A dear friend and reader of mine just bought her first juicer. She’s been busy testing new recipes including a homemade V-8 concoction. In honor of her new toy, I thought I’d share my top twelve favorite juices. These are combinations of vegetables and fruits that I have weekly and during my yearly cleanse.
You’ll notice I do not include quantities as I rarely measure these ingredients. Everyone’s palette is different, especially when juicing. If you’re new to juicing you may not want as much lemon, ginger or kale as I do in a recipe. I still haven’t worked my way up to dandelion greens and lots of parsley. Generally, if I’m new to a recipe, I start with my base (apple for example) and taste test with each new ingredient. I juice until I have about 1-2 cups for juice for a serving.
Tips:
- Work toward incorporating more vegetables, including dark, leafy greens.
- When using apples, use tart or granny smith apples for less sugar.
- Fruit juice is very sweet and can cause spikes in your blood sugar. Consult a physician if you have blood sugar concerns.
- Do not juice carrot or rhubarb leaves as they are toxic.
- Tomatoes and peppers are nightshades (an allergen) and not recommended during cleansing.
| APPLE | CARROT | CUCUMBER |
| #1 | #2 | #3 |
| Apple Spinach or Kale Celery Lemon Ginger |
Carrot Beet Ginger Lemon |
Cucumber Tomato Celery Cilantro Bell pepper Lime |
| #4 | #5 | #6 |
| Apple Fennel Kale Clover or Alfalfa Sprouts |
Carrot Apple Lemon |
Cucumber Apple Clover or Alfalfa Sprouts Watercress Lemon |
| #7 | #8 | #9 |
| Apple Lemon Garlic Cayenne pepper |
Carrot Spinach Beet Jerusalem Artichoke (sun choke) Celery |
Cucumber Fennel Apple Mint |
| #10 | #11 | #12 |
| Apple Spinach Clover or Alfalfa Sprouts Blueberry (just a touch) |
Carrot Dandelion greens Parsley Lemon |
Cucumber Romaine Lettuce Parsley Lemon |
I have a crap juicer which is a hastle to get out. What are some examples of quality juicers or are there other less ‘plug’ ways of extracting juice?
Hi Andrew,
If you’re looking for a manual way of extracting juice from foods such as apples or carrots, I imagine you could use an old fashioned food mill or grinder, mix with water and strain. If you have a blender, you can do something similar without as much mess. Another reader had a similar question when I featured The Pick Me Up. Cut your vegetables/fruit in small pieces (to help your blender), blend on high and add a water, a little at a time until you have a desired “juice” consistency. Strain through a mesh bag. You can find them in the produce section of many markets. I get mine from PCC markets. They carry a medium sized mesh bag for less than $2.
Let me know how it goes!