Can you use a NutriBullet to juice celery?

Juicing has become an increasingly popular way for people to get more nutrients into their diets. Celery is a healthy and hydrating vegetable that many people like to include in their juices. However, celery has a high fiber content which can make it difficult to fully juice and extract its liquid. NutriBullets are powerful personal blenders that can break down and extract nutrients from fruits and vegetables. But can you actually use a NutriBullet to juice celery?

How NutriBullets Work

NutriBullets are compact blenders designed for making smoothies, shakes, and juices. They have powerful motors and sharp blades that pulverize fruits, vegetables, and ice into a smooth liquid consistency. Unlike regular blenders, NutriBullets break down the cell walls of ingredients to access their nutrients. This allows you to get the most out of your fruits and veggies.

NutriBullets work in a few key ways:

• High-powered motor – NutriBullets have 600-1200 watt motors that can spin blades at up to 25,000 RPM. This provides the power to break down tough ingredients.
• Extractor blades – The uniquely shaped blades pull ingredients down and slice through them to thoroughly grind and mix.
• Centrifugal force – As the NutriBullet blades spin, ingredients are pressured against the walls of the container. This lets the blades pulverize the contents into a smooth consistency.
• Cyclonic action – Contents are continuously circulated around the container, allowing the ingredients to be fully blended.

This powerful blending action is able to break open plant cell walls and release their nutrients and liquid content. However, NutriBullets are not true juicers. They create thicker smoothies rather than separating and straining pulp from juice.

Challenges of Juicing Celery

Celery is made up of about 95% water. However, it contains insoluble fiber that makes it difficult to extract the full liquid content. Here are some of the challenges with juicing celery:

• Stringy fibers – Celery contains tough, stringy fibers that don’t fully break down during juicing.
• Pulp production – The fibers and other solids in celery produce a lot of pulp when juiced.
• Clogs juicers – Celery can jam up juicer parts like filters because of its fibers.
• Bitter flavors – Juicing separates out some of the bitter compounds in celery that can affect taste.
• Oxidation – Celery juice oxidizes and loses nutrients quickly when exposed to air.

These factors make it tricky to get a high yield of celery juice. Juicers that use spinning blades often have difficulty fully breaking down celery’s fiber content. Even masticating and twin-gear juicers that crush and press produce struggle to extract all the liquid from celery.

Using a NutriBullet for Celery Juice

While you can attempt to juice celery in a NutriBullet, it won’t be an effective method. Here’s why:

• Leaves fiber in – NutriBullets break down ingredients but don’t fully strain out fiber like a juicer.
• Produces thicker juice – Celery juice from a NutriBullet will be much thicker and pulpier.
• Lower yield – You won’t get as much volume of liquid compared to a dedicated juicer.
• Oxidation – The juice oxidizes faster when blended versus freshly extracted.

You can certainly blend celery in a NutriBullet along with other ingredients to make a healthy shake or smoothie. But if you want purely extracted celery juice, you need a proper juicer that separates pulp from juice. Here is how different types of juicers extract juice from celery:

Juicer Type	Juicing Method	Celery Juice Yield and Quality
Centrifugal	Fast spinning blade grinds produce	Lower yield, more oxidation
Masticating	Crushes produce between gears	Higher yield, less oxidation
Twin gear	Dual gears crush and press produce	Highest yield, freshest juice

Twin gear juicers like the Super Angel Juicer are specially designed to get the highest yields from challenging fruits and vegetables like celery. They have twin augers that chew through the fibers while pressing out the juice.

Making Celery Juice with a NutriBullet

If you do want to make a celery juice blend using your NutriBullet, here are some tips:

• Cut celery into small 1-2 inch chunks to allow for better breakdown in the NutriBullet.
• Add a bit of water to help facilitate the blending process.
• Blend celery on a high speed for 45-60 seconds to break it down as much as possible.
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh nut milk bag or cheesecloth to remove some of the fiber.
• Add lemon juice to help reduce oxidation and preserve nutrients.
• Drink the juice immediately for best flavor and nutritional quality.

This will produce a pulpier celery juice with some fiber still intact. Make sure to drink it right after straining for optimal freshness.

Benefits of Juicing Celery

Here are some of the key nutrients and benefits you can get from properly juiced celery juice:

• Hydration – Celery juice consists of about 95% water, providing hydration.
• Electrolytes – Celery contains sodium, potassium, and other minerals for electrolyte replenishment.
• Antioxidants – Compounds like polyacetylenes and vitamin C act as antioxidants in the body.
• Anti-inflammation – Nutrients like vitamin K, polyphenols, and flavonoids reduce inflammation.
• Lower cholesterol – The juice contains compounds that can help lower LDL and triglyceride levels.
• Blood pressure – Phthalides help relax arterial walls to reduce blood pressure.

However, to get the most benefits, it’s important to properly extract the juice and consume it immediately. Juicing also removes the insoluble fiber content of celery that provides bulk and feed good gut bacteria.

Possible Downsides of Celery Juice

Celery juice does provide many important nutrients. But there are also some potential downsides to consider:

• May irritate digestive tract – Large amounts of straight celery juice can bother sensitive stomachs.
• Diuretic effect – Excess celery juice can act as a diuretic, increasing urination.
• High sodium – Celery contains sodium, so those limiting salt intake should moderate intake.
• Bitter taste – Juicing separates bitter compounds present in celery stalks and leaves.
• Allergies – Celery can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Oxalates – Celery contains oxalate compounds that may contribute to kidney stones.

It’s best to start with small amounts of juice and properly combine it with other produce. People with kidney issues should consult their doctor before consuming high amounts of celery juice.

NutriBullet Celery Juice Recipe Ideas

You can make blended celery juices and smoothies in a NutriBullet using the following recipe ideas:

Basic Celery Juice

• 1-2 heads organic celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 lemon juice

Tropical Celery Smoothie

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 1/4 avocado

Green Juice Blend

• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 green apple, cored
• 1 inch ginger, peeled
• Handful of spinach
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Get creative and add your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to balance out the strong flavor of celery juice. This allows you to get its nutrient benefits as part of a healthy blended drink.

Conclusion

While you can attempt to make celery juice in a NutriBullet, it won’t fully separate the pulp and fiber from the liquid. For the highest yield of fresh celery juice, a dedicated juicer like a twin gear or masticating model is recommended. But the NutriBullet can create thicker, blended celery juices and smoothies that allow you to incorporate it along with other nourishing ingredients.

Celery juice does provide hydration and important nutrients. But it also has some potential downsides to be aware of. Overall, consuming celery as part of a balanced smoothie or juice blend is a healthy way to add its benefits into your diet.