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Fiery juice shots: horseradish, chilli and garlic in small amounts
Short answer. Fiery juice shots use a very small amount of something pungent, such as horseradish, chilli or garlic, carried by a juicier base: beetroot and apple with a 1 to 2 cm piece of horseradish, pineapple and lime with a thin slice of chilli, or lemon and apple with half a clove of garlic and a little honey stirred in. Juice the pungent piece between two softer ones on a horizontal slow juicer, taste before you add more, and dilute with water or the base juice until it suits you. They are for flavour, not medicine, and they don’t suit everyone: if spicy food disagrees with you, or you take blood thinners or are pregnant, see the cautions below and our health guide.
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What makes a shot fiery
Horseradish, chilli and garlic are strongly flavoured to begin with, and a juicer crushes them far more thoroughly than a knife does. In our kitchen, the juice tastes much more pungent than the same piece eaten in a salad, so a quantity that sounds tiny is the right amount.
| Ingredient | How it feels | Starting amount for about 250 ml |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh horseradish | A rush up the nose, then gone | A 1 to 2 cm piece, peeled (about 5 to 10 g) |
| Fresh red chilli | Slow, lingering heat on the tongue and lips | A thin slice, or a quarter of a mild chilli, seeds removed |
| Raw garlic | Pungent and savoury, with a long finish | Half a small clove |
Start at the bottom of each range. You can always juice a little more and stir it in; you can’t take the heat back out.
Handling pungent ingredients safely
- Open a window for horseradish. Freshly cut horseradish gives off fumes that sting the eyes and nose. Peel it at arm’s length and keep your face back from the juicer while it runs.
- Glove up for chilli. Wear thin kitchen gloves, or wash your hands, knife and board with soap straight after cutting chilli. Keep your hands away from your eyes and face.
- Keep the pungent piece small and in the middle. Slice it thinly and feed it between two softer or juicier pieces, so the produce that follows pushes all of it through the screen and mixes it in.
- Rinse the juicer straight away. Strong flavours linger in the pulp. A quick rinse and a brush of the screen as soon as you finish keeps the next juice tasting clean. Our cleaning guide has the full routine.
Which juicer suits fiery shots
Horseradish is a hard, fibrous root, and these recipes also use beetroot and apple. A horizontal slow juicer handles that mix well, because the auger presses fibrous pieces along the screen at low speed. On the Sana 727 Supreme, use 40 rpm for the beetroot and horseradish. The Sana 707 runs at one low speed of 63 to 75 rpm. Fit the fine screen for all three.
Spices and powders stay out of the juicer. Sana’s 727 manual lists spices such as black pepper among the things not to put through the machine, so if you want dried chilli flakes, cayenne or black pepper, stir them into the finished shot.
Beetroot, apple and horseradish
Earthy, sweet and sharp, with a burst of heat that clears quickly. Apple balances the beetroot, and the horseradish turns it into something that wakes you up. For preparing beetroot and what to expect after drinking it, see our carrot and beetroot juices.
Beetroot, apple and horseradish shot
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Open a window. Peel the horseradish at arm’s length and slice it thinly. Scrub the beetroot and cut it into sticks. Core the apples and peel the lemon.
- Fit the fine screen. On the Sana 727, set the speed to 40 rpm. The Sana 707 runs at one low speed.
- Start with a piece of apple, then a stick of beetroot. Feed the horseradish slices between two pieces of apple so they are pushed straight through.
- Finish with the lemon and the last apple wedges.
- Stir, taste and dilute with cold water if it is too strong. Pour into small glasses and rinse the juicer straight away.
Notes
Pineapple, lime and chilli
Sweet and sour first, then a slow heat that builds. Pineapple is juicy, so it carries the chilli through easily and softens it. A pinch of salt on the rim of the glass is good with this one.
Pineapple, lime and chilli shot
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the pineapple into chunks and peel the limes. Wearing gloves if you like, slice the chilli and scrape out the seeds.
- Fit the fine screen. On the Sana 727, use a low speed. The Sana 707 runs at one low speed.
- Feed a few chunks of pineapple, then the chilli, then more pineapple to push it through. Add the limes between the last pieces of pineapple.
- Stir and taste. Add a little cold water or sparkling water if it is too hot.
- Wet the rims of small glasses and dip them in flaky salt if you like, then pour. Wash your hands, knife and board with soap, and rinse the juicer.
Notes
Lemon, garlic and honey
The most savoury of the three. Lemon gives the sharpness, a little apple rounds it out, and the honey is stirred in afterwards to soften the garlic. Start with half a clove; even that is noticeable.
