Making the ultimate smoothie

[SundayCrepes]

Sometimes my smoothies turn out so incredibly smooth and silky they are just divine. Most time they still have little microbits of fruit. They're delicious, but nothing like the absolute best ones.

I've been trying to figure out what makes some smoothies smoother than others. My recipe is always the same

1 banana

a bunch of frozen mango chunks

1/3 fruit juice

2/3 milk

I've tried including more milk and it just got thinner. I tried adding more banana and it just had a stronger taste of banana. I have let it blend for a really long time. That makes it a little better, but not perfect.

Any ideas on what it might take?

Thanks

[ankh]

I do a lot of green smoothies and start with Kale/spinach and hemp seeds which I blend with water first until really smooth. Then I add some frozen fruit, blend, and then the banana, apple and pear. Always good and smooth. (And my blender is crap)

Maybe  just do your mango and juice first and then add the rest?

[SundayCrepes]

Thanks.

I have to add the banana first or the frozen mango is too much for my blender. It's a 700 watt blender so it does fine as long as I add the banana first. Without it, the blender smells hot.

[Ygle]

I think this is just due to the nature of mangoes... there is so much texture variation with them.  Sometimes they are so smooth and creamy like a papaya, and other times they are just very stringy and gritty like a pear apple. 

[nomadmom]

To get my smoothies really smooth, I have to first put in all the frozen fruit I want to use with just enough liquid to get the blades moving.  When it gets so thick that the blades stop, I scrape it down and add a bit more liquid and any fresh fruit.  I repeat this until the smoothie is very thick, but the blades are able to keep spinning, and then I leave it blending for 30 seconds or so.  It's a pain to have to keep stopping and starting, but I find if I add the liquid all at once the fruit just sort of sweeps past the blades instead of getting completely pureed.

[ambereva]

Avocado!

[SundayCrepes]

Thanks all. I think I've found the answer. I just let it blend for a few minutes. With my bosch mixer blender attachment I don't have to do that and they're thick and creamy. However, the pitcher has BPA so I don't use it. They come out a bit thinner with my new blender, but it has a glass jar and only costs $40. And the smoothies are really smooth, just thin as I said.

In case anyone is interested, here is the blender I use: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-54227-Two-Speed-Blender/dp/B003K7S304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1300680038&sr=8-1

[SynEpona]

I find I get a better smoothie if I toss the frozen fruit in about an hour before I will make the smoothie, it thaws a bit while I'm getting the dog fed, a shower, my son out of bed ... then the mango or other frozen fruit is ready to blend nicely. I only realized this a few weeks ago, and I'm sure once it warms up, it'll only take 20 min or so. Our kitchen is the coldest room in the house, and we still have snow on the ground.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by SynEpona 

I find I get a better smoothie if I toss the frozen fruit in about an hour before I will make the smoothie, it thaws a bit while I'm getting the dog fed, a shower, my son out of bed ... then the mango or other frozen fruit is ready to blend nicely. I only realized this a few weeks ago, and I'm sure once it warms up, it'll only take 20 min or so. Our kitchen is the coldest room in the house, and we still have snow on the ground.

What a good idea. I'll try it. Thanks.