HPP Juice! – Our new squeeze

Our chefs have concocted freshly pressed raw juices for guests in Babel and the Greenhouse for many years. In our newly established Juicery, we bottle up cold-pressed seasonal fruits and veggies using state-of-the-art machinery and high-pressure processing (HPP) technology resulting in HPP Juice! HPP preserves fresh juice without heat or preservatives, therefore not compromising on nutritional value or flavour – now, for the first time, guests can take home our signature green, red or yellow juices!

The HPP process

After freshly harvested veg and tree-ripened fruits are gathered from our garden and farm, they make their way to the Juicery. Before embarking on the juicing journey, garden goods are carefully washed, peeled and prepared by hand. Their first stop in the production chain is at the destoner, where pips are removed from fruits such as plums, peaches, guavas and apricots. Next, the fruits and veggies are shredded to a pulp for pressing, then moved to the cold press where the nutrient-rich liquid is extracted. After the fruity essence has been collected, it moves to the blender where the flavours are fused. Our food scientist, Debora, continuously experiments and changes our fresh seasonal recipes to keep the palate enticed!

After every small batch has been tasted and given Debora’s nod of approval, it’s time for the juicy goodness to be bottled up. The 330 ml bottles are filled and then it’s off to the high-pressure machine where the cold preservation magic happens. The bottles are placed in the metal chamber, which is filled with evenly distributed water and pressurised to 6000 bar. This intense pressure is transmitted to the juice through the packaging, which eliminates harmful and spoilage microorganisms and extends the shelf life without using heat or preservatives. To put this pressure in perspective, imagine 12 elephants laying their feet on a single strawberry!

So why is HPP all the rage?

• Longer lasting – HPP gives the juice an extended fridge life, juices can be enjoyed up to three weeks after bottling.
• Fresh flavour and taste – no preservatives are added and unlike heat preservation, HPP does not expose the juice to heat. This technology preserves and locks in the natural freshness of the cold-pressed flavours, without compromising on taste.
• Nutrient-rich – vitamins, minerals and antioxidants aren’t damaged or degraded during the preservation process, making the end product nutritionally powerful.
• Bottled vibrancy – the natural colour of the fruit and veggie juices gives consumers a real and raw representation of the fresh produce.

With every step of the process, we honour our farm-to-fork philosophy, keeping the end product as natural and raw as nature intended. We invite farm visitors to get a glimpse of our high-pressure processing machine, one of only three in South Africa! Simply follow the stairs to the right of the Scented Room for a bird’s-eye view of the Juicery and a simple breakdown of the production process.

Explore our garden while enjoying sips of our seasonal red (think prickly pear or strawberries), yellow (carrot or plum) or green (apple, fennel and kale) juice. Available from our Farm Shop, our restaurants and in our monthly Farm-to-Fork subscription.