Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice} + A Peek Inside My CA Grown Agri-Tour of Santa Barbara

This Jugo Verde post was created in partnership with CA Grown. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make ¡Hola! Jalapeño possible.

If you follow along with my adventures on Instagram, you may remember my gorgeous trip back in November to a few very special California farms right here in my own backyard of Santa Barbara. I was so inspired by the massive variety of produce grown that I wanted to combine many of them in a healthy Jugo Verde recipe or traditional Green Juice that you will find all over Mexico made with nopales, the thick pads of the Opuntia Cactus.

Keep reading to hear all about my trip and how to make this power-packed juice!

24x the Tomatoes With Only 6x the Water

What shocked me most about our CA Grown Santa Barbara Agri-Tour wasn’t the vast diversity in produce (although we did sample over 40 different crops during the two day trip), it was the incredible technological advances that are being used to grow massive amounts of food in very small spaces using very minimal resources.

For example, at Houweling’s Greenhouses, they are producing 24X the amount of tomatoes that would be grown in the same size of field-farmed tomatoes, with only 6X the amount of water that would be used in a field-farmed operation. They use solar to power much of their facility and are even able to trap the heat emitted during the day to warm the plants at night.

CA Grown Coffee—Really!

In the hills of Santa Barbara, Frinj Coffee is pioneering the coffee industry in California, and also working with U.C. Davis to do research on coffee plants and varieties. Coffee is now being farmed in several locations throughout Southern California, often inter-planted with avocados.

75% of the Cut Flowers Grown in the US Are From California

On our second day we headed to Carpenteria where we found row upon row of colorful Gerbera Daisies at Ocean Breeze Farms. The hydroponic green houses as well as their cut flower packing house and bouquet production line grow stunning blossoms that can be found at many grocery stores and flower shops. Our farm host shared that the market has been hurt, however, by the low cost of imported flowers. How can we help? When shopping for flowers, look for and ask for California Grown (or American Grown) blooms. You will not only be supporting local farms, but the flowers will last longer because they haven’t been shipped in.

A Jugo Verde made with 100% CA Grown Produce

During our trip we stayed at the luxurious Biltmore Four Seasons Resort. Among the many beautiful offerings, morning green juice was served during breakfast. It got me thinking about all the cold-pressed Mexican green juice I’ve had so many times and have been wanting to make at home for the longest.

I especially love this Mexican juice recipe because everything that goes into it (minus the pineapple) is grown right here in California. Even the nopales, the paddles of the Opuntia cactus, better known as Prickly Pear are California grown. One of my favorite Agua Fresca recipes uses the fruit of this cactus but the green pads are also eaten and contain many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well as controlling blood sugar.

How To Make Jugo Verde Without A Juicer

I made this Mexican Green Juice by pressing everything through my juicer but you can easily make this without one in a few easy steps:

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher.
• Compost the scraps or add to muffins or cake batter.

Treat Yo’ Self

Opening up the fridge to find a homemade cold-pressed, power-boosting green juice is the BEST way to start your day. So treat yourself by whipping up a batch of Jugo Verde, and don’t forget to snap a pic and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @holajalapeno or #holajalapeno. ¡Salúd!

Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice}

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

Jugo Verde or Mexican Green Juice made with California grown produce like nopales, the cactus paddles that give this juice an extra health boost.

• Author: Kate Ramos
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 5 cups 1x
• Category: drink
• Method: no cook
• Cuisine: Mexican

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1 medium-sized, ripe pineapple, skinned and cored, and cut into strips

2 cups spinach, washed and stemmed

1 6-inch English cucumber, peeled, skin is bitter

2 stalks celery

1 cup parsley, tough stems removed

1 cup chopped nopales

Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Press pineapple, spinach, cucumber, celery, parsley, and nopales through a juicer. Stir in lime juice. Chill or serve over ice.