How to make juices in blender?

Juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent way to get important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants into your diet. Blending produces a smooth, drinkable juice that’s full of nutrition. With a good blender like a Vitamix, you can make fruit and vegetable juices at home easily. This article will provide tips on how to make all kinds of healthy juices using a blender.

Benefits of Making Your Own Juices

There are many benefits to making your own juices at home in a blender:

• Cost savings – Store-bought juices can be expensive, but you can make juice at home for a fraction of the price.
• Control ingredients – You can pick the exact fruits and veggies that go into your juice.
• Avoid added sugars – Many store-bought juices contain added sugars. Making your own allows you to skip the extra sugar.
• Get more nutrients – Freshly blended juice retains more vitamins and minerals than store-bought juice.
• Customize flavors – Mix and match fruits and veggies to create your own flavor combos.

Choosing a Blender for Juices

Having a good blender is key to making delicious fresh juices at home. The best blenders for juices are powerful machines with strong motors and sharp blades that can liquefy fruits and veggies into smooth juice. Here are some things to look for when choosing a blender:

• High wattage motor – Aim for at least 1,000 watts for the best juicing results.
• Sharp blades – Stainless steel blades stay sharper longer.
• Wide jar – A jar with a wider base processes larger amounts.
• Speed settings – Variable speeds give more control.
• Pulse feature – Allows you to stop and start blending.

Some top-rated blenders for making juices include:

Blender	Key Features
Vitamix 5200	2 horsepower motor, aircraft-grade stainless steel blades, pulse feature
Ninja Mega Kitchen System	2 horsepower motor, 6 blades, 72 oz jar
Cleanblend Commercial Blender	3 horsepower motor, tamper for pushing produce down
Oster Versa Pro Blender	1400 watt motor, variable speeds, BPA-free jar

Choosing Fruits and Vegetables for Juicing

Almost any fruit or vegetable can be juiced in a blender. Here are some tips for selecting the best produce for your juices:

• Apples – A base for many juices. Provide sweetness and body.
• Citrus fruits – Oranges, grapefruit, lemons. Add flavor and vitamin C.
• Leafy greens – Kale, spinach, chard. Packed with nutrients.
• Carrots – Sweeten juices naturally.
• Beets – Add earthy flavor and color.
• Ginger – Adds zing and aids digestion.
• Berries – Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Mix of sweet and tart.
• Melons – Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew. Adds sweetness.
• Pineapple – Blends smoothly for a tropical taste.

Aim for a mix of fruits and veggies when making juices. Combining produce high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber is ideal for a nutritious and balanced juice.

Preparing Fruits and Vegetables for Juicing

Proper preparation of your fruits and vegetables is important when juicing in a blender. Here are some tips:

• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water.
• Cut away any bruised or damaged sections.
• Remove peels, rinds, seeds, stems and cores, which can damage the blender.
• Cut produce into smaller pieces, about 1-2 inches in size.
• For leafy greens like kale or spinach, roll leaves together and cut into strips.
• Prep your ingredients before juicing and store them in sealable bags or containers in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Juicing Steps

Follow these steps for making fresh juices in a blender:

1. Add your prepared fruits and vegetables to the blender jar. More durable produce like carrots and apples should go in first. Softer items like oranges or berries can be added last.
2. Fill the blender about halfway full for the best results.
3. Add a liquid to help blend the ingredients. For fruit juices, filtered water works well. For greens, use carrot, apple juice, or nut milk.
4. Secure the lid tightly and start blending on a low speed. Once ingredients begin breaking down, increase to high speed.
5. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until produce is fully liquefied. You may need to stop the blender occasionally and use a spatula to press ingredients down into the blades.
6. For a smoother juice, pour blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag.
7. Serve juice immediately for best flavor and nutritional value. If storing, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

It can take some trial and error to get the perfect juice consistency in a blender. But with some practice, you’ll be an expert at making delicious and nutritious juices at home.

Green Juice Recipes

Green juices are a great way to pack a concentrated dose of vegetables into your diet. Here are some refreshing green juice recipes to try in your blender:

Mean Green Juice

• 1 cucumber, peeled
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 green apple
• 1 cup kale leaves, stems removed
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 inch ginger, peeled
• 1 cup water

Green Goodness Juice

• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 2 large handfuls spinach
• 1 green apple
• 1-inch knob of ginger
• 1/2 lemon, peeled
• 1 cup coconut water

Detox Green Juice

• 1 cucumber, peeled
• 5 stalks celery
• 1 cup kale leaves, stems removed
• 1 green apple, cored
• 1/2 lemon, peeled
• 1 inch knob ginger, peeled
• 1 cup filtered water

Fruit Juice Combinations

Fruit juices highlight the natural sweetness of fresh produce. Try these tasty fruit juice combos:

Juice Name	Fruit Combination
Orange Sunrise	Oranges, pineapple, strawberries
Tropical Twist	Pineapple, mango, banana
Morning Grapefruit	Grapefruit, orange, apple
Berry Blast	Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Watermelon Refresher	Watermelon, lemon, mint

Vegetable Juice Ideas

For a healthy dose of veggies, try these vegetable juice combos:

Juice Name	Vegetable Combination
Green Machine	Celery, cucumber, kale, spinach, lemon
Gazpacho Juice	Tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, garlic
Spicy Beet Juice	Beets, carrots, ginger, lemon
Purple Power	Cabbage, purple carrots, sweet potato
Veggie Supreme	Carrot, broccoli, celery, tomato, spinach

Making Nut Milks and Smoothies in a Blender

In addition to juices, blenders are great for making nut milks and smoothies too. Here are some tips:

Nut Milks

• Combine 1 cup raw nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts with 2-4 cups filtered water in blender
• Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, at least 1 minute
• Strain nut milk through a nut milk bag or fine mesh strainer
• Squeeze strained solids to release any extra milk
• Refrigerate nut milk up to 5 days

Smoothies

• Combine fruit and liquid like milk or juice in blender
• Add greens, protein powder or nut butter if desired
• Blend until fully combined and smooth
• Add ice and blend again until icy cold
• Drink smoothies immediately for best flavor and texture

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Blender

Proper cleaning keeps your blender in tip-top shape. Follow these steps:

1. Rinse blender jar, lid, blades, and any other parts immediately after use.
2. Fill blender jar halfway with warm water and add a drop of dish soap.
3. Blend on low for 30 seconds, then high for 30 seconds.
4. Drain soapy water and rinse all parts thoroughly.
5. Allow parts to air dry fully before reassembling blender.
6. Deep clean by blending equal parts water and white vinegar occasionally.
7. Check blender gaskets and replace if worn.

Making your own juices, nut milks and smoothies is easy with a good blender. Follow these tips and recipes for healthy, homemade beverages that beat anything you can buy in stores.

Conclusion

Making fresh, nutritious juices at home has many benefits over buying store-bought varieties. With a powerful blender and some practice, you can easily whip up green juices bursting with vegetables, fruity blends full of vitamins, and creamy nut milks and smoothies. Follow the tips in this article for selecting produce, prepping ingredients, blending techniques, juice combinations, and cleaning methods. Soon you’ll be a juicing expert crafting delicious and healthy drinks tailored to your own taste. Your body will thank you for all the extra nutrients!