Natural Carrot and Orange Juice
Carrot juice works in an ordinary blender with no juicer: grate the carrots rather than chopping them, blend with orange juice, and strain through cloth. The orange replaces sugar entirely, because its acidity brings out the carrot's own sweetness.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 15 min
- Calories
- 105
Photo: Salix — CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Carrot and orange juice is one of the richest sources of vitamins A and C, and most people assume it needs an expensive juicer. Grating solves that problem completely.
Method
-
1
Grate, do not chop
Wash and peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater. Grating breaks the cell walls so the juice releases in an ordinary blender — large chunks will not break down.
⏱ 9 min -
2
Juice the oranges
Squeeze the oranges by hand and remove any pips. Blended pips release a distinct bitterness into the whole juice.
⏱ 5 min -
3
Blend
Blend the grated carrot with the orange juice and half a cup of water on the highest speed for a full two minutes. Carrot fibre is tough and needs the time.
⏱ 3 min -
4
Strain
Strain through a cotton cloth or a fine sieve and press firmly. The leftover pulp is good in carrot cake or soup rather than the bin.
⏱ 6 min -
5
Adjust
Add the remaining water, the lemon, the pinch of salt, and the ginger if you like. Ginger adds a kick that balances the sweetness.
⏱ 3 min -
6
Serve at once
Serve straight away over ice. Carrot juice loses its vitamins quickly and oxidises to a pale orange within an hour.
⏱ 2 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Grate rather than chop — the trick that lets an ordinary blender replace a juicer.
- No sugar — the carrot and orange are sweet enough, and sugar masks the natural flavour.
- A little fat (a spoonful of yogurt or olive oil) helps the body absorb the vitamin A.
- Do not throw away the pulp — it goes into carrot cake, or freeze it for soup.
People also ask
Can I do it without a juicer?
Completely. Grate the carrots on a fine grater rather than chopping them, blend for two minutes with the orange juice, and strain through cotton cloth — the result is very close to a juicer.
Why no sugar?
Carrots contain natural sugars and the orange's acidity brings them forward. Added sugar masks the natural flavour and raises the calories for nothing.
When should I drink it?
Immediately after making it. Carrot juice oxidises quickly and loses some of its vitamin C within an hour, and the colour fades. If you must store it, a jar filled to the brim keeps 24 hours in the fridge.
Cook mode
Natural Carrot and Orange Juice
-
1
Grate, do not chop
Wash and peel the carrots and grate them on a fine grater. Grating breaks the cell walls so the juice releases in an ordinary blender — large chunks will not break down.
-
2
Juice the oranges
Squeeze the oranges by hand and remove any pips. Blended pips release a distinct bitterness into the whole juice.
-
3
Blend
Blend the grated carrot with the orange juice and half a cup of water on the highest speed for a full two minutes. Carrot fibre is tough and needs the time.
-
4
Strain
Strain through a cotton cloth or a fine sieve and press firmly. The leftover pulp is good in carrot cake or soup rather than the bin.
-
5
Adjust
Add the remaining water, the lemon, the pinch of salt, and the ginger if you like. Ginger adds a kick that balances the sweetness.
-
6
Serve at once
Serve straight away over ice. Carrot juice loses its vitamins quickly and oxidises to a pale orange within an hour.
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