
Of all the machines and gadgety things I have stashed behind my cupboard doors, this just might be my favorite: a chrome and white Acme SUPREME JUICERator. My mother gave it to me a few years ago; she just happened to have an extra one lying around. That's my mom for you. Look at those red rubber feet! Aren't they adorable?
This is the perfect season for juice; the market is full of the veggies I like best for my favorite juice blend - crisp apples, thick carrots, fat-bottomed beets, dark leafy greens. I've been making juice every day for the past few days; not only is it fast and easy, but it looks and tastes fabulous, and I feel like I'm getting far more nutritional impact than I would from swallowing vitamin tablets or stopping by a juice chain, where the quality of ingredients is questionable, and most of the "smoothies" contain copious amounts of sorbet, ice cream or yogurt, which jacks up the calorie count.
Want to play along? Here's how to do it.
Make Your Own {delicious} Fresh, Organic Juice in 3 Easy Steps
1. Assemble your vegetables. Since this is raw juice, only the best will do. Organic, local, seasonal: you know the drill.
2. Chop them to fit the feeder on your juicer. I don't peel mine; I just give them a good scrub. I want every last molecule of goodness contained in that bowl full of produce, so the skins (and stems, and etc.) go in.

3. In go the vegetables; out comes the juice! It's terribly easy. Wait - don't stick that lemon into the juicer! It will gunk up the works. Just squeeze it over the top.
4. Drink up! Isn't it gorgeous? Sometimes I even drink my juice out of a wine glass, because it's so pretty that it seems to deserve a special container. This is good stuff, people: packed with vitamins and minerals and antioxidants and all of the other things your skin and organs are craving.
I have to tell you: even if I didn't suspect that juice was an internal superpower, I'd still make it. It tastes THAT GOOD.
Jennifer's Favorite Market-Fresh Juice
- 1 apple
- 1 beet
- 3 carrots
- 1 bunch of greens - swiss chard, spinach - whatever
- 1 knob of ginger
- 1/2 lemon
Juice everything except the lemon. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Drink immediately.
Juicy Linkage
- Your mama didn't give you an Acme SUPREME JUICERator? Head directly to Juicy Lucy's in North Beach. She makes the best fresh juice in town, and serves it up in deep hand-thrown earthenware bowls. You'll walk away feeling centered and groovy.
- Want some Posh with your juice? Too bad. Juice only looks this good in the UK, at Wild Bunch & Co. How gorgeous are those bottles?! I want one (or five!). For inspiration on your own juice blends, check out their menu.
- Ready for your own juicer? There are many to choose from; be sure to do your research before you buy. The goal is to extract as much juice as possible. Of course, I highly recommend the Acme. It pretty much rocks.
- Is fresh juice really that good for you? You decide.