Juicing has become an increasingly popular way to get more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. However, juicers can be expensive appliances. If you want to try juicing but don’t have a juicer, there are still ways to make homemade juices using simple kitchen tools you likely already own.
Blending
One option is to use a blender. Blending and juicing are not exactly the same – juicing extracts the liquid from the produce, leaving behind the solids, while blending pulverizes everything together into a smoothie-like drink. However, using a blender is a great alternative if you don’t have a juicer.
To juice with a blender:
- Chop produce into small pieces to make it easier for the blender to handle.
- Add water as needed to help blend the ingredients smoothly.
- Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag to separate the liquid from the solids.
This will produce a juice full of nutrients, though it may be a bit thicker than juice from a juicer. You can add more water to thin it out if desired. The advantage of blending is it retains all the fiber from the produce, making it a very nutritious drink.
Mashing
For fruits and vegetables with a high water content, like oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, berries, tomatoes, and cucumbers, you can simply mash them up to release their juice. Use a mortar and pestle, potato masher, fork, or your hands to mash or squeeze the produce over a bowl to catch the juice.
This won’t work for produce like carrots, beets, leafy greens, or apples which require more mechanical extraction. But for water-rich fruits, mashing can easily provide you with straight fruit juice full of vitamins and minerals.
Grater Method
Using a grater is an easy way to juice firm, water-dense produce like carrots, beets, celery, ginger, and apples. Simply wash and peel the produce, then grate it using the smallest holes on a box grater or a microplane. Place the grated pulp in a nut milk bag or piece of cheesecloth and squeeze the juice out into a bowl.
This method allows you to press out the juice while leaving behind the dry pulp. The resulting juice will be a bit pulpy, but full of fresh flavor.
Citrus Press
For citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes, a citrus press is the easiest way to get fresh juice if you don’t have a juicer. Citrus presses have a cone-shaped ridged center that pushes down onto the halved fruit, squeezing out the juice.
Citrus presses are inexpensive ($10-20) and take up very little storage space. They provide an easy mess-free way to get pure fresh-squeezed citrus juice.
Vegetable Press
A vegetable press works similarly to a citrus press but is suitable for harder produce like carrots, celery, beets, ginger, and apples. Place chopped produce into the center, then bring down the lever to press out the juice from the pulp. The juice flows out from a spout while the dry pulp stays packed inside.
Vegetable presses ($30-60) take a bit more effort than an electric juicer, but make juicing possible without any power required.
Steaming/Boiling Method
For leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, or herbs, steaming or boiling is an easy way to get juice without a juicer. Simply place the greens into a steamer basket or boiling water for 1-3 minutes until wilted. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze out the warm juice by twisting the greens in your hands or pressing with a spoon.
The heat helps extract more nutrients and juice from the leaves. You can drink the juice warm, or refrigerate and drink chilled.
Nut Milk Bag
A nut milk bag is a fine mesh bag traditionally used to strain out pulp when making homemade nut milks. But it can also be used as a juicing hack for any produce. Simply place chopped fruits or vegetables into the nut milk bag and squeeze and press the bag to extract the juice.
Nut milk bags are an inexpensive ($5-10) reusable tool that makes juicing without a machine possible. You can compost the leftover pulp after juicing.
Comparison of Juicing Methods
Here is a comparison of the different juicing methods:
| Method | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blending | All produce | Retains fiber Uses common appliance |
Thicker, pulpy juice |
| Mashing | Watery fruits like citrus, berries, tomatoes | Easy, no equipment needed | Only works for soft produce |
| Grater | Carrots, beets, apples, ginger | Easy cleanup Minimal equipment |
Some fiber still retained in juice |
| Citrus Press | Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit | Easy to use Minimal cleanup |
Only for citrus fruits |
| Vegetable Press | Carrots, celery, beets, ginger, apples | Extracts juice well Compact storage |
More effort than electric juicer |
| Steaming | Leafy greens like spinach, kale | Heat helps extract nutrients and juice | Only works for greens |
| Nut milk bag | All produce | Reusable Extracts juice from anything |
Requires pressing/squeezing |
Tips for Juicing without a Juicer
Here are some handy tips for getting the most out of juicing without a fancy appliance:
- Cut produce into small pieces so it’s easier to blend, grate, or squeeze.
- Grate hard items like ginger, carrots, beets, etc. before adding to a blender.
- Wrap citrus fruits in a towel and roll under palm to soften before juicing.
- Add some water when blending to allow ingredients to move and blend smoothly.
- Strain blended juices through a coffee filter, cheesecloth or nut milk bag to remove excess pulp.
- Press or squeeze produce thoroughly when using a grater or nut milk bag to extract all the juice.
- Drink juice right away for best flavor and nutrients.
- Make only what you can drink at one time, as juice separates and loses nutrients when stored.
- Combine fruits and vegetables to make flavorful juice blends.
Recommended Juice Combinations
Here are some tasty juice combinations to try:
| Juice Name | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Orange Greens | Oranges, spinach, parsley |
| Green Lemonade | Lemon, spinach, kale, apple, ginger |
| Beet Tonic | Beets, carrots, apple, lemon |
| Tropical Zinger | Pineapple, orange, strawberries, lime |
| Morning Glory | Apple, carrot, orange, ginger |
| Green Reviver | Cucumber, celery, kale, lemon, ginger |
Choosing a Juicer
While it’s possible to juice without a dedicated appliance, a good juicer makes the process much easier and can help you make juicing a daily habit. There are three main types of juicers to consider:
- Centrifugal juicers are the most common and affordable option. They grind produce using sharp blades and spin at high speeds to separate juice from pulp.
- Masticating juicers (cold press) crush fruits and vegetables more slowly to extract juice. They retain more nutrients but have a higher cost.
- Triturating juicers are high-end twin gear models that fully grind produce to get the maximum juice yield.
Some features to look for are:
- Chute size – larger is more convenient for whole fruits and vegetables.
- Pulp ejector – allows continuous juicing.
- Yield – amount of juice extracted from produce.
- Speed – slower is better for reducing oxidation.
- Noise level.
- Cleanup – dishwasher safe parts preferred.
Investing in a quality juicer can make juicing much more enjoyable and sustainable in the long run. But you can test out juicing using tools you already own before deciding if you want to purchase a juicer.
Conclusion
With a bit of creativity and the right equipment, you can absolutely make fresh, nutritious juice at home without an actual juicer. Blending, mashing, grating, steaming, and straining through a nut milk bag can all produce great juice, each with their own advantages.
While juicers make the process easier and more efficient, don’t let a lack of counter space or budget stop you from reaping the many benefits of juicing. Use simple kitchen tools and get creative to make delicious custom juice blends chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from your favorite fruits and veggies.
