When we initially started juicing, we tended to gravitate towards the widely popular juice staples—carrots, cucumbers, celery, kale, spinach, and apples. However, as we grew more comfortable with these fruits and vegetables (and honestly, a bit bored), we realized there are other unsung juicing ingredients that are just as tasty and nutritious.
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Here are 5 uncommon ingredients for juices that people often overlook and that we can personally vouch for.
1. Parsley
Like kale, parsley is more than just a beautiful table garnish. When added to juice, it helps bring flavors to life with a clean and crisp awakening, and a bright grassy spice. Although it is considered a herb, parsley is within the genome family of celery.
Nick & Bay/Food Hacks
Parsley is not only a unique item to be added to your juice because of its vibrant flavor, but also because it contains a good amount of Vitamins A, C, and K. One bunch of parsley (about 10 sprigs) contains 200% of your recommended Vitamin K intake!
2. Garlic
Garlic is one of the most historically well-known herbs for all purposes culinary, medicinal, and therapeutic. Just one clove of garlic contains 5.4 micrograms of calcium and a percentage of your daily Vitamin B6 intake!
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Although you might not initially think to put a clove of raw peeled garlic into your juice (or anything for that matter), the flavor it adds is one of intense earthy spice—and personally, we love it. Our go-to juice with garlic incorporates the sweetness of carrots and beets paired with leafy greens like kale or swiss chard.
3. Ginger
This spicy root is native to southeast Asia and has been renowned for its unique flavor (as well as its supposed medicinal benefits) since ancient times.
We love the aromatic and pungent nature of pickled ginger as a sushi palate cleanser... but ginger is just as delicious in our juice, where it serves as a great compliment to savory-sweet flavors like carrots and apples. Just be sure to peel this knobby root first.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of our all-time favorites: we love it sprinkled on top of cucumber soup, scrambled into our eggs, put into hot lemon water alongside coconut oil, and—of course—included in our juice. Its flavor is slightly peppery and warm, very reminiscent of ginger—which isn't all that surprising when you realize that they're in the same family (Zingiberaceae).
Ground turmeric can be found in the spice section: it's a bright mustard yellow, and hard to miss. But we recommend using fresh turmeric if possible; the pungency of the fresh root is lost quickly when it's grounded.
Turmeric tastes great with ginger, but also brightens up citrus-based juices as well.
5. Beets
Beets are fantastic: not only are they slightly sweet, but they're also a great source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, and folate. A common misconception is that beets need to be cooked before juiced—this is completely wrong, and they can definitely be juiced raw! Just make sure to peel their tough skin first, as its skin imparts an earthy, bitter taste.
Pro tip: If you're purchasing beets with the greens still attached, make sure not to toss them; beets and Swiss chard are different varieties within the same plant family and both contain edible leaves similar in taste and texture. You can either toss the leaves into your juice or sauté them with onions, garlic, and olive oil.
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Anyhow, beets' mild flavor means that it goes well with any ingredient when juicing, so get creative and try everything.
Juice Away
Try not to limit yourself with what you are putting into your juice. As with anything in the kitchen, have fun creating, exploring, and experimenting. (And don't forget to reuse your leftover pulp!)
If you have any other unique items you frequently enjoy while juicing, please share them below!
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Cover image via Tommy Leonardi/Philly Mag
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