Have you ever craved the perfect green juice (aka the green squeeze) and realized you don’t have any fresh produce in your kitchen? You do, however, have most of the ingredients in your freezer.
So can you juice frozen fruit?
You can juice frozen fruit (and vegetables) as long as you thaw them first. The frozen fruit must also be ripe. Frozen fruit tastes slightly different from fresh fruit and may have a different texture. Ensure you have a good-quality juicer to break up frozen fruit and ice to get the perfect smoothie or juice texture and taste.
Are you wondering if you can make juice with frozen fruits and vegetables? Then look no further, as this guide has only the healthiest tips and suggestions.
Can You Juice Frozen Fruit?
You can juice frozen fruit, but you must let the fruit thaw first before you start juicing, as the juice will be frozen solid. This will prevent the juicer from making a slushy pulp instead of extracting only the fruit juice.
It can also put quite a bit of strain on your juicer if the fruit is still totally frozen. There are some guidelines you should follow to freeze fruit correctly, so let’s take a quick look at the best way to freeze your fresh fruit:
- Always choose ripe fruit to freeze. You must thoroughly wash the fruit in cold water to remove dirt or bacteria.
- Next, you need to prepare your fruit. Peel, chop, or cube them to your preferred size (this also makes preparing your juice a much quicker process).
- Store the fruit in an airtight container or freezer bag. Other options include waxed freezer bags, silicone Tupperware, and stainless steel containers.
Top Tip: Squeeze out as much air from the freezer bags before you seal them to prevent the formation of ice crystals.
- Before sealing your bag or container, squeeze or drizzle a citrus residue over the fresh fruit to prevent it from turning brown. You can use acidic fruit juices such as lemons, lime, or grapefruit, which are excellent as a preservative.
- Always ensure you label your fruit so they don’t go over the expiry date. Frozen fruit can last up to 8 months in the freezer if it isn’t opened.
Good to know: Fruit such as cranberries, strawberries, gooseberries, and blueberries are perfect for freezing whole.
How to Juice Frozen Fruit?
Putting frozen fruit in a juicer can add a welcome chill to your juice on a hot summer’s day. Keep these considerations in mind when you juice frozen fruit:
Thaw the Fruit
First, you will want to thaw the frozen fruit before adding it to your juicer. Start by running cool water over the frozen fruit to help break up chunks or pieces sticking together.
Leave the frozen fruit to soak in a sink of cool water for around 20 minutes. By thawing the fruit first, you are preserving the moisture in the fruit and making it softer so the juicer can juice the fruit easier.
Good to know: If you don’t thaw the frozen fruit first, the fruit pulp can become dry and fibrous when you attempt to juice it. Frozen fruit can also cause damage to your juicer’s blades.
Use a Good Juicer
When it comes to juicing frozen fruit, the blender or juicer is everything. Unfortunately, cheap or weak blenders will struggle to juice the frozen fruit.
Using a masticating juicer to juice the fruit at slower (but stronger) speeds is best.
The perk of using a masticating juicer is it’ll extract most of the juice from the fruit and doesn’t use a lot of heat, which can affect the nutritional value of the fruit juice.
Juice the Fruit
Now that the frozen fruit has been thawed and the fruit’s flesh is soft, you can add the fruit to the juicer.
There is no need to add any water or liquid to the ingredients. Depending on the strength and speed of your juicer, it can take 5 to 10 minutes to extract the fruit juice properly.
Strain the Fruit Juice
If you enjoy smooth fruit juice, then pour the extracted juice through a mesh sieve or a nut milk bag. This will remove any extra solid pieces or fiber.
Your fruit juice is now ready to serve.
What Happens If You Put Frozen Fruit in a Juicer?
Depending on the type of juicer you will be using and the frozen produce you will be juicing, there will be different outcomes.
The chances are high that an entry-level juicer might not tolerate the frozen fruit’s solid texture, which can end in broken blades and other damage.
The NutriBullet Juicer Pro is an excellent juicer that can crush and juice frozen fruit and ice blocks within minutes. If you don’t have a juicer, the Vitamix blender is also great for juicing frozen fruit.
Top Tip: If you like bananas and ice cream, make yourself a banana whip by adding frozen bananas directly into the juicer (no other ingredients). The result is a silky and creamy ice cream that’s sweet on the lips and forgiving on the hips.
What Fruits Cannot Be Juiced?
Here’s a list of all the fruits that cannot be juiced:
- Mangos
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Avocados
- Figs
- Rhubarb
- Pomegranates
Top Tip: If you want to add any of these fruits to your juice, you can always puree them in your blender and add them to your juice for extra flavor and texture.
Pomegranates might not be the best idea as they have very little fruit around the seeds.
Can You Put Frozen Fruit in Drinks?
Frozen fruit can be put in drinks. It’s a great way to keep your drink cool (just like an ice block would).
It also adds a hint of flavor to your drink. Remember that as the fruit thaws, it might break into pieces that will float around in your glass.
Can You Juice Frozen Apples?
You can juice frozen apples. However, you’ll need to let them thaw first.
The best way to juice frozen apples is to cut them into slices or chunks. Ensure all the seeds and stems have been removed before putting them through the juicer.
The seeds will give the juice a very bitter and unpleasant taste.
My Last Foodie Thoughts
Even though most people assume that using fresh fruit is better, frozen fruit certainly allows you to add more variety to your juices, especially when fruits are out of season.
Frozen fruit also gives you more bang for your buck as you can chop up the fruit, freeze it, and use it again later.
You can also freeze your fruit juice once it’s been juiced. This will increase the shelf life of your healthy beverage, and you’ll know exactly what went into your juice and what didn’t (ahem, preservatives and lots of sugar, anyone?)
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