The Fascinating History of Juicing
Did you know that juicing has been around for a really, really long time? As far back of 150 BC, the Dead Sea Scrolls mentioned that an Israeli Tribe known as the Essenes would mash up pomegranate and figs to help give them extra energy. (We agree that this superfruit is an excellent way to get lots of vitamins and nutrients!)
What about modern juicing?
Modern juicing started around 1910 when Florida orange growers needed a way to transport their product without it going bad. Refrigerators weren’t around at that time, so they had to think outside the box. They began to press and pasteurize their orange juice so it could travel longer distances without it spoiling. Pasteurization heats up the juice and kills microorganisms that can cause the juice to go bad faster.
When did juice machines turn up?
In the 1930’s, Dr. Norman Walker invented the first juicing machine. This made juicing much more widely available than it was previously. This large machine was called the Norwalk. It would first grate and squeeze the fruits and vegetables and then everything was put into a linen bag and pressed with a hydraulic press. Obviously, it wasn’t common for a hydraulic press to be in everyone’s home, but this was the beginning of a juicing revolution!
The evolving juice technology
By the 1950’s, the first grinding (masticating) juicer was created. This was called the Champion, and it sure did it live up to its name! The 1950’s also saw the invention of the commercial juicer and centrifugal juicers.
In the 1970’s, juicing really started to take off! David Otto opened a juice bar in California between two gyms and it was a huge success. This was truly the start of the juice and smoothie movement.
