Healthy juice recipes for summer
As the temperatures rise and the sun lingers, you might crave something fresh and new to quench that thirst. Whether you’re lounging on a patio or taking a long, breezy bike ride, homemade summer juices are a great way to add some healthy variety to your palate.
The great thing about summer is the wide selection of mouth-watering, delicious fruits and veggies in season. It’s the time when they taste best and are widely available and often cheaper. Fruits and veggies are even more delicious when they come from your local farmer’s market. Plus, you can easily mix them with other produce for even more flavor combinations.
Use your imagination or give the recipes below a try using a juicer, blender or press. Each tasty concoction calls for at least one in-season ingredient.
Easy juice recipes for summer
Watermelon-lime juice recipe
Watermelon comes with so many benefits, as it’s a natural antioxidant that promotes healthy skin and reduces inflammation.
To make this refreshing juice, cube 3 cups of seedless watermelon and add to the chamber of a juice press. It may be easier to use a watermelon slicer before cubing. To achieve the benefits of extra nutrients, include the skin. Grind a 1/5 lime and about 2 tablespoons of mint leaves (to taste), then press everything together.
Strawberry-pear juice recipe with kiwi puree
This sweet, tasty and hydrating juice is an antioxidant and supports immunity.
To start, quarter a ⅕ lemon and squeeze into your juice press. If you don’t have a press, use a peeler to remove the peel. Next, juice the lemon with everything else. With a blender or food processor, grind and press 1 medium pear, 10 strawberries and 2 slices of ginger. Pour into a glass or container and set aside.
Since kiwi doesn’t juice too well, you’ll want to make it into puree instead. To do so, peel, seed and add it to the blender or food processor. Add a bit of the juice you just made to the kiwi and blend on low until mostly smooth. It’s essential to do this at a low speed so that the equipment’s heat doesn’t oxidize the juice, creating foam and separation. If you missed removing any seeds earlier, pour the kiwi puree over a fine sieve.
Pour into your juice mixture and enjoy!
Apple lemonade recipe
This delicious apple lemonade packs some punch and offers a ton of health benefits, including assisting with inflammation, digestion and weight control, to name a few.
Peel and quarter 1 medium lemon and add it to the chamber of a juice press. Cut the lemon in quarters and place it directly into the chamber. Finally, grind 2 ½ medium red apples and 2 slices of ginger, then press.
Mango-lime juice recipe
For an amazingly refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day, this one’s your gem.
Cut 3 mangos into chunks and place them in your blender. Add the juice from about 10 limes, ½ cup of honey (to taste), 2 cups of still or sparkling water and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth and strain if needed. Mix in an additional 2 cups of water. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint and lemon or lime.
If you have guests over, you can even stretch this recipe further by adding more water. Alternatively, give it a cocktail twist with gin, vodka, rum or tequila. If you’re a margarita fan, this salt mix is perfect!
Best summer vegetable juice
Carrot-beet juice recipe
Get your C and K vitamins and beta-carotene in with this beautiful, deep, red juice, making it a great drink to support skin health and night vision.
Using a juicer, juice 2 trimmed and scrubbed beets, 3 carrots and 1 cored Granny Smith apple (include the peels on for more nutrients). Throw in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for some extra fiber, protein and nutrients, and let them soak for 5 minutes.
Celery-cucumber juice recipe
It’s fair to say that celery juice, on its own, isn’t everyone’s taste. The good news is this low-sugar recipe combines cucumber, apple and ginger for a lovely summer treat.
In your juicer, put 1 bunch of celery stalks and ½ cucumber through on low. Add 1 large green apple, ½ lemon and approximately 1 inch of ginger, and switch the juicer to its high setting.
Drink up and save any leftovers in an airtight mason jar.
Homemade V8 recipe
V8 is a classic with its salty, seasoned taste that many people savor, but the downside is it’s highly processed. There’s an easy fix, though, since you can create your version in a snap! This cold-pressed recipe comes with plenty of vitamins and minerals, increases energy and offers numerous health benefits.
Cut off the tops of 1 ½ medium carrots and 1 red beet. Cut a slice of beet about 1 inch in diameter. In your juicer, add the carrots and beet slice (with skin on for more nutrients) along with 2 tomatoes, 1 medium celery stalk, ½ cup of shredded romaine lettuce, ½ cup of spinach, ¼ cup of chopped parsley, a ⅕ cup of watercress and half a garlic clove.
Next, chill the juice in the fridge or freezer for maximum enjoyment.
To spice things up a bit, you could even use this as a base for a bloody Mary cocktail by simply adding some vodka and seasoning.
Emma Caplan is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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