Exactly How Many Carrots Do You Need For One Cup Of Juice?

Juicing is a little more complicated than it sounds. From tricks for juicing citrus to understanding exactly what cold-pressed means, the process requires quite a bit of knowhow, especially when doing it at home. Regardless of if your juice is for drinking or an ingredient in a dish, understanding how much you can extract from different types of produce and how to properly juice produce can be handy.

Carrots might not immediately come to mind when thinking about juicing, but it is possible to use them in this way. About 1 pound of carrots is equal to 1 cup of carrot juice. The exact number of carrots needed will vary depending on size and thickness, but 11 good-sized carrots that have been peeled will be about the right weight. Rather than counting the carrots, it is easier to focus on the weight. This does make juicing carrots slightly more complicated as they need to be measured by pound rather than by the number of carrots. Just remember, the peel should be removed before juicing so be sure to account for the difference in weight once the carrots are peeled.

Before juicing can begin, the carrots must be cleaned. They should be peeled before juicing, with the only exception being organic carrots. The peeled variety tend to make for sweeter tasting juice — plus, you don't want any dirt or bacteria from the exterior peel in your refreshing beverage. When using a juicer, be sure to cut the carrots into chunks before feeding them into the machine. The exact size will depend on the size of the appliance you own. Try to match the chunks to the width of the chute to avoid blockages. Carrots should still be cut into pieces when using a blender as well. 

Last but not least, be sure to choose the right kind of carrots for juicing. Stay clear of baby carrots, as they are less flavorful than regular ones. Generally speaking, younger carrots are better than carrots that were harvested a long time ago and have been sitting out for a while. Not only are older carrots less sweet and coarser in texture, they also have a somewhat woody taste that is less than appealing.