Seedless Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

Pineapple doesn't like seeds in her smoothies, and I am not supposed to eat seeds, so I came up with this smoothie so that I can still get the berries I need without the obtrusive crunch and mouthfeel of the seeds. It takes a little longer to prepare than my other smoothies, but it's worth the extra effort.

Tools

• Fine-weave strainer (fine enough to catch raspberry seeds)
• Professional blender with jar
• Second blender jar or a bowl
• Spatula

Ingredients

• Lemon juice from 1 to 2 medium lemons (or 1 large lemon) depending on desired tartness level
• 4-5 oz raspberries
• 1/2 to 1 fully ripe avocado
• Approximately 3 to 8 heaping tablespoons cane sugar, depending on desired sweetness level
• Ice
• Water
• Optional: desired amount of unflavored protein/collagen powder
• Optional:1-2 tablespoons Honey

Directions

1. Put the raspberries in the blender jar (the smaller jar if you have 2 jars of different sizes).
2. Add water until just above the raspberries or they start to float.
3. Blend for a few seconds; long enough to break up the raspberries.
4. Set the blended raspberries aside
1. If you are using a second jar, just set it aside for later
2. If not, pour the blended raspberries into the bowl then rinse out the blender jar (to remove any remaining seeds)
5. Add the cane sugar to the blender jar. I typically pour until the pile of sugar covers the top of the central post that holds the blade in the Blendtec. You can adjust this to your own preferred sweetness level.
6. Add/Prepare the protein/collagen powder
1. If using a brand of protein/collagen powder that doesn't clump in cold water, add the protein/collagen powder to the mixture in the blender. (I prefer to use 2 scoops from this brand.)
2. If using a brand of protein/collagen powder that does clump in water, mix the protein/collagen powder with about 16 oz. of (preferably cool or cold) water following the directions on the container and set the mixture aside. (I use 3 scoops from this powder.)
7. Add the avocado.
8. Optional: if you find this smoothie to be too tart, add the honey.
9. Add the lemon juice
10. Strain the raspberries into the blender
1. Place the strainer over the mouth of the blender jar
2. Pour the blended raspberries into the strainer
3. Using the spatula, push down on the raspberries to help move the juices through the strainer
1. You don't need to exert much force
2. I find scraping across the pureed berries within the strainer is pretty effective
3. You will end up with a thick paste of mostly seeds when you are done
4. Scrape the exterior bottom of the strainer with the spatula to get the last of the juices into the blender
11. Add about 500-750 milliliters of ice. (I add until the ice level reaches the top of the Blendtec logo.) Add less ice if you want more potent flavor.
12. Add water (or the mixture from step 6.2) until the fluid level is about an inch below the top of the ice.
13. Set aside an additional glass/cup with cold water.
14. Blend until smooth. (The Blendtec has a "smoothie" button for this.)
1. Warning: If the blender starts to struggle or spin freely--meaning the blender is running but the smoothie mixture is not moving or is sluggish--immediately start adding water from step 12 until the smoothie mixture starts to flow again.
15. Pour, serve, and enjoy!

Additional Notes

Blender

I use a Blendtec blender, but a similar professional blender like a Vitamix will work. 

Lemon Juice

When preparing the lemon juice, I try to use the lemon pulp as well. I slice the lemons off-center 3 times so that I get 4 lemon chunks which I squeeze by hand through a strainer into the blender. I will also use my fingernails to scrape the insides of the lemons to dislodge more pulp. I then pick out some of the pulp from the strainer (avoiding the seeds) and toss it into the blender.

Washing Hands

Before I work with food I wash my hands with soap and dry them using a paper towel. Any time I do something which might contaminate my hands--such as interacting with non-food-related items--I rewash my hands. I use paper towels because they are inexpensive and more sanitary than hand towels.

Ice and Water

The ideal ice-to-water ratio will result in a smoothie which has the consistency of yogurt or soft-serve ice cream. If you find the smoothie is too watery then either add more ice next time or cut back on the water added. When there is not enough water then the blender will start to spin freely as mentioned in step 14.1.

Avocado

1/2 of an avocado will get you a smooth texture, but you may find the smoothie is not very satisfying. Using an entire avocado will make the smoothie far more satisfying.

The ripeness of the avocado matters. If the avocado is not ripe, then the smoothie will be clumpy, will start to separate, and the flavor will be unsatisfying. If the avocado is ripe, then the smoothie will be satisfyingly creamy and will stay uniform for a long time--at least a half-hour.

I've attempted to use avocado oil in place of the avocado, but that particular smoothie doesn't have the right texture and starts to separate immediately. I've also tried to substitute coconut oil, but that also separates immediately and tends to be clumpy.