I'm a little confused.... for smoothies made in a "performance blender" can I add them whole or should I grind them up first? Thank you for the help
939322
I grind them up first, then add to all the goodies in the blender. But, since you brought it up and I get tired of pre-grinding, I'm going to try not grinding first to see how that turns out.
939323
I strongly recommend thoroughly grinding the flax seed prior to using in a smoothie. Also, please note that the ground flax seed tends to thicken liquids so additional fluid may be required to achieve your preferred consistency.
939324
We love smoothies with the seeds added whole. let sit for a few minutes to let the seeds get a little soft. even the children in the family love the seeds.
939325
You can do it either way but "When ground, Flaxseed Meal can be added to breads, muffins, hot cooked cereals and smoothies;" more powerful ground.
939326
I have a Vitamix 7500 and add the organic flax seeds whole. I use them in my kale shakes, which are pretty *hard-core* and blend for about 1.5 minutes.
1868715
No. When you select the smoothie option the blades automatically start in one direction and then they will reverse to spin In the other direction. This way any food that falls under the blades will spin back out to be blended. It's really a fabulous feature.
1697945
In order to make a smoothie you need ice and this won't work. You can however juice the items you want in the smoothie first, then put all in a blender with the ice and blend it up. That's how I do it. Have fun!
1975901
You should be able to make a smoothie. But do keep in mind the "liquid" limit so it won't run out under your blade. That is with any food processor. If you have a regular blender that would probably work better for you but this would if it is all you have.
1727858
It's just a thick syrupy flavoring so I suppose you could. I'd test it out on a small amount. Can't help thinking there are better ways to flavor a smoothie than these.
136278
I core an apple but leave all of the skin on. I did put whole strawberry into the blender and it was fine. We like to add some celery even the leaves and it gives the smoothie a unique flavor. I add kale, spinach, fresh ginger root. Just experiment. If you find one taste does not suit you, then leave it out the next time and try another ingredient. We mix fruits and veggies and they appeal to the whole family. The fruit sweeten up the smoothie so everyone enjoys them.
142955
NOt a good idea. You can puree items, but liquidy items are best suited for a blender. Especially a high-powered Vitamix! I recommend it!
938361
the nutrients really come out in the steeping process. if you ground it in a spice grinder or bullet blender first, you might be okay. but it's too hard to process fully in a standard blender.
169592
The seeds blend very well and if want you can strain but very little left in strainer. I would say seeds are great for smoothies, therefore eliminating cost and possibility of extra impurities in processing of powder.
1975900
No. The blades spin too slowly, it purees, I guess you can approach something like a badly blended smoothie if you run it for a long long time, risking burning the cheap motor. For fruits and smoothies its all about rpm, and this is a chopping device, not a blending device. And don't even think about throwing ice into this, food processors only handle what you can cut with a knife.
1665192
gave mine away as baby gifts. Dont think those really puree. You might be happier using a blender first and then adding the stringy food with fruit/ or something else to put through the grinder. Just speaking from experience of the similar one I had when my children were babies---years ago.
704422
I've done both. I mix into smoothies with other stuff, but I've also just done it in a shaker bottle with water. Tastes pretty good, and the texture isn't bad either.
1278028
this is a juicer, not a blender, but a 2nd disc can be used to make smoothies, but i've never made smoothies before myself. i'm a juicer. this is a VERY powerful machine you can use for a very long time.
1515239
I just got the vitamix and i now seem to do more smoothies than juicing. I throw in a bunch of veggies and fruit and blend with water and it comes out to thick or runny depending on how much water you add and how watery the ingredients are. I LOVE it! You get all the fiber instead of throwing it in the garbage! i still sometimes do a juice fast, but generally, i now do a green smoothie for breakfast.
435334
I love making smoothies before class each day. It works well if they're cut up into manageable sizes. It is also best if they're frozen first, but it does work with raw veggies. When they're frozen it's able to grind it up easier.
87485
I had bought these for Elderberry syrup. They are the same consistency as like a dried cranberry, except very tiny. You might be able to just blend them in your smoothie. I would not try to grind them as they would be very sticky and probably won't turn into powder. You could also cook them on a low simmer or let them soak and then add them to a smoothie after they cool. That would be the best way to get them soft in my opinion. Hope this helps.
1037244
I'm not sure if smoothies can be made with it since I specifically bought it to juice. I would recommend purchasing a Bullet or something in that order for smoothies.