Can You Juice With A Blender?

"...and a ounce of cucumber juice. Damn, where do I get cucumber juice? Can I juice in my blender?"

We've all been there, particularly with regards to cocktail-crafting. And if something calls for cucumber juice, you'd better believe it's for a good reason. So can you get the juice you need using only the blender you have?

Not...really. What you'll end up with if you go the blender route, predictably enough, will more closely resemble a vegetable smoothie. That's what blenders do: blend, not juice. However, if you simply need a couple of ounces for a recipe or cocktail, there's a way to do it. But, you know, get a juicer, man. Juicing's good for you.

Blend the hell out of whatever you need juice from. You want to get it as close to liquid consistency as possible. You can get juice from liquid produce. Only a juicer can get actual liquid from straight produce. Apples, cucumbers, lettuces, melons and other water-heavy fruits and vegetables work best for this.

Lay a few layers of cheesecloth over a pitcher, bowl or whatever you're collecting the juice in, then pour the mixture through. It won't be perfectly clarified, but it will certainly be juice instead of smoothie. Gather the pulp in the cheesecloth and squeeze it out with your hands to get the last drops out.

Then add vodka.

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