To make or buy natural fruit juice, is a better idea than buying juice in cartons from supermarkets. Most fruit juice is more water and flavour than juice (Sunny D really did once send a young girl yellow, due to all the colours). And Tropicana (the most popular premium brand) puts fish oil and beef in some of its drinks.
Check medication before drinking lots of green or grapefruit juice, as some medications are affected by vitamin K. Avoid fresh juice for pregnancy, as it could have bacteria (for others, wash hands properly before prep, cut away damaged areas, wash produce thoroughly under running water and scrub melons/cucumbers with a produce brush, and dry with a clean cloth towel). Most commercial juice is pasteurised, to kill bacteria. Some medicines cannot be used with grapefruit or green juice.
Where to Buy Good Juice
Folkingtons (East Sussex) makes juice from local growers, all vacuum packed to preserve freshness. All their drinks are vegan-friendly and 65% of all their trade is involved in supporting local businesses. None of their juices are concentrated, so you are enjoying the goodness of the real fruit. The fruit is pressed by hand (locally in most cases) within half a day’s drive of where the fruit has been picked from trees or vines (or picked, in the case of citrus fruits imported from abroad). Their pomme fruit (apples and pears) are pressed in Herefordshire and lemons just outside Palermo in Sicily.
The company has strong environmental values, and always uses the same farmers to provide regular income and provide consistency of taste. 99% of all packaging can be recycled (they are working to 100%) and they also pick apples that some farmers never pick, but leave to waste. Since 2018, they have picked 222 tons of apples that would have created 350 tons of greenhouse gases, if they had been left to decompose.
Flawsome! Apple & Strawberry Juice and Orange Juice are made from surplus fruits that would be thrown away, and also gives fair prices to farmers. Both in glass bottles.
- Heron Valley (Devon) makes pure juices from apples and pears from a sustainable Devon farm, and in glass bottles. The sweet apple juice is legendary and there is also a sour apple juice, a sweet pear juice and valencia orange juice, from Spain if you prefer this for your morning breakfast. It also offers ready-made ‘bubblies’). The range includes apple fizz, cloudy lemonade, cloudy pink lemonade, nettle fizz, fiery ginger beer, elderflower fizz and lime ginger fizz. The elderflower is made to a Devon recipe and an ideal non-alcoholic alternative to wine, and the nettle fizz has a refreshing leafy flavour. the apple fizz makes a great mixer for cocktails.
- James White juices are good, made with organic ingredients and sold in glass bottles. In pear, apple, orange or vegetables (tomato, vegetable or carrot & apple).
- Biona Organic Orange Juice is sold in health stores. It’s made from organic oranges and sold in glass bottles. You can also add a dash or two to smoothies or use in orange-flavoured baked goods.
- Rocks Drinks (Devon) was founded by three dads, and offers organic cordials, and fruit juice concentrates (can be used as natural sweeteners).
- Wobble is a brand in Sussex, with all fruit from traceable sources. In glass bottles, choose from apple, apple pear or apple raspberry. Grown, picked, pressed and bottled on a farm.
- Daisy Dose Juice (Battersea) is made from wonky leftover fruits and veggies, with beets from Bedfordshire, carrots from Peterborough, apples from Surrey and greens from Lancashire. there is also a winter warmer and they rescue tones of produce each week. and there is also a cherry shot and green juice, plus black lemonade with activated charcoal, and vanilla or cocoa almond milks.
- James White Drinks (Norfolk) makes quality juices in glass bottles. Set to very high standards, these use fresh quality ingredients, with no need to mess around with added sugar. The vegetable juices are surprisingly sweet and a great option for those who need to eat more veggies. As well as apple pear and pear raspberry, the range includes a best-selling carrot juice, along with a vegetable juice (tomato, carrot, celeriac, cucumber, beetroot along with lovable and basil) and organic tomato juice.
- Owlet Fruit Juice (Kent) is an award-winning range of fruits that are grown, pressed and bottled in the Kent countryside. They offer single variety English apple juices, along with original blends of local fruits, berries and flowers, all packed in glass bottles. You can also find spiced apple plus apple and blueberry, rhubarb strawberry apple and pear and ginger.
- Luscombe Juices (Devon) offers organic juice from Devon, made with wild ingredients, picked when ripe.
- Dorset Nectar Organic Apple Juice is made with a blend of sweet and crisp apples including Devonshire Browns, Yarlington Mill, Sweet Coppins and Porter’s perfections. Filtered and pasturised for safety. Dorset Nectar Apple Syrup is handmade from 30 organic apples, sugar and spices. Use as a liqueur on ice or stir into cocktails. Made from a family recipe, you can also use it to drizzle on pancakes, or pour on vegan icecream or cheesecake.
Make Your Own Homemade Juice
You don’t need an expensive single-gear juicer. You can make juice with a blender (just strain it through a nut milk bag) and use the pulp in muffins etc. You can also use a nut milk bag to make vegan cheese or even to store herbs in, while you simmer foods in a pan. 6 Juice Recipes for Fall (Crowded Kitchen) is a round-up post of 6 delicious fresh juices: carrot orange turmeric, apple pear & greens, cranberry apple, harvest beet & veggie, grape cranberry apple and beet strawberry.
Glowing Skin Juice (Simple Vegan Blog) is made with beets, oranges, carrots, red apples, cucumber and a stick of celery.
Ginger, Grapefruit & Blood Orange Juice (Crowded Kitchen) is a homemade blend for winter, with a blend of citrus and fresh ginger, alongside warming turmeric and cinnnamon. Avoid ginger for pregnancy.
Beet the Cold Juice (Eat This) features apple and ginger for a warming juice. Very simple to make, all you need is beetroot, an apple and carrot, 3 oranges and a small piece of ginger. This recipe is in German, so right-click to translate into English.
Easy Green Juice (Minimalist Baker) blends parsley and kale with apple or orange, for sweetness. Then comes ginger and lemon for a tart taste, and goodness for your immune system.
This bamboo lemon juicer pot is dishwasher-safe up to 40 degrees C. Ideal to juice lemons and limes, it’s made from bamboo and corn powder and is durable and approved for food use. Ethically produced then degrades in around 3 years.
