Do you add water when juicing in blender?

Introduction

Juicing is a popular way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. It involves extracting the liquid from fresh produce to make nutrient-dense juices. Some people add water when juicing in a blender, while others don’t. There are pros and cons to adding water that are important to consider.

In this article, we’ll explore whether or not you need to add water when making juices in a blender. We’ll look at the purpose of adding water, discuss if it’s necessary, and provide tips for getting the best results from your blended juices with or without extra water.

What is the Purpose of Adding Water When Juicing?

There are a few reasons people commonly add water when making juices in a blender:

• To thin out thick juices: Many vegetables and fruits create very thick juices when blended. Adding water helps thin them out into more drinkable consistencies.
• To yield more juice: Adding water to blended produce can help increase the total volume of juice you extract.
• To aid in blending: Water can help the blender blades process fruits and veggies more efficiently.
• To reduce oxidation: Some people believe adding water helps minimize oxidation, which can cause nutrients in juice to break down more rapidly.

So in short, the purpose of adding water to juices made in a blender is mainly to improve the consistency, increase yield, and potentially preserve nutrients.

Is Adding Water Necessary?

While adding water to blended juices can provide benefits in some cases, it is not strictly necessary.

Many fruits and vegetables naturally contain a high water content. Blending releases this moisture and naturally thins out the juice.

For example, tomatoes are approximately 94% water. Simply blending fresh tomatoes will easily produce a drinkable juice without requiring extra water.

Leafy greens like spinach and kale also have very high water content. Although they can create thick green juices when blended alone, mixing them with watery fruits like oranges, apples, or pineapples will thin the juice and make it more palatable.

Additionally, many modern blenders are powerful enough to process whole fruits and vegetables into smooth, drinkable juices without adding liquid.

So while extra water can help in some circumstances, it is possible to make delicious blended juices without it.

Tips for Juicing Without Adding Water

Here are some tips to help you get great results when juicing without adding water in a blender:

• Use very ripe produce. Riper fruits and vegetables will both yield more juice and contain more moisture.
• Peel citrus fruits. Leaving the peel on citrus can add unpleasant textures and flavors to juice.
• Cut produce into small pieces. Smaller pieces will blend and juice more efficiently.
• Blend high-moisture fruits and veggies. Tomatoes, oranges, grapes, and melons make great juice bases.
• Mix up thicker produce with higher-water produce. Pair things like kale and carrots with oranges or apples.
• Strain juices if desired. For smoother texture, strain blended juices through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve.
• Add ice. Adding a few ice cubes can chill and thin out juice consistency.
• Let juice settle. Particulates in juice will settle to the bottom after blending, leaving a smoother liquid top layer.

Following these tips can help you get a good amount of juice and smooth drinkable texture without diluting flavors by adding extra water.

Benefits of Adding Water to Blended Juices

While not mandatory, there are some advantages to adding water when making juices in a blender:

• Improves consistency: Water can thin out dense juices from leafy greens, fruits like mangos, or vegetables like beets into a more drinkable liquid.
• Increases yield: Adding water allows you to extract more cups of total juice per batch.
• Makes fiber more drinkable: extra water lets you blend juices with some pulp or fiber while improving mouthfeel.
• Allows blending of frozen produce: Water helps break down frozen fruits and vegetables into creamy smoothies or juices.
• Can minimize nutrient loss: Some research suggests the water content of juices impacts nutrient retention during blending.
• Easier on blender: Water prevents overheating and straining blender motors when making large batches of juice.

So while not always essential, added water can optimize juicing and blending results in several ways.

How Much Water Should You Add?

If you decide to add water to your blended juices, how much should you use? Here are some general guidelines:

– For mild thinning, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup water per 2-3 cups of produce.

– For very thick juices, use equal parts water and produce.

– When juicing leafy greens like kale or spinach, try 1 cup water for every 2 cups greens.

– If using frozen produce, add up to 1/2 to 1 cup water per cup of frozen fruits or veggies.

– To create a smoothie-like juice, use 1 cup water for every 1-2 cups of produce and ice.

The exact amount of water needed will vary based on the power of your blender, the types of produce used, and your desired juice consistency. Play around with different water amounts to see what works for your preferences.

Choosing the Water for Juice Blending

You can use plain tap water when making blended juices. But some people prefer to use filtered water or specific types of water to potentially maximize benefits:

• Filtered water: Removes impurities like chlorine while keeping beneficial minerals.
• Spring water: Natural mineral water that may provide electrolytes.
• Coconut water: Provides electrolytes and natural sweetness.
• Herbal tea: Adds flavor and functional benefits like antioxidant herbs.
• Nut milks: For a creamy texture and nutrition boost from nuts.

Feel free to experiment with using different types of water when blending juices to enhance nutrition and taste.

Should You Add Water to Store-Bought Juices?

Many people ask if they should add water when drinking bottled, packaged juices from the grocery store.

There are a few things to consider with store-bought juices:

• They have often already been diluted and contain added water.
• Further dilution will lower the nutrient density.
• Added water can disrupt flavors and balances commercial producers intend.
• Some juice brands use concentrates that are meant to be reconstituted with water.
• If the juice tastes too strong, try adding sparkling water instead of regular water.

In general, it’s best to enjoy store-bought juices as-is and only dilute if you find the flavor too overpowering. Check labels for guidance, as some brands provide recommended dilution ratios.

Should You Add Water When Juicing in a Centrifugal Juicer?

Centrifugal ejection juicers work very differently than blenders. They separate juice from produce using high speed spinning blades rather than crushing and blending.

Most experts recommend avoiding adding water when juicing with centrifugal models. Here’s why:

• It dilutes flavors and nutrient density.
• Can contribute to juice foaming and overflow.
• Makes juice separation less efficient for the machine.
• Juices made in centrifugal juicers are already a thin, drinkable consistency.

Centrifugal machines are designed to extract maximum moisture from produce. So adding extra water is usually not beneficial.

However, if you want to make a larger volume of juice from a batch, adding some water to the separated juice (rather than produce) may be an option.

Adding Water to Juices Made in Cold Press Juicers

Cold press or masticating juicers crush and press produce at slow speeds to get high juice yields. Should you add water when juicing with these machines?

Here are some tips on using water in cold press juicers:

• Don’t add water to the juicer when juicing. It can lower juice quality and nutrient content.
• The juices these machines produce are typically more concentrated and can be diluted after.
• To stretch juice volume, add small amounts of water to separated juice instead of produce.
• Try diluting with herbal tea, nut milk or coconut water instead of plain water.
• Dilute strong or bitter juices like wheatgrass, celery, kale or parsley to improve flavor.

While not required, diluting after juicing allows you to conserve flavors and nutrients when desired.

Conclusion

While adding water when making juices in a blender isn’t strictly necessary, it can help improve texture, increase yields, and allow blending of frozen or fibrous ingredients. Use around 1/4 to 1/2 cup water per few cups of produce as a general guideline. Filtered or mineral water may offer the most benefits. With store-bought juices, it’s often best to enjoy them undiluted as intended. Centrifugal and cold press juicers separate juice efficiently, so water is not needed when juicing produce. But a bit can be added to servings of finished juice to thinly stretch concentration or flavor if desired. Getting the right ratio of produce to water takes some experimentation, but will help you create great blended juices to enjoy.

Type of Juicer	Recommendation for Adding Water
Blender	Can be beneficial for texture and yield
Centrifugal Ejection Juicer	Not needed or recommended
Cold Press/Masticating Juicer	Optional to add to separated juice for dilution