bubble, rise to the top and burst. If you fashion an air tight cap to the blender jar and use your Foodsaver to draw a vacuum, you will be able to end up quickly with a smoothie with no air trapped. Otherwise you may have to wait hours, or days.3 Healthy Green Smoothies | Healthy Breakfast Ideas
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Answer 2
I don't know how to solve it once it's happened, but it's caused by the high speed of your blender. I use an Oster blender and never have froth in my green smoothies, so maybe trying a different blender will prevent it. If you juice greens they get frothy, so it's not the fibre NOT breaking down - maybe the opposite. Pulsing the blender a few times at the end might get rid of some of the froth. I always pulse a few times at the end to get some of the incorporated air out of my smoothies. High speed blenders incorporate a lot more air than my blender does, though. Not sure if that'll cut it for you.
Answer 3
Add a tablespoon or two of chia seeds - they magically eliminate the froth.
Answer 4
Two major sources of foam are (1) air whipped into bubbles, and (2) insoluble fiber.
To help with #1, after blending everything the way you normally do, turn the blender to a lower speed setting for a few seconds to allow bubbles to coalesce and burst. Article with video.
For problem #2, you can
Reduce the sources of insoluble fiber (leaves, peels, apples)
Add some soluble fiber sources for a creamier mouthfeel (bananas, mangoes)
Add some oil to pop some of the bubbles. Ideally a healthful oil such as flaxseed oil or coconut oil, but if you don't want to impart any flavor regular neutral cooking oil will work. DO NOT use extra virgin olive oil because it will turn very bitter in a blender.
This article goes into more detail.
Answer 5
After blending, turn the mixer to low and add a few drops of canola oil. It will knock out the froth and replace it with a more "liquidy" product.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: ROMAN ODINTSOV, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Lisa, Toni Cuenca