Summer means bottles of bright green aloe from the local drugstore to soothe scorched skin. But, did you know you could grab a juicy leaf of the fresh stuff at most grocery stores? The leaves are surprisingly easy to process and, they’re not just for skin!
Hydrate from the inside out with our refreshing aloe pineapple smoothie and our method for homemade frozen aloe cubes.
Frozen Aloe Cubes:
Trim off the root of the leaf then slice lengthwise down both sides to remove thorns. Cut in 3” slices, then slide the meat out of the skin and transfer both gooey gel and meat into a blender. Add 2 TBS water and blend (add more water if needed to run blender). Pour into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Transfer to a sealed container and remove from freezer just before rubbing on sunburns!
Aloe Vera Pineapple Summer Smoothie:
Ingredients:
2 TBS of pure aloe vera leaf, gel removed
1 cup frozen pineapple, diced
1 cup kale, chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup coconut water, chilled
1 small lime, juice & zest (~ 1/4 cup juice)
1 TBS fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of salt
Chia seeds (Optional)
Steps:
#1 Prepare the aloe: Trim off the root of the leaf then slice lengthwise down both sides to remove thorns. Cut in 3” slices, then slide the meat out of the skin. Rinse with cold water then cut into ½” cubes.
#2 Place ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Serve sprinkled with optional chia seeds. Enjoy!
Note: be sure to buy the edible aloe vera plant as not all aloe is safe to eat!