As summer fast approaches we will begin to start to take advantage at the large amounts of seasonal fresh fruit, vegetables and salads that become available. Eat these healthy foods in a natural raw state provides your body with huge amounts of living nutrients which would normally be ruined through cooking. Therefore if there is anything one can do that makes raw food more exciting and palatable is going to help you get more of these benefits into your diet.
There are communities of healthy people today known as "Raw Fooders" and whose first specialist purchase for their raw food kitchen will be a Spiralizer. This is a simple gadget that allows one to create spaghetti and other spiral shapes from vegetables and fruits. It may sound simple but you will be amazed how this particular gadget can transform completely the presentation, balance of flavors and texture quickly and easily of any summer salads you create.
How Does A Spiralizer Work?
When processing food with a spiralizer there are three very quick and easy stages you need to complete. Firstly take the right size piece of vegetable. Then you place it and make sure it is secure on the spiralizer. Now after securing the vegetable in position you just turn the spiralizer handle to cut the vegetable into the desired shape.
Spiralizers are available in two basic formats; the horizontal or vertical ones. What this refers to is the direction in which the item that you spiralize will travel. Some people find that the vertical type with gravity assisting the shaping process is easier to use but the horizontal type is by far the most popular. When looking for a spiralizer the good quality ones are those that have several interchangeable blade cartridges allowing you the chance to make spaghetti, spirals or other shaped slices when used.
What Is So Good About This Method Of Food Preparation?
Using a spiralizer with raw foods allows shapes and textures to be created that are more interesting visually and allow you to mix these textures and shapes that create new possibilities and experiences for one's palate. When it comes to making salads and stir fries you will find that because of the number of different ways the food can be prepared and presented has been dramatically increased. This in turn will help to ensure that your meals remain fresh and exciting. Also as the various shapes that you can produce quickly take up sauces and dressings in different ways you will never be stuck for ideas and experimenting with food in the kitchen is not only easy but much more fun.
Even those men who don't like salads may be enticed into to giving some healthy food a try because of a spiralizer. Plus getting your kids to consume their recommended five a day is going to be a lot easier if you get them involved in the task of making different shapes. Don't forget to allow them time to admire what they have created before they eat it. A great many chefs will love how versatile the spiralizer is. Not only will it allow them to prepare entire delicious raw food meals but the spiralizer will allow them to create perfect attractive garnishes and other decorations for their meals.
What Things Can I Spiralize?
With these vegetable spiral cutters you can process most firm fleshed fruits and vegetables, including courgettes, potatoes, carrots, radish, squash, cucumber and apple the list goes on. For most raw food enthusiasts by far the most popular way to use a spiralizer is to make raw spaghetti. Courgette spaghetti is not only wonderfully nutritious but the delicate texture is a great addition to your creative menu repertoire and works perfectly well with various sauces. Just by swapping the blade in your spiralizer you can instantly switch to making spirals rather than spaghetti and is the ideal way to liven up your salads through adding cucumber or radish spirals to them.
What Brand Of Spiralizer Should I Choose?
Just like most things you buy today you get what you pay for so at all costs avoid the more flimsy cheaper versions. The well known brands which perform quite well are the Joyce Chen Saladacco or the Benriner Spiralizer.
Lurch (a German company) have three different types of Spiralizers available. Along with the Lurch Spirali being a well constructed spiralizer you are provided with good quality stainless steel blade cartridges. Also the suction feet on the Lurch Spiralizers provides a stable platform and assembling and storing them is intuitive, easy and slick because of their design features.
If you would like a gravity assisted model then the Lurch Spiralo which is their vertical spiral vegetable cutter is available. Of which there is a limited edition sponsored by renowned German TV chef Johann Lafer and called the "Lafer Spirali". Every Lurch spiralizer is made to high German manufacturing standards so not only are the good value but come very highly recommended.
Where Can I Get One?
A few cookware stores may carry some spiralizers but the best place by far to look for such items is online. A quick simple search on Google will provide you with a number of different choices. As for the UK you will be provided with a good fast service from the health enthusiast's friend, UK Juicers. They stock a large range of exiting products for those leading a more healthy lifestyle. When thinking of "going raw" there is much involved with this kind of lifestyle and at this great online store you will everything you need from juicers to dehydrators for your raw food kitchen.