Recipe: Nectarine & Peach Smoothies


Try this stone fruit smoothie recipe and activity with your students.


A flat of red haven peaches

Number of Servings: 20


Ingredients

  • 6 Michigan nectarines
  • 6 Michigan peaches
  • 4½ cups plain unsweetened yogurt (or milk)
  • 4½ cups orange juice
  • 6 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Recipe and activity provided courtesy of Kids Cook Farm-Fresh Food by Sibella Kraus, published by the Nutrition Services Division of the California Department of Education (cde.ca.gov).

Materials (for class):

  • colander 
  • blender 
  • 2 large pitchers 
  • 1 large mixing bowl 
  • measuring spoons 
  • measuring cups 
  • knife 
  • cutting board

Materials (for each group of four):

  • 2 cutting boards
  • 2 knives
  • 2 bowls
  • 4 cups 
  • napkins
  • journals

Directions

PREPARATION

Have students wash their hands. Discuss proper methods of handling food. Wash nectarines and peaches, scrubbing off peach fuzz in particular, and place them in the colander to drain.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Review safety precautions for using knives. Unplug the blender before putting utensils or hands into the blender jar.

MAKING THE RECIPE

Demonstrate cutting each type of fruit into wedges and cutting them from their pits. Show the different fruit parts: pit, skin and flesh. Have students examine and make journal notes about the texture, size, color, shape and smell of each part of each fruit.

Have students place the fruit wedges in bowls. Collect the bowls, place them on the demonstration table next to the blender, and have students to gather around the table. Ask two students to put all the fruit in a large mixing bowl and mix. Add the measured yogurt, orange juice and honey. Ask students how many batches they think it will take to blend the ingredients for the smoothies. Have students divide the ingredients into equal batches and place each batch separately into the blender.

Blend each batch until smooth. Pour into the pitchers, and serve in a cup for each student. While students drink the smoothies, discuss the differences among the fruits.

Clean up materials. If you have a school or classroom compost or worm bin, place the food scraps there.