Making Unfermented Noni Juice
Ripe noni is soft and translucent. Daniel Lane photo
Noni fruit is a medicinal food that Polynesians have been using for centuries. In fact, it was so highly prized by the original settlers about 2,000 years ago, they brought it with them when they homesteaded in Hawaii. Noni is one of 24 plants brought to the islands, and these plants are known as canoe crops.
Inside, there are lots or hard, black seeds. Daniel Lane photo
I wrote about noni’s numerous health benefits (hypotensive effect that lowers blood pressure; is beneficial to diabetics because it lowers cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar; reduces oxidative stress in diabetes; contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal activities; is 75 percent as strong as morphine; has anti-depressive and anti-anxiety properties and promotes a sense of well being, and has no side effects), when I did a story in MidWeek Kauai for organic noni farmer Steve Frailey.
Break the clean noni up in your hands and into a bowl. Daniel Lane photo.
Recently, Steve purchased an additional 17-acres, and now farms on 37-acres on Kauai’s north shore. He is so passionate and knowledgeable about noni, I wanted to share more information and wrote a blog post called Noni, An Ancient Polynesian Miracle Fruit
The seeds are enclosed in sacks that must be mashed to release the juice. Daniel Lane photo
Last week, I edited a video that Dan shot for the Kauai Grown campaign, which should be on their website in mid April. This clip landed on the cutting room floor. In this video, Steve explains how to make unfermented noni juice. Steve has been a noni farmer for 32 years and has had numerous tests done on the differences between fermented noni (the juice you find in stores, or on in a jar on the porch of many Hawaii residents), and found that fermentation changes the chemical profile, destroying all of the digestive enzymes and 50 percent of noni’s 165 beneficial compounds.
Pressing the against a sieve helps to release the juice. Daniel Lane photo
Steve produces unfermented, raw fruit leather and lotion made from 100 percent pure noni pulp and juice. A low-heat drying process below 115 degrees preserves medicinal properties. You can find him at the KCC and Kapaa farmers markets, or visit the Hawaiian Health Ohana website.
If you happen to live in Hawaii, try making noni juice Steve’s way.
Unfermented Noni Juice
- 1 white noni
Pour noni juice in a jar and store in the refrigerator.. Daniel Lane photo
Wash one hard, white noni and set it on the counter. In two to three days, it will become soft and clear. Noni ripen like tomatoes. Unripe they are hard, but in a few days, the thin skin becomes translucent and the flesh becomes soft. This is what you’re after.
Put it in a blender at slow speed to masticate it, or squish it with your hands into a strainer over a bowl. Remove seeds, and keep skin, pulp and juice. “Most people only keep the juice,” says Failey, “but there are compounds in the skin and pulp so you’re throwing away benefits.
It’ll be similar to a thick apple sauce which you can puree, add water to make it thinner, or. Noni tastes and smells like blue cheese and at first I was put off by it. But Dan and I take Steve’s noni leather twice a day, and we gave grown accustom to the taste. If you are out off by it, add cinnamon or lemon juice to taste. For peak medicinal benefits, drink 1 ounce daily.
Refrigerated, it will stay unfermented for two to three weeks.