Fruit And Vegetable Juice

A good fruit and vegetable juice gives you a fast way to drink a mix of produce that you might not sit down and eat in one meal. This recipe balances apple sweetness against cucumber and celery so the glass stays light instead of tasting like a salad dressing. You get a clean, cold drink that works as a morning starter or an afternoon reset.

The method below uses a blender and a fine strainer, which keeps cleanup small and works without a dedicated juicer. We use whole ingredients, so the pulp stays partly in the drink for a bit more body. If you want a thinner pour, strain harder or run the mix through a nut milk bag. Making this fruit and vegetable juice at home is surprisingly straightforward once you know the key steps.

This fruit and vegetable juice is built around ingredients most stores carry year round, so you can make it on a weeknight without a special trip. The steps are short and the active time is about ten minutes from washing to pouring. If you enjoyed this, our image is worth trying next.

Why You’ll Love These Fruit And Vegetable Juice

• Uses common fridge and counter staples, so no rare shopping required
• Naturally sweet from apple and carrot, with no added sugar
• Works in a blender if you do not own a juicer
• Ready in about 10 minutes of active prep
• Easy to scale up for two or three glasses

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 medium apples (about 300 g), cored and cut into chunks
• 2 medium carrots (about 150 g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium cucumber (about 200 g), ends trimmed and chopped
• 2 stalks celery (about 100 g), washed and cut into short pieces
• 1 cup spinach (30 g), loosely packed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about half a lemon)
• 1 cup cold water (240 ml), plus more if needed
• 4 ice cubes, optional for serving

Ingredient Substitutions

Apples: Replace with an equal weight of ripe pears for a softer, floral sweetness. Pears break down faster in the blender, so you may need 2 extra tablespoons of cold water to keep the mix moving. The finished juice will taste milder and a little less bright than the apple version. The fruit and vegetable juice works well for weeknight cooking when time is limited.

Spinach: Swap the 1 cup spinach for an equal volume of kale, stripped from thick stems. Kale is tougher, so blend 30 seconds longer and strain through a finer mesh to avoid stringy bits. Expect a deeper green color and a more grassy note that lemon balances.

Cucumber: Use 200 g of zucchini in place of cucumber for a similar water content with a slightly denser feel. Zucchini has thinner skin, so peeling is optional, but the drink will look cloudier. The flavor is more neutral, which lets the carrot and apple lead.

Lemon juice: Replace the tablespoon of lemon with the same amount of lime juice for a sharper, more citrus-forward edge. Lime pairs well with cucumber and cuts the apple sweetness a touch more. Keep the quantity equal so the acid balance stays the same. For another easy option, check out our more.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Wash all produce well. Cut apples, carrots, cucumber, and celery into pieces small enough to fit your blender jar without jamming the blade.
2. Add the chopped apple, carrot, cucumber, celery, spinach, lemon juice, and 1 cup cold water to the blender. Secure the lid.
3. Blend on medium-high heat is not needed; use high speed for 45 seconds until the mix looks smooth with no visible celery strings.
4. Set a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher and pour the blend through, pressing the pulp with a spoon to release liquid. For a clearer pour, line the strainer with cheesecloth.
5. Taste and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cold water if the juice feels too thick to drink comfortably. Pour into glasses over ice if you like it cold.

Pro Tips

Chill your apples and cucumber before blending so the juice lands cold without diluting from too much ice. A colder base also slows oxidation, keeping the color brighter for the first hour.

If your blender is small, work in two batches instead of packing the jar. Overfilling strains the motor and leaves unchopped carrot bits that clog the strainer.

Roll the lemon on the counter with your palm before cutting to break the juice sacs, then you get closer to a full tablespoon with less effort. This small step keeps the acid level steady across batches.

For cleaner straining, read a practical guide on blender techniques from The Kitchn before you scale the recipe up. Their notes on pulsing versus continuous blend match what works here.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the strainer leads to a gritty glass because celery fibers do not fully break down. Always press the pulp, since the last bit of liquid carries a lot of the apple and carrot flavor.

Using warm produce makes the drink taste cooked and flat. Start from fridge-cold ingredients or add ice during blending, but know ice adds water that softens the flavor.

Adding the lemon at the end instead of during the blend means it sits on top and tastes sharp in the first sip. Blend it in early so the acid spreads through the whole mix. You might also like our seared swordfish steaks.

