Fresh juice & smoothie prep

Applies to: any fresh-squeezed juice or blended smoothie made to order.

1. Add the liquid base (milk, juice, or water) to the blender jar first.
2. Liquid first keeps the blade clear and stops dry or frozen ingredients from binding around it.
3. Add soft, wet ingredients (yogurt, soft or ripe fruit) next.
4. A soft-to-hard order keeps the load even so the motor doesn't stall on a dense pocket.
5. Add the thickener and any frozen fruit or ice last, measured to the recipe's fruit:liquid:thickener ratio.
6. Ratio measured against the recipe card, not judged by eye — too much thickener or ice throws off both texture and cost.
7. Blend in short pulses first to break up solid pieces, then run continuous until smooth.
8. Check consistency partway through; add a small amount of liquid if the blend is too thick to move freely.
9. Pour and serve immediately.
10. A drink left standing separates or oxidizes quickly since fresh produce has no stabilizers.
11. If it isn't served within the short hold window, discard it rather than re-blending and serving it as fresh.
12. Re-blending a separated or browned drink doesn't reverse oxidation — it only hides it temporarily.