How To Prep Fruits And Veggies For Juicing

When it comes down to it, most people don’t like drinking their daily drink of liquid-water. Or if they do, it’s probably because they don’t want the extra few grams of sugar that go into it.

But we all know too well how much sugar is in your average glass of juice! A typical one cup (250 ml) of orange or grapefruit juice has around eight grams of sugar. One tablespoon (15 g) of granulated white sugar contains seven grams of glucose, so just by adding half of each to your day, you’ve doubled your intake.

And let’s not forget the vast amounts of fructose that juices contain.

Chop or slice your vegetables

When it comes to adding most fruits and veggies into your juicer, one of the things that can be tricky is deciding how to prepare them first. If you don’t, then unfortunately you will have to start from scratch when making the juices.

By choosing whether to chop, cut up, or leave as a whole piece, you determine what kind of liquid you get. For example, if you choose to chunk down carrots, you will get water and pulp with the juice. If you choose to puree them, you will only get juice!

If you want to keep some of the fiber in the fruit or vegetable, then you should either leave it as a whole piece or use a spoon to scoop out the solid part. This way you do not lose any nutrition.

Another option is to mince the ingredients, which are much finer than chopping.

Put them into storage containers

While you can eat your juice right away, it is better to store some of your juices in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to drink them. This will preserve the nutritional value of the liquid!

Most fruits and vegetables have a peak season when they are at their best. If you want to enjoy all of the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and health benefits that an apple, carrot, or spinach smoothie can provide, then buy an adequate amount during those seasons so that you do not run out.

When buying produce, try to buy from sources that use organic products or natural sugars such as fruits or honey. Many times, however, manufacturers add extra sugar to make the product more appealing to consumers. The additional sugar does not contribute to your overall health as much as plain old white sugar.

Storing your fresh fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge or freezer helps preserve their nutrient content. Depending on how long you will be before you drink these beverages, we recommend freezing them unless the beverage contains thickening agents (such as raw cacao powder) that may cause it to take longer to thaw out and therefore reduce the taste slightly.

Put your containers into a sealable bag

While you can always do this with fresh fruits and vegetables, it is not necessary unless you will be doing lots of juicing. If that is the case, then investing in some good sealing plastic bags is worth its weight in gold!

We recommend using Ziploc brand vacuum-sealable bags because they are durable and don’t require too much effort to use them properly every time you get a new batch of juice made.

Make sure to press out all of the air before sealing the pouch and putting it away so that everything gets incorporated fully and nothing goes bad due to exposure to oxygen.

Bring your containers to your juicer

While some people use plastic bowls or cups to prepare their fruits and veggies, this is not necessary unless you do it a lot. Having several different sized glass or ceramic bowls makes preparing juices much easier as you can put the leftover pieces in another bowl or container!

If you are going to be making lots of juices, then investing in good-quality equipment is an excellent way to start. A high quality blender or juicer will make sure that all the bits get processed and discarded properly. Make sure to check out our article: The Best Blenders For Vegetarians to know more about these.

For additional tips on how to prepare fresh fruit and vegetables for juice, read our article: Tips To Keep Your Healthy Diet On Day 2.

Juice away!

One of the biggest mistakes most people make when it comes to juices is how much they use their blender. You should strive to blend just enough to create a liquid consistency, with no pieces in it.

Too many people pour all of the fruit and vegetable into their machine and then mix it up, slicing off chunks here and there to add to your drink. This may result in some leftover bits that end up being discarded or left over at home.

By only blending enough to make a juice, you will get better flavor due to the thickening properties of the pulp. If you are very hungry after your lunch, you can always stir these residues back into your breakfast, but not if you are trying to enjoy this food later.

Also, remember that most nutrition information for fruits and vegetables applies only while they are raw. Once processed, some components could be harmful.

Store your juices in the fridge

While some people recommend boiling or steaming your fruits and veggies first, we do not suggest this with most vegetables. The texture and flavor of many vegetables is lost when you prepare them that way, and it can also lose some of their health benefits.

Some of the minerals in fresh produce are sensitive to high temperatures, and boiling removes that sensitivity. When you don’t heat a vegetable up enough, you may be able to taste the raw starch or sugar component, but otherwise, it will disappear!

By keeping your juice refrigerated, you prevent these components from happening. Also, letting the liquid separate out as the fruit/veggie pieces settle at room temperature can cause oxidation, which decreases nutritional value.

By storing your juice in the refrigerator, you keep all of that important nutrition locked inside. Plus, giving your stomach time to “digest” the drink helps make it more likely to absorb the nutrients.

Serve immediately

After you wash your fruits and veggies, they should be put in a container or plate that can hold them up until you add liquid to them. You don’t want loose pieces of fruit or vegetables to get stuck in the juicer gears, so make sure your serving vessel has adequate space to store them!

Serve your juices right away to fully enjoy all the health benefits of fresh produce. You will also notice better flavor if you do!

Blog post: Tips For A More Nutrient-Dense Juice

Bullet point: Use whole foods as ingredients

This is crucial because some companies may cut down on the cost by using processed food items such as dried apple strips instead of using apples.

By using whole foods, you are getting more of the nutrient content of the food item than just the extracted oil or water. These additional nutrients include vitamins, minerals, and natural chemicals.

Give all of your juice containers proper labels

While some people may not like raw fruits and vegetables, they are important part of most diets. If you’re going to enjoy them, you should know how to prepare them.

There are two main ways to process fruit: either by using a juicer or by blending it. Both have their pros and cons, but one thing is clear: if you don’t use an appropriate container, you will be wasting a lot of valuable nutrition that your body needs.

When buying fresh produce, make sure it has its own dedicated bowl or plate. This way, it can easily be organized and stored along with the other food items in your fridge or freezer. It also helps keep the nutrients separate from each other.

Some people suggest washing fruits and veggies before processing, but this isn’t necessary unless the instructions say so.