If you’ve ever tried juicing a banana, you quickly realize it’s not possible. Unlike fresh fruits like apples, lemons, and pineapple, bananas are high in fiber but lack the liquid content that yields juice. Even the most advanced electric machine or your kitchen miracle appliance has its limits. Bananas just don’t behave like other fruits. What you end up with isn’t a refreshing drink but a thick, unappealing mess.
Why You Can’t Juice a Banana?
Juicing a banana might sound like a great idea, especially since this humble fruit is a staple in many diets, packed with potassium and often used in smoothies for its creamy texture. However, the main reason you can’t effectively juice a banana lies in its structure and low liquid content.
Unlike other fruits like oranges or grapes, which contain about 90% water and easily produce substantial juice, bananas only have 75% water, with the rest being carbs and starch.
When you try to juice a banana, the high starch content turns the flesh into a thick paste rather than a free-flowing juice. This paste can become gummy and glue-like, making it nearly impossible to extract any liquid.
Avocados Aren’t Great for Juicing Either
Avocados have become the darling of the health world, especially for their rich and creamy texture in smoothies and dips. However, they share some of the same issues as bananas when it comes to juicing.
One of the main factors limiting avocado juicing is their low moisture content. A ripe avocado contains about 73% water, which is even less than the water content in banana flesh.
The rest is mostly energy-dense oils and fibers, which don’t turn into free-flowing fluids. Instead of producing juice, the thick avocado pulp, with its high fat content—making up 75% of the calories—ends up clogging your juicer, leaving you with a tiny amount of greenish sludge.
Instead of trying to create a green juice from avocados, enjoy them in salads, on toast, or whipped into smoothie bowls. For a creamy, delicious treat, try blending avocados into a smoothie with spinach, pineapple chunks, and a bit of honey. This way, you can still benefit from all the good stuff without dealing with a messy clean-up.
Mangoes & Papayas: Puree Perfection
Unlike bananas and avocados, mangoes and papayas are different when it comes to juicing. These fruits have soft, supple flesh that, when churned or mashed in a juicer, quickly turns into pulpy purees rather than free-flowing juice.
The pulp of mangoes and papayas often disintegrates, leaving behind a thick splash of nectar instead of a smooth liquid.
The high fibers in these fruits make it nearly impossible to achieve proper extraction, as the pulp clings together,” to improve clarity and flow.
While commercial companies have mechanical methods to separate the microscopic pulp from the nectar, home juicers often find the process inefficient.
Instead, these fruits are better suited for blending into purees for frozen treats, salad dressings, or chutneys. The rich, creamy texture of mangoes and papayas makes them perfect for smoothies rather than juicing. If you still crave a mango drink, try a mango smoothie instead of attempting to juice these pulpy tropical delights.
Strawberries Seed Up Your Juice
Juicing bananas doesn’t work well because their mushy flesh lacks the structure needed for proper extraction, often resulting in a paste instead of liquid. However, strawberries, with their ripe, red allure, make an excellent addition to juices and blends, despite their tiny seeds occasionally causing textural issues.
Their flavorful sweetness pairs wonderfully with crisp fruits like apples or the best fruits to mix with carrot juice, creating smooth, refreshing drinks. Blending is ideal for strawberries, as it eliminates the gritty residue left by their seeds in a juicer, delivering the smoothest results for delicious smoothies or delightful toppings for shortcakes and waffles.
Can you Juice Cherries? Kind of
Juicing bananas is tricky because their texture is too soft, resulting in a paste instead of a smooth juice. On the other hand, cherries can be juiced with some effort, though they’re not as straightforward as more easy-to-juice fruits like apples or oranges.
To successfully juice cherries, you must first remove the pits, as their toughness can damage your juicer. Blending cherries and blueberries together creates a powerful, antioxidant-rich mixture with an impressive yield.
Strain the blended mix through a fine-mesh strainer for a smooth concoction. Adding leafy veggies like spinach or juicy options such as apples enhances the drink’s sweet-tart flavor, turning it into a refreshing smoothie that packs a nutritional punch for your diet.