Honey goes into the glass, not the juicer: it is sticky and has nothing to extract. And this one, like all fiery shots, is for adults. Honey shouldn’t be given to babies under one year old, as the NHS explains.
Lemon, garlic and honey shot
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Peel the lemons and remove the pips. Core the apple and cut it into wedges. Peel the garlic.
- Fit the fine screen. On the Sana 727, use a low speed. The Sana 707 runs at one low speed.
- Feed a piece of lemon, then the garlic, then an apple wedge to push it through. Juice the rest of the lemons and apple.
- Stir the honey into the juice until it dissolves. Taste and add a little cold water if it is too sharp.
- Pour into small glasses and drink straight away. Rinse the juicer well.
Notes
How to dilute a fiery shot
A fiery shot doesn’t have to be drunk neat. The base juice in each recipe already softens it, and you can go further.
- With water. One part shot to one or two parts cold water turns it into a short, sippable drink. Sparkling water works well with the pineapple and chilli.
- With more of the base. Juice an extra apple, a few more chunks of pineapple or another lemon, and stir it in until the heat suits you.
- A spoonful at a time. Keep the strong shot in a small bottle in the fridge and stir a teaspoon of it into a glass of water, tomato juice or apple juice. This is the gentlest way to try it.
- Over ice. In our experience, a shot poured over a single ice cube tastes milder.
Like other shots, these freeze well in ice-cube trays: one cube dropped into a glass of water is an easy way to keep the amount small. Our lemon and ginger shots post covers freezing a week of shots, and our batch juicing guide covers how long fresh juice keeps.
Who should be cautious
These shots are flavour, not medicine, and a small amount of a pungent food is still a concentrated one.
- If spicy or acidic food disagrees with you. Chilli, horseradish, garlic and lemon can all be hard on a sensitive stomach. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) lists stomach pain and nausea among garlic’s side effects. Skip these shots or dilute them well.
- If you take blood thinners or aspirin. NCCIH says garlic supplements may increase the risk of bleeding and advises talking to your doctor if you take anticoagulants. A garlic shot isn’t a supplement, but if this applies to you, ask your doctor before making it a habit.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. NCCIH notes that garlic in amounts greater than food amounts may not be safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Home-made juice also isn’t pasteurised. Check with your doctor or midwife.
- If you take blood pressure medication. Beetroot is rich in dietary nitrate; mention a regular beetroot juice to your doctor.
- Children. Fiery shots aren’t for children, and honey isn’t for babies under one.
Our guide to juicing and your health explains who should check with a doctor before juicing regularly, and why.
Made with a Sana juicer
Sana 707 Juicer
R9899,00
Sana 727 Supreme Juicer
Price range: R12999,00 through R14999,00
Frequently asked questions
How much horseradish should I put in a juice shot?
Start with a peeled piece of about 1 to 2 cm (roughly 5 to 10 g) for about 250 ml of juice. Feed it between pieces of apple or beetroot, then taste. Juice concentrates its heat, so add more only next time if you want it stronger.
Can I put chilli flakes or cayenne through the juicer?
No. Sana’s 727 manual lists spices such as black pepper among the things not to put through the machine. Juice fresh chilli with the rest of the produce, or stir dried flakes or cayenne into the finished shot.
How do I make a fiery shot less strong?
Dilute it with one or two parts cold water or sparkling water, or juice more of the base fruit and stir it in. Serving it over ice helps too. Next time, use a smaller piece of the pungent ingredient.
Can I put honey in the juicer?
No. Honey is sticky and has nothing to extract. Juice the lemon, apple and garlic, then stir the honey into the finished shot until it dissolves.
Is a garlic shot safe if I take blood thinners?
Ask your doctor first. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says garlic supplements may increase the risk of bleeding and advises speaking to your doctor if you take anticoagulants or aspirin.
Can children drink fiery shots?
No. These shots are made for adults who enjoy strong heat. Honey shouldn’t be given to babies under one year old, and home-made juice isn’t pasteurised, which matters more for young children.
Sources
- Garlic, US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. nccih.nih.gov
- Foods to avoid giving babies and young children, NHS. nhs.uk
- Talking about juice safety, US Food and Drug Administration. fda.gov
- Sana 727 Supreme user manual (English), Sana Products: spices not to process, removing apple seeds. sanaproducts.com
- Sana 727 Supreme and Sana 707 product pages: speeds. sanastore.co.za · sanastore.co.za
