Even if you love your juicer and think it’s amazing, there are some fruits it just can’t juice. These fruits are impossible to juice, and we’re here to help you avoid learning that the difficult way.
Can you use a juicer to make banana juice?
Bananas and juicers just don’t mix well. Bananas have a thick, starchy texture and not much water content. While bananas are technically made up of about 75% water, most fruits and veggies that work well in juicers are over 90% water. So, they’re a better match for juicing.
Even if you try really hard to juice a banana, even with the fanciest juicer, you won’t be able to get much juice out of it. Instead, you’ll end up with something that looks a lot like a banana-shaped poop emoji, without the smile.
Instead of juicing bananas, try making a banana smoothie:
- 1 frozen banana, chopped
- 1/2 orange, peeled and quartered
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk or dairy-free milk substitute
- 1–2 teaspoons honey or agave (if you like it sweeter)
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy your smoothie instead of trying to juice a banana!
Can you make juice from avocados?
Avocados are full of healthy fats and nutrients, but they don’t work well with juicers. Their thick, creamy texture doesn’t juice well. However, they make smoothies creamy and tasty.
Instead of juicing avocados, try making a green smoothie:
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1–2 tablespoons honey or agave (if you like it sweeter)
Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Enjoy your green smoothie instead!
Can you make juice from blueberries? Sort of.
Blueberries are known as a superfood because they’re packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.
Technically, you can juice blueberries, but because they’re small and have a thick texture, they won’t produce a lot of juice.
Here’s a juicing trick: Instead of juicing them alone, it’s better to blend them into a smoothie. But if you do want to juice them, blend them first and then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. This way, you’ll get more juice out of your blueberries.
Another tip: If you freeze fresh blueberries and then let them thaw slightly, they’ll soften, making it easier to extract more juice.
Can you juice cherries? Sort of.
Cherries are also packed with antioxidants, making them a great addition to your diet. But like blueberries, juicing cherries can be challenging because of their texture.
Here’s a juicing method: Before juicing cherries, you’ll need to remove the pits, which can be a bit of a hassle. Like with blueberries, it’s better to blend cherries first and then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. This will give you more juice from your cherries.
Another tip: Adding a bit of cherry juice to other fruits and veggies like apples, oranges, or spinach can give your juice a sweet-tart flavor. You can also add cherry juice to your smoothies for extra flavor.
Can you make juice from figs?
Figs are great for eating, baking, and snacking, but using them in a juicer isn’t a good idea. Their unique texture is what makes them tasty, but it also makes them difficult to juice.
Figs are also packed with calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. However, when you try to juice them, you’ll get very little liquid and a lot of mush.
Instead, try making a fig smoothie:
Ingredients:
- 4 figs, halved
- 1 cup milk or dairy-free milk alternative
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1–2 dates
- 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter
Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
Can you juice mangoes?
Mangoes are often called the king of fruits because of their creamy texture and tropical flavor. They’re also loaded with vitamins A, C, B6, magnesium, and potassium.
However, mangoes are not ideal for juicing due to their texture. Instead, you can peel and pit them and use them in a smoothie.
Try making a mango smoothie instead:
Ingredients:
- 2 fresh mangoes or 2 cups frozen mango
- 1 small frozen banana
- 1/2 cup milk or dairy-free milk alternative
- 1/2 cup yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
Can you juice rhubarb?
While strawberry-rhubarb jam is delicious, making strawberry-rhubarb juice is not possible. Rhubarb is high in fiber, which is good for your digestion but bad for your juicer.
In fact, trying to juice rhubarb could potentially damage your juicer, so it’s best to avoid it.
Instead, try making a strawberry-rhubarb smoothie:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen rhubarb
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups milk or dairy-free milk alternative
- 2/3 cup açaí or pomegranate juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey or agave
Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
