Preparing Your Produce for Juicing

Kale

Rinse leaves individually, and make sure the dirt and sand are removed. No need to remove the stems.  Roll the leaves up before putting it through your juicer.  It is best to follow any leafy greens with a harder fruit or vegetable, such as an apple, celery, or carrot.

Apple

Wash and core your apple, and remove the seeds before pushing it through the juicer.

Apricot

Rinse well and slice in half to remove the pit. 

Asparagus

Rinse well.  Push the bottom of the stalk through the juicer first.

Avocado

Do not juice.  Use in blender only.  Cut and remove the pit, then scoop out the flesh.

Banana

Do not juice.  Use in blender only.  Peel the banana and blend into a juice to thicken it up.

Basil

Carefully wash the leaves to remove any dirt.  If the basil seems very gritty, submerge in a bowl of water and swish it around.  Tear the leaves from the steps, and then push through the juicer with firmer produce.

Beets (beetroot)

Do not use cooked beetroot in juices.  Peel the beets before juicing it to avoid the “earthy” taste.  Cut the beets to fit the juicer shoot.  You can juice the beetroot leaves as well if you want to.

Bell peppers

Rinse well and remove the stem.  You can remove the seeds or juice the seed – it is fine to juice it.

Berries

Rinse well in a strainer.  Don’t juice them, only use in a blender. 

Broccoli

Rinse well.  Some recipes require only the stalk to juice, but it is fine to juice the head as well.

Lettuce

Rinse leaves individually, and make sure the dirt and sand are removed. No need to remove the stems.  Roll the leaves up before putting it through your juicer.  It is best to follow any leafy greens with a harder fruit or vegetable, such as an apple, celery, or carrot.

Cabbage

Red and green cabbage are great for juicing.  Cut the cabbage into quarters, or smaller, if needed to fit the juicer shoot.  

Cantaloupe (rockmelon)

Remove the rind and seeds.  Juice the flesh of this orange melon. 

Carrots

Rinse carrots well to remove any dirt.  Do not juice carrot leaves.

Chinese 5-Spice powder

Don’t juice this, just sprinkle it into your juice once you’ve made it.

Celery

Wash carefully to remove any dirt from the stems.  Cut the celery to fit your juicer.  You can juice the leaves as well.

Chard (silverbeet)

Rinse leaves individually, and make sure the dirt and sand are removed. No need to remove the stems.  Roll the leaves up before putting it through your juicer.  It is best to follow any leafy greens with a harder fruit or vegetable, such as an apple, celery, or carrot.

Cherries

Rinse the cherries, and use a small pairing knife to remove the pits.  Put a handful through the juicer at any time. 

Cilantro (coriander)

Rinse well.  You can juice the stem and leaves.

Cinnamon

Do not juice.  Sprinkle ground cinnamon on the finished juice. 

Collard greens

Rinse leaves individually, and make sure the dirt and sand are removed. No need to remove the stems.  Roll the leaves up before putting it through your juicer.  It is best to follow any leafy greens with a harder fruit or vegetable, such as an apple, celery, or carrot.

Cranberries

Rinse well before juicing.  These berries are really tart, so make sure you juice them with something sweet.

Cucumber

Depending on the size of your juicer shoot, you may need to cut the cucumber in half.  No need to peel.

Eggplant

I haven’t juiced eggplant, and probably never will!  Keep this vegetable for eating.

Fennel bulb

Fennel will give you a delicious licorice taste to your juice. Rinse and cut them to fit through your juicer.

Garlic

Garlic gives a very strong flavour to your juice, so start with a small piece.  Use fresh garlic and peel it before you juice it.  

Ginger

Ginger doesn’t produce much juice, but it adds a rich flavour to your juice.  Start with a small amount.  Peel the piece of ginger with the side of a spoon (or use a knife).

Grapefruit

Peel the grapefruit and try to keep as much of the white pith on.  The pith contains nutrients that help your body absorb vitamin C. You can keep the seeds in. Cut to fit your juicer. 

Grapes

Remove the grapes from the stems and wash the grapes before juicing them.

