How to Get Juice Without a Juicer
You guys know I love shiny new kitchen appliances – hello, very specific ice maker – but buying a Juicero is simply pointless . I love freshjuice as much as the drinker to understand my life choices a little better, but a $ 400 juicer just doesn’t fit.
Luckily, there are ways to get fresh, somewhat healthy juice without a juicer, small packets, QR codes, or even Wi-Fi. Here are my favorites:
Use your blender
Blenders are pretty good at extracting liquid from meaty fruits and vegetables, and this method can be used to get a lot of juice. It takes a little more time and effort than pulling the bag out of the fridge, but if you’re not too busy helping Captain Orange Crash destroy the fabric of society , you can probably wave it. To make juice with a blender you will need:
- Blender
- Fine mesh filter
- Bowl
- Rubber spatula
Place the succulent parts of the plant in a blender and blend to form a smooth, fleshy liquid. Place the strainer over a bowl, pour the juicy gruel into the strainer and let it drain slightly. Press down on the pulp with a rubber spatula to drain out every last bit of juice, pour the juice into a drinking container and drink.
I’ve used this method to make fresh pineapple juice (for Pina Colada ), fresh cucumber tomato juice (for Bloody Marys ), and to be honest, a lot more. Also, if you plan on juicing the more fibrous parts of the plant – as The Minimalist Baker does here – you may need to add a little liquid like water or unfiltered apple juice to get things off the ground. (Alternatively, you can also mix the contents of the Juicero pack, although they DO NOT want you to open the pack.)
Use a citrus expander
If you crave citrus juice, grab a reamer and start expanding. Simply cut the fruit in half to expose the segments, insert the expander into the center of the fruit and twist it to crush the cell walls and release the juice. If you don’t have one of these reamers with a built-in bowl , you probably want to do it over an outlet of some kind. You can also use a plug. (Alternatively, you can open a Juicero bag and mash the contents with a fork. This is not a very efficient way to get juice – it’s just something you can do.)
Use your arms (or legs!)
If we have learned anything from this whole Jucero saga, it is that the kind gentleman gave us two perfectly good juicers on the ends of our arms, four if you count the ones on the ends of our legs that have been used to make grape juice for years. … Just grab a fruit, hold it in your hand, and squeeze the sweet nectar directly into your mouth or into a cup if you like. (Alternatively, you can do it with Juicero’s Chunky Capricians, because it turns out you don’t really need a ton of strength to turn soft fruit into juice.)