Green juices.

[How?]

I did my first green juice today and was woefully dissappointed with the amount of juice I got from a bag of kale and a bag of spinach. Its hard to explain how much I juiced but I thought I would have gotten about a pint and I ended up with about 1/8! Is this normal? Whenever I juice carrots,tomatoes,cucumber etc..I normally gets loads of juice compared to the amount of bulk. Is it still worth doing kale and spinach? It seems it would be better used in smoothies and to stick to carrot juice?

[OnMyJourney]

I'm sorry for your frustration. It might just be that the type of machine that you have isn't the best at juicing leafy greens. Which juicer do you have?

[Dimond]

Greens always give little juice, regardless of the juicer. This is why you combine it with watery fruits & veggies like cucumber, zucchini, apples, etc.

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Like OnMyJourney said, it depends a lot on your juicer. Centrifugal juicers usually don't extract juice out of leaves very well, especially compared to masticating juicers. If you check your leftover pulp, you will get a clue about how well the juices handles that specific produce.
I personally don't juice leaves in my centrifugal juicer, but I do juice kale stems for example.

That said, think about how much a bag of greens weigh. That will give you a clue about how much liquid it contains.
For example, a bag of kale might be larger in volume than a bag of carrots but the bag of kale will most likely weigh much less than the carrots. So it might seem like a lot of greens when it's actually not.

However, the nutrients are much more concentrated in greens so a small amount of juice will still contain a lot of nutrients. It can be a good idea to dilute the green juice with some apple or carrot juice for example.

[How?]

Thanks for the replies. This is the juicer...JuiceDaddy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IMV6NJ4a0Q

Thats a good point about the weight compared to a bag of carrots. I feel great all afternoon though since having it so will look to mix it up with some other content and create some volume.

[How?]

I just found this and its looks like I'm supposed to dilute anyway..

~ Always combine green juices with other juices, such as the more palatable carrot or apple. Initially, never consume more than 2 ounces of green juice at a time. Green juices can cause gastric distress. This pertains to items such as: celery, spinach, kale, broccoli, wheatgrass, parsley, watercress, etc.


Also a random question, Does anyone actually like cleaning their juicer? I mean really like doing it! Not just not minding, but like Yea,,,I got this baybee to clean! Woohhoooooo!
(I'd like to feel like that but unfortunately don't!)

[Aleesha Sattva]

you have a centrifugal juicer. they are never good for doing greens... if you get a greenstar juicer you'll get the most juice for your buck.

and as for cleaning... who likes to clean anything really? wouldn't we all like cleaning fairies to come into our home and clean everything while we sleep? LOL

[Revvell]

Also a random question, Does anyone actually like cleaning their juicer? I mean really like doing it! Not just not minding, but like Yea,,,I got this baybee to clean! Woohhoooooo!
(I'd like to feel like that but unfortunately don't!)

Not especially fond of cleaning it yet I do appreciate I had the funds to purchase it AND purchase the BEST! Others just have to make do and would LOVE to have the opportunity to clean a juicer... I'm sure.. uh huh. They just don't know what they're missing. ;)

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Also a random question, Does anyone actually like cleaning their juicer? I mean really like doing it! Not just not minding, but like Yea,,,I got this baybee to clean! Woohhoooooo!

I certainly don't like cleaning it. That's why I won't allow myself to drink the juice before I clean the juicer. That way it's much more motivating.

[bikediva]

Yeah, a centrifugal juicer is useless, IMO. Spending more on a masticating machine will save you WAY more money in the long run.

I don't get why people complain so much about cleaning...it takes me maybe a minute. :confused: The JUICING itself takes all the time...

[Aleesha Sattva]

what cracks me up... is it takes WAY longer to prepare a meal than it does to juice and clean LOL

and the benefits are sooooooooo worth my 5 precious minutes ;) but then... i'm a lover of nutrition... a lover of fasting... a lover of juice!

[RawKnitster]

I use a centrifugal juicer. Since it is all I have and don't have anything to compare it against, it doesn't seem worthless. ;)

I run the greens through first, then take the greens out of the catch bin and run them through again. Then put in the juicier stuff (carrot, apple, celery, cucumber) to push through any greenness left in the strainer basket.

Sometimes I make a greenless juice, then put the juice in the blender with the greens.

I confess to not using juice as often as I would like because it does take a few minutes to clean. Cleaning the Vita-Mix is a lot quicker.

A greenstar would be really nice. Someday.... :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

if you juice a lot... a greenstar or champion actually pays for itself in the amount of juice you get from your food. it amazes me how much more i get from my greenstar compared to my champion.

my champion is my 'fast food' juicer cause it takes less time to juice with it LOL - it also works easier for softer fruits.

the greenstar ROCKS celery, herbs and greens... totally rocks them out.

