Vision Botanical Tonic

Equipment

• Small non-reactive saucepan (stainless steel)
• High-speed blender or juicer
• Fine-mesh stainless steel strainer or cheesecloth
• Mortar and pestle (or side of a heavy chef’s knife)
• Glass storage jar or drinking glasses

Ingredients

Botanical Seed Infusion

• 10 to 12 fresh organic lemon seeds (cleaned and lightly crushed)
• 1 strips organic lemon peel (pith removed)
• 1.5 cups (360ml) cold filtered water
• ½ inch fresh ginger root, sliced into coins

Vision-Supporting Fruit & Veggie Base

• 2 medium fresh organic carrots, thoroughly scrubbed and sliced (rich in beta-carotene/Vitamin A)
• 1 large sweet orange, peeled and segmented (delivers Vitamin C for ocular blood vessels)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil (healthy fats are mandatory for absorbing fat-soluble Vitamin A and lutein)
• 1 tbsp raw wildflower honey (optional, for natural sweetness)

Instructions

1. Collect fresh lemon seeds directly from organic lemons. Wash them under cold water to remove surrounding slippery pulp. Place the seeds on a cutting board and press down gently with the flat side of a chef’s knife or a mortar and pestle just enough to split open the outer coat. Do not grind them into powder.
2. In a small stainless steel saucepan, combine the cracked lemon seeds, lemon peel strip, ginger slices, and 1.5 cups of cold filtered water. Set over medium-low heat until the water barely begins to simmer (around 180°F / 82°C). Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and let steep for 10 minutes .
3. Pour the warm liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup, discarding the spent seeds, ginger, and peel. Allow the golden citrus tea to cool to room temperature (about 10 minutes).
4. In a high-speed blender, combine the sliced fresh carrots, orange segments, fresh lemon juice, cooled citrus seed infusion, olive oil, and raw honey. Blend on high speed for 60 to 90 seconds until smooth and vibrant orange.
5. For a lighter tonic, pass the blended juice through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve into a serving glass. Alternatively, drink it unstrained to retain all natural dietary fiber. Serve cold over ice.