Four roles in a glass
Each fruit and vegetable in our notes has a main role. Most glasses start with a base and add one or two of the others.
Base
- Orange
- Apple
- Pineapple
- Watermelon
- Mango
- Grapes
- Carrot
Tart lift
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Kiwi
- Pomegranate
Green
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Kale and spinach
Accent
- Strawberry
- Beet
- Ginger
- Base: mild, plentiful juice that makes up half or more of the glass. Apple, orange, carrot, pineapple, grapes, watermelon.
- Tart lift: acidity that keeps the juice from tasting flat. Lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, pomegranate.
- Green: fresh, cool or grassy notes. Cucumber, celery, kale, spinach, herbs.
- Accent: strong flavor or color in a small amount. Ginger, beet, strawberry.
Think in parts
Recipes for fresh juice are hard to write in exact cups, because the same apple gives different amounts of juice in different machines. Parts are easier. A part can be a quarter cup or a whole cup. What matters is the balance.
A good starting point is about three parts base, one part tart or green, and a quarter part or less of an accent. Juice the produce separately into a measuring cup if you want to get the balance right, then adjust next time.
Combinations to try
Each card shows its produce scaled to its share of the glass. Numbers are parts of juice by volume.
Orange, carrot and ginger
3 orange2 carrot¼ ginger
Sweet and round with a warm finish. Start with a thin coin of ginger and add more next time.
Apple, cucumber and celery
3 apple2 cucumber1 celery½ lemon
Light and green. The apple keeps the celery from taking over.
Beet and apple
3 apple1 beet½ lemon
Deep purple and earthy. Beet is strong, so keep it to about a quarter of the glass.
Pineapple, kiwi and cucumber
3 pineapple1 kiwi1 cucumber
Tangy and tropical with a cool edge.
Watermelon and strawberry
4 watermelon1 strawberry
Pale pink and very mild. Best blended and strained, then served cold.
Grape, pomegranate and apple
3 grapes1 pomegranate1 apple
Berry purple, tart and full. Press the pomegranate halves on a citrus press.
Grapefruit and orange
2 orange2 grapefruit
A classic breakfast pairing: tart, a little bitter and bright.
Carrot, apple and kale
2 carrot2 apple½ kale and spinach
A gentle way to try greens. A small handful of leaves goes a long way.
Tasting tips
- Juice the base first and taste it on its own.
- Add the tart and green juices a little at a time, tasting as you go.
- Add strong accents last. You can always add more ginger or beet, but you can't take it out.
- If a juice tastes too sweet, a squeeze of lemon or lime or a splash of cucumber juice balances it.
- If it tastes too strong or bitter, stretch it with more of the base or a little cold water.
- Serve it cold. Cold juice tastes less sweet and more refreshing.
Small extras
A few mint or basil leaves juiced with the base add aroma. A pinch of salt can make tomato or vegetable juice taste fuller. A splash of sparkling water lightens a heavy juice. Skip sweeteners at first; ripe fruit is usually sweet enough.
A note on color
Colors mix the way paint does. Green and red juices together often turn brown, which tastes fine but looks muddy. If looks matter, keep green with green and yellow, and red and purple with orange and pink. Beet turns almost any mix purple.
Making extra? The storing juice page explains how to keep it, and the pulp page has ideas for what's left over.