What Not to Juice?

by Gene Mehl
(Pittsburg, CA)

Hey All,
I am new to juicing and have seen a lot of great info as to the how, what and why to juice, but not to much on what NOT to juice! It would be great to know what Skins, Seeds, Rinds, Roots or Green Tops should not be used in juicing and why, (Toxic, Poison, Bitter, Extreme Sugar, etc.) Is there a compiled list of what not to juice and why?

Thanks Gene

A: Hey Gene, Super good question. There are SO many varieties of produce out there that it would be difficult to cover them all, espeically since we all live in different states, countries, etc. where we have various types of fruits and vegetables.

I can, however, list out some common ones in the USA that we all should be aware of.

Citrus Rinds (Oranges, Grapefruits): Not the end of the world if you do, but citrus peels like oranges and grapefruits contain and indigesitble oil that's hard on our stomachs. Lemons and limes are excluded from this list as they are fine to juice whole.

Carrot Greens: Carrot tops are not edible. They are toxic and should not be eaten or juiced.

Papaya Peels: Besides for tearing up your juicer, these are not edible and cannot be juiced.

Apple Seeds: While many people like the convenience of just throwing a whole apple into the juicer, I do not for this reason: The seeds contain a small amount of arsenic and really shouldn't be juiced. While the juicer usually removes them safely, I just think its better not to juice them (it's also easier on your juicer!).

Wild Parsnips: Cultivated parsnips are fine, but wild ones are not as they contain several poisons.

A good rule of thumb in wondering if you can juice something or not is to ask yourself if it's edible. If it is, then most times you can juice it. If it isn't, then stay clear.

Some things that people don't realize you can juice are potatoes, melon rinds (watermelon is a good example, there are nutrients in the green and white), and grape stems. Many people also juice pineapple rinds, but I don't because they are so hard on your juicer.

If you know of some indigestible/unjuiceable fruits and veggies in your area that I missed out on please feel free to add to the list by commenting below :)