4 Tips & Tricks to Start Juicing

This post comes courtesy of Emily Wann, a member of Williams-Sonoma’s merchandising team. 

I’m always looking for ways to add more raw fruits and vegetables to my diet, so last summer I decided to try juicing. I quickly realized just how easy and fun it can be, and I’ve been drinking fresh, homemade juice almost every day since.

Here are a couple of tips and tricks that might help you get started, too:

Using a juicer is easy, and most are easy to clean, too. If you line the refuse bin (or whatever catches the fibrous bits on your juicer of choice) with the bag your produce came in, you have even less to clean up. Fruit and vegetable prep is equally simple — large pits and tough skins should be removed, but stems, peels, and even some seeds can go through a juicer with no problem. If you have a juicer with a wide mouth, you can juice many things whole, making your job even easier.

Dark leafy greens like kale and chard are the healthiest ingredients around, but not everyone loves their flavor. The big secret? An apple or two will almost completely disguise the taste of the greens. Adding one or two sweeter elements (apples, pears, and carrots all work well) can make even the healthiest green juice feel like a sweet, indulgent smoothie. Also delicious? A little fresh lemon juice.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors! Classic combos like apple/carrot are a great place to start, but try using things like fennel, red bell pepper, and even sweet potatoes in your blends. I’ve found that there are very few combinations of fruits and vegetables that don’t work together, so try a little of everything! Some of my favorite juices have come from simply combining whatever produce I had left at the end of the week.

You can store fresh juice in air tight containers in the fridge for a day or so without losing much flavor or nutritional value, so it can be a great make ahead snack. Joe Cross, filmmaker behind Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, told me he uses mason jars, but any air tight container you have on hand will work. I like to make a large batch in the morning and bring some to work in my Aria Thermal Tumblers. I used to use them for coffee, but it turns out they work great for fresh juice as well!

About the author: Emily Wann’s deep love of all things culinary started at a very young age while watching her grandmother prepare big southern breakfasts for their large extended family. She loves cooking and experimenting with new recipes and gadgets, which she gets to do often as Williams-Sonoma’s Assistant Buyer of Electrics and Bakeware. If she’s not reading about, thinking about, talking about, or preparing food, it’s probably because she’s too busy eating.