But what about blueberry juice? It turns out you can make blueberry juice at home that preserves the nutritional value of this amazing fruit. My technique will show you how it’s done.
Health benefits of blueberries
Blueberries are a food you can feel good about eating and feeding your family. They are super high in nutrients including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. They are rather low in calories, especially considering all of the benefits they deliver. With powerful antioxidant properties, blueberries can help reduce DNA damage when eaten regularly. They are also believed to help protect against cancer and aging. Add to that the possibility of lowering blood pressure and the benefit of improved heart health, and you’ve got a lot of reasons to add blueberries to your diet.
Storebought vs homemade blueberry juice
With so many reasons to incorporate blueberries into your diet, it stands to reason that they are a fine choice for making juice. Of course, there are packaged options at your local grocery store, so you may wonder what would be the benefit of making your own juice. The bottom line is that store bought blueberry juice has only a small percentage of blueberries and is often mixed with other fruits. The result is a product that tends to be higher in sugar and lower in the intrinsic properties that make blueberries so good for you. My technique will show you how to make your own blueberry juice at home so that you can feel good about what you are serving your family. With a very short list of ingredients you will end up with a juice that delivers all of the goodness that blueberries have to offer.
Making blueberry juice at home
Making blueberry juice at home is a bit different that juicing other fruit. That is due to the amount of pectin that occurs naturally in blueberries. Pectin is a soluble fiber that has natural thickening properties. It has some health benefits such as a possible decrease in the rate of colon cancer. It also helps promote a healthy body weight and aids digestion. These are all great reasons to consume fruit that is high in pectin, but it does tend to make juicing these fruits a bit tricky. For that reason, you will notice that blueberry juice will change from a liquid to a gel-like consistency several minutes after it’s blended. For the best results, we recommend drinking it immediately after juicing. Once you’ve tried making blueberry juice at home and have reaped the benefit of those amazing nutrients you will reaching for your blender or slow juicer again and again. Your reward is a great wealth of antioxidants that you can feel good about.
How to Make Blueberry Juice (Stepwise Photos)
Cleaning blueberries As with any fruit or vegetables that you plan to eat, care must be taken in cleaning them properly to remove pesticides, dirt, and other residuals. For this, I like to use water, vinegar, and baking soda.
- Add blueberries to a large bowl and rinse them very well once. Drain all the water and spray apple vinegar all over. Sprinkle 1 tbsp baking soda and gently toss to coat all of them. Leave them for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour fresh water and rinse them several times until clean. Drain completely.
Using a blender
- My preferred technique for making blueberry juice at home is really simple. Start with one cup of clean, fresh blueberries. Once they are rinsed and drained simply add them to a blender jar.
- Add any sweetener if you prefer.
- Pour 3 cups chilled water (or chilled clear juice) or 2 cups water and 1 cup ice cubes.
- Blend the berries thoroughly until liquefied.
- Do not strain. Your blueberry juice should have a liquid consistency at this stage. Pour to serving glass and consume immediately.
Making Blueberry Juice in a Slow Juicer
Alternately, you can use blueberries to make juice in a slow juicer, but there are further adjustments that you must consider. The best way to incorporate them into a juice is by incorporating other vegetables and fruit that are higher in water. Asian pears or cucumbers work well, but it is still best to drink that juice immediately as it will turn to a jelly-like consistency within 10 minutes. Turn on your slow juicer and add the cleaned fruits to the juicer chute/ feeding tube. You may add 1 large Asian pears or 1 large cucumber for every cup of blueberries. Alternately 1 cup water or any other clear juice can be used. This time I did not add any other liquid or fruit. 1.5 to 2 pounds of blueberries will give about 500 ml of cold pressed juice (pure without any added fruit or liquid). You can directly pour this to serving glasses and add ice cubes. It makes 4 servings of pure blueberry juice. Squeeze some lemon juice if you prefer. Remember to consume it immediately as it turns to a thick jelly within 10 minutes. You won’t get a lot of pulp after juicing them. If you want you may add it back to the juicer chute with some liquid. Or save it for your smoothies or jam.
Pro tips
The trick here is to blend the blueberries with a substantial amount of chilled water or clear juice so that you can control the thickening. With a ratio of one part blueberries to 3 parts chilled liquid, you will end up with a much more palatable drink that is best enjoyed immediately after blending. After about 10 minutes, you will notice that it will thicken immediately, making it less palatable. So consume immediately.
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