Smoothie Herb Container Garden

Plant a container garden of herbs mixed with fruits for ingredients to make flavorful, healthy smoothies!

Herb Smoothie Making Tips

Herb leaves are packed with flavor. Don't overdo it! Add a few leaves at a time and adjust to taste.
Grow your herbs and fruits organically or purchase organic ingredients to use.
Play with herb combinations for flavor, but never mix more than three into a recipe. They can overwhelm the taste of the other ingredients.

If you like to use yogurt in a smoothie recipe, add chopped herbs to the yogurt ahead of time. Mix well and refrigerate overnight. The taste of the herbs will be infused into the yogurt, ready for smoothie blending.

The freeze gives the smoothie texture; use frozen fruit or a cup of herbal ice cubes.
Make herbal ice cubes. Use them to blend with your favorite smoothie ingredients. All the herbal flavors in the frozen cubes will mix smoothly into the other ingredients.

How to:

In an ice cube tray, fill each space of the tray with herb leaves. Cut or tear larger leaves to fit in the ice cube tray spaces. Top the spaces with water, making sure all the herb is submerged. Place the tray in the freezer. Once frozen, store the cubes in a zip-close bag in the freezer, ready to use anytime.

Favorite Herb fruit combinations to try:

Strawberry-mint

Peach, parsley, lemon balm, ginger

Raspberry-rosemary-

Blackberry-basil

Or experiment:

Basil- blackberries, peaches, strawberries
Lavender- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches
Lemon Balm- apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches
Mint- all berries, lemons, peaches, apples, and cherries
Parsley- melons, banana, pears
Rosemary- apples, raspberries
Thyme- cherries, melons, peaches, pears

Compact growing fruits for containers:

Apples- Golden Sentinel, Scarlet Sentinel
Blackberry- Baby Cakes®
Blueberry, -Sunshine Blue, Midnight Cascade, Jelly Bean®
Patio Peaches- Pix Zee, Bonfire, Bonanza
Raspberry- Raspberry Shortcake®
Strawberry- Seascape, Tristar, Hood

Recipe to try:

Blueberry, Lavender, Lemon Verbena!

Make an infusion of fresh lavender water: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lavender flowers to 1 cup of hot water (not boiling). Allow flowers to steep for 15 minutes. After the water has cooled, add the water (leaves the flowers or strain them out of the water if you don't want them in the smoothie's texture. Blend with ½ cup of frozen blueberries.

5 to 6 lavender ice cubes (see the recipe for herbal ice cubes) or as many as needed to make the smoothie thicken. Blend with ½ cup fresh blueberries.

Add flavoring:

8 to 10 fresh lemon verbena leaves

½ teaspoon Lemon extract, if you want more lemon flavor.

Add a nutrition booster or a natural sweetener like vanilla protein powder, honey, or fine granulated monk fruit to taste.

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Enjoy!