[Jenifae]

OMGosh! I got a Hurlom and that thing is the BOMB! It's puts my centifugal to shame! And does greens so, now I don't have to do the greens in the vitamix and then strain. I still run the juice through a nutmilk bag to get all the pulp out, not much. I am In LOVE with GREEN JUICE! :)

[beckx]

i like cleaning the juicer. it's so satisfying to clean the screen.

unless i'm doing a juice with carrots i usually just use my vitamix and then strain the pulp.

[How?]

I think there should be a youtube competition for fastest juicer cleaner! I timed myself today and was acting sluggishly at best(lots of room for improvement!) and it took me 7 minutes. Next time you do a juice ,post your cleaning time on here. I think I could get that 7 down to 3 1/2 If I really tried. It seems like a lot more effort though. Cleaning the juicer sometimes feels like Ugh...! and then when you realize its only 3 and a half frekin' minutes,you start to see things in a different light.
Also I was wondering does anybody juice cabbage?

[DebB]

I'm lucky in the cleaning department with my Champion, it takes about a minute (I'm guessing).

Yes, I've added a cabbage wedge to my green juice. *Ü*

[donnyandcathy]

Does the Champion do a good job with the cabbage? Could the cabbage juice cause bloating and gas, or would that be eliminated when the fiber is taken out? I know cabbage is supposed to be really good for ya.
Would that be good to add on a juice fast?
What does it taste like? I really don't care for cabbage :p But thought the juice mixed with other veggies may help with the taste.
Any other good blends that would be great on a fast?
Thanks
Cathy

[steveoregon]

Of all the leafy greens I've juiced, Romain lettuce gives the most amount of juice, and is the most diluted. Two of those pre-washed bags you get at the grocery store yield about 12-16 ounces (equivalent to a diet coke can). Romain lettuce juice is the old raw 'sleeping pill', and it's what I juice most often when I need help getting to sleep.

Other leafy greens like spinach, kale, or wheat grass are far more concentrated. 12-16 ounces of wheatgrass or kale juice could easily make you throw up - unless you were to acclimate yourself to that quantity over time.

BTW, I've timed it. Juicing two bags of romaine lettuce, plus clean-up time for my Omega 8000 takes 15-16 minutes.

.

[freelive]

Also I was wondering does anybody juice cabbage?

I do occasionally, especially red one(well, purple I guess). I use Omega 8006, and it works, but I have to be careful not to push to hard, because then it starts getting stuck just as other very soft greens like chard. As far as gas goes, I didn't notice it. But I always mix it with other veggies.

I also have a question - can we juice the whole bunch of fennel greens or would it be too much for some reason?

[How?]

can anyone tell me how much juice they drink in one sitting? I'm juicing just over a pint but could do more? Is that enough? My 'recipe' has surprised me as well with how nice it is and my body almost pulls me to the juicer every morning!
I do a bag of spinach, some cabbage, cucumber, a piece of lemon, 6 carrots ish, and 2 small apples. It is just divine.

[DebB]

can anyone tell me how much juice they drink in one sitting? I'm juicing just over a pint but could do more? Is that enough? My 'recipe' has surprised me as well with how nice it is and my body almost pulls me to the juicer every morning!
I do a bag of spinach, some cabbage, cucumber, a piece of lemon, 6 carrots ish, and 2 small apples. It is just divine.

I don't believe there's a right or wrong amount, ya know? For me - I like to juice and drink 1 quart at a time. But, I've seen others on YouTube juice less.

I've really learned alot watching Dan McDonald (the liferegenerator) on YouTube - he has a lot of juicing videos. *Ü*

[How?]

Thanks DebB.Will check it out.

[How?]

Does anyone juice Turnips? My juicer has no problem doing all the usual things but stick in some turnip and it gets clogged. It has happened a few days in a row now so I guess their fiber must be denser than carrots. A loss to the artillary!

[Aleesha Sattva]

never tried them...

[How?]

thanks Aleesha. Will give them a miss from now on anyway.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i have been juicing some gorgeous golden beets. the greens are soooo beautiful and the root seems to be very dry. it makes my greenstar squeal when the pieces go through...

so i make sure to put through something juicy right before and after...

[PinguimPraiero]

Hello!

I juice cabbage every time, especially since it a head of it holds up so well in the crisper of my fridge. I tend to buy the other vegetables more frequently.

I haven't experienced bloating perhaps because my system is so accustomed to it now. But I have read that adding fennel helps inhibit the gases in cabbage. Even just chewing fennel seeds after your juice would do the trick!