Serving Suggestions

Pour the juice with a overnight oatmeal breakfast so the sweet-tart glass cuts the grain richness. The cold drink next to warm oats makes a balanced quick meal.

For a midday plate, serve a small glass beside a vegetable stir fry to add raw nutrients the cooked dish loses. Keep the juice unsweetened so it does not fight the stir fry sauce.

Storage and Reheating

Store the strained juice in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 days, since raw spinach and celery soften fast once cut. Shake before drinking because natural settling occurs.

This drink is not reheated; serve it cold or at room temperature. If you freeze it in a tight container, it holds for up to 1 month, but thaw in the fridge and stir well because texture separates.

Do not leave the finished fruit and vegetable juice out for more than 2 hours, especially in warm kitchens, because raw produce blends grow bacteria quicker than cooked food. Pour leftovers back in the fridge right after serving. Pair this with our new york white for more ideas.

Recipe Variations

Orange Lift

Replace the lemon juice with 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and add one peeled orange segment cluster to the blend. The result is sweeter and more breakfast-friendly, with a softer acid line than lemon gives.

Ginger Edge

Add a 1-inch knob of peeled ginger with the carrots for a warm, spicy nose that suits colder months. Blend 10 seconds longer so the fibrous root fully breaks down before straining.

Beet Version

Swap one apple for 100 g of peeled raw beet to deepen the color to ruby and add an earthy note. Beets are denser, so cut them small and expect a slightly thicker pour that benefits from extra water.

Herb Cool

Add 5 leaves of mint with the spinach for a cooling finish that pairs with the cucumber. Mint drops flavor fast in the blender, so add it last and blend only 15 seconds more to keep it bright.

Print Recipe

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Fruit And Vegetable Juice

Author: freshlyfoodrecipes

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Total Time 10 mins

Servings: 2 Estimated Cost: $ 6 Calories: 120 kcal

Description

A light fruit and vegetable juice that balances apple sweetness with cucumber, celery, and carrot for a clean cold drink. It uses common staples and a blender so you get a quick morning starter or afternoon reset in about ten minutes.

Ingredients

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Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 2 medium apples (about 300 g), cored and cut into chunks
• 2 medium carrots (about 150 g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium cucumber (about 200 g), ends trimmed and chopped
• 2 stalks celery (about 100 g), washed and cut into short pieces
• 1 cup spinach (30 g), loosely packed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about half a lemon)
• 1 cup cold water (240 ml), plus more if needed
• 4 ice cubes, optional for serving

Instructions

1. Wash and cut produce

   Wash all produce well under cool running water to remove dirt and residue. Cut the apples, carrots, cucumber, and celery into pieces small enough to fit your blender jar without jamming the blade, keeping the chunks roughly even so they blend smoothly.

2. Add ingredients to blender

   Place the chopped apple, carrot, cucumber, celery, spinach, lemon juice, and 1 cup cold water into the blender jar. Secure the lid tightly so no liquid escapes during high-speed blending.

3. Blend the mixture

   Blend on high speed for 45 seconds until the mix looks smooth with no visible celery strings. Avoid using medium-high or heat settings; the goal is a uniform liquid with tiny suspended pulp for body.

4. Strain the juice

   Set a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher and pour the blend through, pressing the pulp with a spoon to release liquid. For a clearer pour, line the strainer with cheesecloth and continue pressing until only dry pulp remains.

5. Adjust thickness and serve

   Taste the juice and add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cold water if it feels too thick to drink comfortably. Pour into glasses over the optional ice cubes if you like it cold and serve right away.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 120kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1g2%

Sodium 60mg3%

Total Carbohydrate 28g10%

Dietary Fiber 5g20%

Sugars 18g

Protein 2g4%

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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 days and shake before drinking; discard if left out over 2 hours.
• Pro tip: Chill apples and cucumber before blending so the juice lands cold without diluting from too much ice, and read a recipe badges guide for scaling tips.
• Blending: If your blender is small, work in two batches instead of packing the jar to avoid unchopped carrot bits that clog the strainer.
• Serving: Pair with overnight oatmeal or a vegetable stir fry to add raw nutrients the cooked dish loses.

Keywords: fruit juice, vegetable juice, blender juice, apple carrot juice, cucumber celery drink, no juicer, healthy drink, quick recipe

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