The Gardens of Grey Nax

Cherry Juice Protocol

3 min read

Cherry Juice Protocol

Full worked protocol for producing MCAS-friendly cherry juice for use as electrolyte drink flavoring. Combines Method Z — Zeolite Histamine Removal and Method A — Salicylate Removal.

Why Cherries

Cherries are high in both histamine and salicylates, making them off-limits without processing. They are also a highly desirable flavor — both for adults and for Xander. The anthocyanins responsible for cherry flavor and color are water-soluble, meaning they survive the processing and remain in the kept phase.

Starting Material

Freeze dried cherry powder is recommended over fresh cherries:

  • Consistent composition batch to batch
  • Shelf stable — no microbial histamine accumulation before processing
  • Already concentrated — efficient use of centrifuge volume
  • Available year-round

Equipment

  • Centrifuge (swinging bucket rotor preferred)
  • Food-grade zeolite (clinoptilolite)
  • Cheap neutral oil (refined coconut or light vegetable)
  • Everclear
  • Salt
  • Ice cube trays for portioning output

Full Protocol

Step 1 — Reconstitute

Reconstitute freeze dried cherry powder in minimal plain water. Goal is a concentrated liquid, not a dilute juice. No salt yet.

Step 2 — Zeolite Treatment (Method Z)

  • Add food-grade zeolite powder (~1 tbsp per cup of liquid, adjust empirically)
  • Agitate gently for several minutes
  • Steep refrigerated 2-4 hours
  • Centrifuge — zeolite pellets at bottom
  • Decant, keep liquid, discard pellet

Step 3 — Salicylate Extraction (Method A)

  • Add cheap neutral oil + small splash Everclear to the zeolite-treated liquid
  • Add salt (antimicrobial + salting-out)
  • Agitate gently
  • Steep refrigerated 2-4 hours
  • Centrifuge — oil rises to top, cherry juice in middle, any solids at bottom
  • Discard oil layer, keep cherry juice layer

Step 4 — Optional Electrolyte Addition

If making electrolyte drink flavoring, add electrolyte base mix (without flavor powder component) to the processed juice now. The electrolytes dissolve into the kept aqueous phase.

See Recipe for base mix quantities.

Step 5 — Portion and Freeze

Pour into ice cube tray, freeze. Each cube = one serving of flavoring. Add to tumbler with water at drink time.

Peach Variant

Peaches have moderate salicylates and lower histamine than cherries. Simpler protocol:

  • Start with freeze dried peach powder
  • Method Z optional (lower histamine load) — include if reacting to peaches
  • Method A recommended for salicylate reduction
  • Same portioning and freezing

Peaches are a good first experiment — fewer variables than cherries, good test of whether flavor survives the process before committing to the full cherry protocol.

Expected Output

  • Cherry flavor intact (anthocyanins water-soluble, survive both steps)
  • Reduced histamine (zeolite step)
  • Reduced salicylates (oil extraction step)
  • Some flavor intensity loss vs unprocessed — empirical testing needed to assess

Notes

  • This protocol is novel — no published prior art found for this specific application
  • First batch should be small (test batch) to validate flavor retention before scaling
  • Track symptoms carefully after first use to confirm protocol effectiveness
  • Zeolite is rechargeable — see Method Z — Zeolite Histamine Removal for recharging procedure

Shopping List

  • Freeze dried cherry powder — Amazon
  • Freeze dried peach powder — Amazon
  • Food-grade clinoptilolite zeolite (ZEO Health or similar) — Amazon ~$20-40
  • Centrifuge with swinging bucket rotor — Amazon ~$100-200
  • Refined coconut oil or light vegetable oil — grocery store
  • Everclear — liquor store

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