Wondering “can you juice a banana?” The answer is no. High-fiber fruits like bananas just don’t yield juice. Discover why some fruits are unjuiceable and learn better ways to enjoy them with all their nutritional benefits intact.
You actually can’t juice a banana or fruits that have more fiber than juice.
Even if yourjuiceris your BFF, your miracle machine,your savior, there really are limits to what it can do. Yes, we’re talking about unjuiceable fruits. They exist, and we’re here to save you from finding out the hard way.
Some fruits you just can’tjuiceare:
Instead, toss ’em in a blender, which will instead chop them up (and has the bonus of retaining theirbeneficial dietary fiber!).
A juicer, meanwhile, will squeeze out just a pitiful bit of liquid — if any — from these fruits, while discarding the delishfibrous content.
Here’s what to know.
So, can you juice bananas? No
TBH,bananasand yourjuicerare kind of like oil and water or Tiger King and Carole Baskin.
When you nosh on a ’nanner, you’ll notice the carby, starchy texture — not a ton of water content. Even though bananas are technically about75 percent water, many of the most juiceable fruits andveggiesare well over 90 percent water. Those are a much better match for your juicer.
And if you try to juice a banana, even with the fanciest of machines, you won’t have much luck isolating that three-quarters water content. Instead, you’ll get something that pretty muchresemblesa banana-colored poop emoji, minus the smile.
Try abanana smoothieinstead:
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Can you juice avocados? No
Avocadosare what healthy fat dreams are made of. They’re also a nemesis of juicers everywhere.
Sure, they’rerich invitamin K and folate, high invitamin Cand potassium, and packed with a lot of other good stuff. But that doesn’t mean they can be juiced into agreen bevvy!
Avocado’s creamy, thick consistency just won’t work in your juicer. But on the bright side, it’ll make yoursmoothiecreamy and delicious.
Try agreen smoothieinstead:
Can you juice blueberries? Kind of
Bloobs are considered a superfood for good reason. They’refullof vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.
Technically, you can juiceblueberries. But their texture and consistency, combined with their small size, means they won’t yield a ton of juice.
Try this juicing method:You’re better off adding blueberries to yoursmoothiethan juicing them. But if you do decide to juice them, tryblendingthem first. Then, you may pour theblended blueberriesthrough a fine-mesh strainer and add them to another type of fresh juice or a juice mixture.
The juice will be slightly thicker, but you’ll get a much better bang for your buck (and better juice content for your blueberries).
Another juicy tip:Freezing fresh berries and then slightly thawing them will soften them and make it easier to squeeze out more juice.
Can you juice cherries? Kind of
Cherriesare another berry powerhouse def worth adding to your diet — but maybe not to your juicer. As with blueberries, you can juice them, but because of their texture, it’s tough to get an impressive yield.
Try this juicing method:To successfully juice theseantioxidant-rich berries, you’ll need to remove the pits first — which, TBH, can be kind of a pain. As with blueberries, you’re able to get a bigger juice yield by blending cherries and then pouring yourblended cherries through a fine-mesh strainer into a concoction of other juices.
Another juicy tip:A bit of cherry juice can add a punch of sweet-tart flavor to easy-to-juice fruits andveggieslikeapples,oranges, and spinach. you’re able to also always add some to yoursmoothie!
Can you juice figs? No
Figshave become a cooking, baking, and snacking staple — but figs + a juicer is def not a match made in heaven. Their unique texture is part of what makes them great, but it’s also what makes them a nightmare for ajuicepress.
In addition to being tasty, theycontaincalcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. But if youjuicethem, it’ll result in basically no liquid and a lot of mush.
Try a figsmoothieinstead:
Can you juice mangoes? No
Mangoesare called the king of fruits in places like India for good reason. They take the fruit crown partly because of their rich, creamy texture and tropical flavor. They also offer impressivenutritional contentwith vitamins A, C, B6, and plenty of magnesium and potassium.
That being said, their texture is just not ideal for juicing. (Ditto with their sister fruit papayas.) Instead, you’re able to peel ’em, pit ’em, and stick ’em in a smoothie.
Try a mango smoothie instead:
Can you juice rhubarb? No
Strawberry-rhubarbjam is delicious, but strawberry-rhubarbjuiceis fictitious. Dreams of a magical, tarty-sweet juice are sadly out of reach.
Rhubarbhas lots of fiber, which is great for your digestive system but bad for your juicer. In fact, trying to put this tough-AF fruit into your machine could potentially damage it, so don’t take the risk!
Try a strawberry-rhubarb smoothie instead:
Can you juice coconut? No
Coconut meat isfull ofhealthy fats, copper,iron, andantioxidantsand has a rich flavor that will immediately make you want to lounge on a beach in the tropics. (Just us? 🏝)
While you’re able to def add some store-boughtcoconut water or milkto yourat-home juice concoction, you’ll want to keep raw coconut away from your juicer.
The whole nut is obvs overkill for your machine, but even the tender coconut meat is too tough to juice. Trying to do it could seriously tax even the sturdiest at-homejuicer— and it wouldn’t even result in any liquid. Womp, womp
Here’s a juicy tip:If you have a whole coconut on your hands, cracking it open can be a process. But with a little strength and finesse, it is totally doable. Here’s one way to do it:
If you opt to bravely crack open a whole coconut, you’re able to pour the water straight into your juice mixture. You can also carve out the meat and blend it withfruitslike bananas, mangoes, and papayas.
Can you juice frozen fruit? Kind of
Frozen fruit makes for an icy-sweet treat injuiceblends — with some caveats. Most of the time, the fruit will be too hard for direct freezer-to-juicer action. It’s generally better to save frozen fruit for your blender.
Try this juicing method:Thaw frozen fruit a bit by running it under some warm water or letting it sit out for 10 to 15 mins before putting it in your juicer. The flesh should be somewhat squishy to the touch — not hard as a rock.
Another juicy tip:Juicing frozen fruit also depends on the strength and type of your machine. A masticating juicer, which grinds the fruit (instead of using extracting teeth, like a centrifugal juicer), will work better for more solid fruit.
If your machine’s not the strongest or highest powered on the market, frozen fruit might cause it to struggle — or even damage it.
Some fruits just aren’t juicy enough to juice! Bananas, avocados, figs, mangoes, rhubarb, and coconut fall into this category. Instead, toss them in a blender.
You can blend the fruit into smoothies or add blended fruit puree to a juice for a little extra texture and flavor.