Can You Juice Rhubarb? No
Bananas are too soft for a juicer, as their lack of structure leads to a paste rather than juice, but rhubarb presents an entirely different challenge. While the idea of strawberry-rhubarb juice may sound like a fictitious delight, rhubarb’s fiber makes it unsuitable for juicing. Its tough texture can potentially damage your machine, making it a risk to try. Instead, enjoy rhubarb in a strawberry-rhubarb smoothie, a magical, tarty-sweet drink that’s smooth and great for your digestive system. To make it, blend these ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen rhubarb
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups milk (or a dairy-free substitute)
- 2/3 cup açaí-pomegranate juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey or agave
This combination creates a delicious treat while avoiding the challenges of juicing rhubarb.
Kale & Spinach Should Be Reserved for Shots
Bananas are too soft and lack the natural liquid to produce substantial juice, often leaving a mushy mess instead. Similarly, leafy greens like kale and spinach pose challenges when juiced. Their sturdy cell structures and tough texture make it difficult for a juicer to extract enough bulk liquid for a drinkable volume.
Even with two bundles of kale, you may only get a small glass of juice that trickles out, packed with a bitter, vegetal flavor that can feel unpalatable. However, these potent greens shine when used in small amounts as part of a wellness shot, offering an intense blast of nutrients.
Blend them with ginger, herbs, or roots for a flavorful mix, or skip juicing altogether and enjoy their crispness in salads, stir-fries, or smoothies. This way, you avoid being left with fibrous pulp while still savoring their delicious health benefits.
Can You Juice Figs? No
Bananas are too soft for juicing, leaving a mush instead of usable liquid, and the same applies to figs. Though figs are a staple in cooking, baking, and snacking, their unique texture makes them a nightmare for juicing.
Even the best juicer will struggle to press out any substantial juice, as figs contain no real liquid to extract. Instead, their nutrients, like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, are better enjoyed in a smoothie.
Blend 4 figs, halved, with 1 cup milk (or a dairy-free substitute), 1/2 frozen banana, 1–2 dates, and 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter to create a tasty and smooth drink that highlights their natural sweetness and richness.
What Fruits do Juice Well?
Juicing is an exciting way to enjoy sweet, fruity flavors, but not all produce works well. While bananas are best for smoothies due to their soft texture, citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes are juicing superstars with thin skins and bountiful, flavorful nectar.
Cool, crisp cucumbers pair wonderfully with watery melons like watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe, offering refreshing and hydrating options. For a heartier drink, crunchy carrots and earthy beets bring a nutritious, delicious touch, while plump grapes release juicy spheres of mild sweetness.
Fibrous pineapples provide a succulent, tropical vibe, and apples and pears make excellent versatile bases, easily crushing into sweet juices that mix well with other flavors. Choosing the right fruits leads to success in every choice you make.
FAQ’s
Q: Can you drink banana juice?
You can’t make true banana juice due to their soft texture, but by mixing them with milk or water, you can create an easy-to-prepare, rich drink at home. It’s packed with potassium, Vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, fiber, Vitamin A, and polyphenol compounds, bringing the best of nature to your glass.
Q: Can I eat a banana while juicing?
Yes, you can eat bananas while juicing to support your body and provide energy during the detox process, which may feel slowed. Pair them with celery, cucumber, apples, avocados, carrots, chia seeds, or soaked almonds in water to help with digesting food.
Q: Can you juice a banana peel?
You can’t directly juice a banana peel, but you can extract its nutrients by boiling washed peels in water for 10 minutes, then straining the liquid after letting it cool.
Q: Why shouldn’t you juice fruits?
Juicing removes insoluble fiber, leaving only concentrated sugars like fructose, which increases calorie intake and quickly elevates blood sugar levels. It also reduces micronutrients compared to eating the whole fruit, making it less balanced.
Conclusion
While bananas are an excellent fruit for their nutrients, creamy texture, and versatility, they are not suited for juicing due to their soft structure and low liquid content. Other soft-textured fruits like avocados and mangoes face similar challenges, often turning into pulp rather than juice.
On the other hand, citrus fruits, cucumbers, melons, and crunchy options like carrots and apples thrive in the juicer, offering refreshing and nutrient-rich drinks. For fruits like bananas or figs, blending is the better option to preserve their vitamins, minerals, and flavors without the mess or inefficiency.
Understanding which fruits juice well and which are better suited for other preparations allows you to make the most of your produce while enjoying delicious, healthy beverages.