Jalapeno (chili pepper)

This is potent, so use with care!  Wash and juice. 

Kale

Rinse leaves individually, and make sure the dirt and sand are removed. No need to remove the stems.  Roll the leaves up before putting it through your juicer.  It is best to follow any leafy greens with a harder fruit or vegetable, such as an apple, celery, or carrot.

Kiwifruit

Peel and put it through the juicer, seeds and all.

Lemon

Purchase unwaxed lemons, if possible.  If waxed, remove the skin and try to keep as much of the white pith as possible.  Cut to fit your juicer.  You can keep the seeds in. 

Limes

Purchase unwaxed limes, if possible.  If waxed, remove the skin and try to keep as much of the white pith as possible.  Cut to fit your juicer.  You can keep the seeds in. Limes tend to be hard, so roll it with your hand on a hard surface to slightly soften it before juicing. 

Mangoes

I don’t recommend juicing mangoes.  Best for the blender.  Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh from the core.  Do not juice the core.  Mangoes give a delicious creamy texture to juice. 

Melon

Cut the melon into wedges, and remove the outer skin with a knife or peeler.  You can juice it with the seeds.

Mint

Wash well and remove the leaves from the stems.  If you have a high-speed juicer, cut a little hole in a hard piece of fruit, such as an apple, and press the mint into the hole before juicing.

Mustard greens

These are very strong, so start with a small amount.  It adds a lot of spice. Rinse well before juicing, and follow it with a hard fruit or vegetable.  

Onion

I don’t juice onions, but some people do enjoy it.  It gives juices a very strong flavour.  Peel the papery skin, and slice to fit your juicer.  Start with a small amount.

Orange

Remove the peel and try to keep as much of the white pith as possible.  Cut to fit the juicer and juice.  You can keep the seeds in.

Papaya

Cut in half and peel the skin.  You can leave the seeds in.  I prefer to blend papaya, but you can juice it as well.

Parsley

Wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt.  Remove the leaves, roll it up and push it through the juicer with firmer produce.

Parsnip

Just rinse well and juice it.  Cut in smaller pieces if the parsnip is larger. 

Peach

Cut in half to remove the pit.  You can juice it with the skin on if it is organic, else I will recommend you peel it.

Pineapple

The heavier the pineapple is, the riper it is!  Grab hold of the top and twist it off.  Slice the pineapple into quarters, cut out the woody core, peel the skin and juice.

Plum

Wash and cut in half to remove the pit.  

Promogranate

It is very important to properly clean pomegranate.  Fill a bowl with water.  Slice the pomegranate in half without pulling the leaves apart, and then submerge it in the water to break it apart (this will keep the juice from squirting).  While keeping it in the water, break it into chunks and tease the seeds out.  The seeds will sink.  Remove all the skin and white parts, scooping out the white parts from the top of the water.  Then juice the seeds.

Radish

Rinse well and juice.  Remove the leaves before juicing.  Use small amounts at a time as these can spice up your juice. 

Spinach

Wash well to remove dirt.  Roll into a ball and push through your juicer between firm produce (such as apples) to help push the leaves through. 

Sugar snap peas

Rinse and juice.  These will not yield a lot of juice, as they do not contain a lot of water.  

Sweet potato

Scrub and cut into chunks.  Sweet potatoes make a delicious desert juice. 

Tangerine

Peel and try to keep as much of the white pith as possible.  Cut to fit your juicer. You can keep the seeds.  

Tarragon

Wash well and tear off the leaves before juicing.  Tarragon gives a herbal flavour to vegetable juices.  

Tomato

Wash and remove the stem and any leaves.  Slice to fit your juicer if necessary.  No need to take out the seeds.  

Turnip

Scrub well and cut into chunks to fit your juicer.  

Watermelon

Cut into wedges and remove the skin and rind.  You can juice it with the seeds in.

Wheatgrass

Some juicers are better at juicing wheatgrass than others.  Rinse wheatgrass well, twist or roll into a ball and push it through the juicer with something firm, such as an apple.  

Zucchini

Scrub to remove any dirt, and cut off the stem.