Celery juice is a powerful juice that has spread like wildfire and become enormously popular. Many people have been helped with health problems through celery juice, and understandably, many questions also arise about how to best use celery juice to feel good. In this article, we try to summarize what's important to consider to make celery juice work for you, as well as common mistakes to avoid.
How do I do a celery juice cleanse?
The basic recommendation is to drink 4.7 dl (16 ounces) of fresh-pressed celery juice on an empty stomach every morning. You can either do this as a cleanse for 30 days or for as long as you want. Many choose to drink celery juice daily as often as they can – for the rest of their lives. In some cases, it's recommended to drink more than this – up to 9.5 dl per day, either in one go or divided between morning and afternoon. The important thing is to drink 100% pure and fresh-pressed celery juice, at least 30 minutes before breakfast and/or before dinner.It's fine to drink lemon water 30 minutes before, and it's recommended to eat a (preferably fat-free) breakfast about 30-40 minutes after the juice.
Some points that are important to remember:
Drink only pure, undiluted celery juice completely without other ingredients – not even water (or ice). Don't eat or drink anything else before or within 30 minutes after.
Preferably drink the juice in the morning; either on a completely empty stomach or 30 minutes after a glass of lemon water.
Preferably drink the juice freshly pressed. If this isn't possible, you can store it in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours – but it will then be less potent.
Do this preferably every day for at least 30 days, to truly experience the effect of celery juice.
How do I make celery juice?
Pressing fresh celery juice is very simple. All you need is a slow juicer or a high-speed blender.
Take a bunch of organic celery, cut off the "bottom" and rinse the celery stalks under running water.
2A. If you have a juicer: Run the stalks one at a time through the machine. Feel free to strain the juice through a tea strainer or similar to remove any fibers or pieces. Drink immediately!
2B. If you have a blender: Cut the celery into 2-3 cm pieces. Put them in the blender and blend until it becomes liquid. Don't add water or anything else. Then strain out the fibers through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh kitchen strainer. Drink immediately!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which juicer is best?
If you have a juicer or blender at home – use it! Drinking celery juice is always best. That's the simple answer. If you're looking for a new juicer and want the best one specifically for celery, we have some points to consider here.
A so-called "slow juicer" is the best category of juicer to use. They are quieter than centrifugal juicers or blenders and produce more (and in our experience, better-tasting / less bitter) juice from celery.
Omega Juicer MM900HDS is a good and affordable juicer specifically for celery, but there are some considerations we think you should think about before you buy. MM900HDS is not optimal for several other fruits and vegetables, although it works for those too.
Then Omega Juicer MM1500 is better for you who want an all-in-one juicer. It has the same celery function as MM900 but is better for juicing and processing other fruits, nuts and vegetables. With an MM1500 you can even make ice cream, pasta, nut butter, nut milk, baby food and much more.
Twin-gear slow juicers (such as Angel Juicer or Greenstar Elite) are in our opinion the absolute best juicers available. They are even more efficient and produce fantastically good and pure juice from virtually all fruits, vegetables and leafy greens – including celery. They also tend to last a very long time and have fewer problems over time compared to other alternatives. The downside with them is of course that they cost more, and take up somewhat more space in the kitchen.
Do I have to use organic celery?
Celery is one of the vegetables that has the most pesticide residues from conventional farming. So organic is definitely best. If for some reason you can't get organic celery, you can buy conventional and wash it thoroughly before you
How do I best store my celery?
Celery is best stored in the refrigerator and protected from excessive air circulation. If you buy celery in the store, they are often packaged in plastic bags which helps increase their shelf life. You can also store them in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the refrigerator to protect them. This way, fresh celery can last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
I don't like the taste – what can I do?
One reason for this could be that you have a great need for detox and that the celery juice kick-starts this process. This can make the taste feel bitter or unpleasant. One way to get over this is to start cautiously; drink 1 dl the first day and slowly increase up to 4.7 dl or more as it feels easier to drink. The bitter and slightly sharp taste that can occur can also be affected by the type of celery: If you have celery with narrow stalks and lots of leaves, the taste tends to become sharper.One solution is then to look for thicker celery next time you shop, as well as cutting off the leaves before juicing it.
One last thing we've noticed is that the same celery tastes different depending on how we juice it. In a blender, it often becomes sharper in taste than in a slow juicer.
Are there any alternatives to celery juice?
Not really. But if you can't get celery or don't have access to a juicer – for example, when you're out traveling – there are other drinks that are said to provide similar health benefits to some extent, and which are definitely better than nothing.
Here's a short list:
Lemon water: Half a lemon or lime squeezed into 5 dl of water. A good start to the day regardless of whether you then have access to celery juice or not.
Cucumber juice: Cucumber produces a very mild, beneficial and hydrating juice. Easy to make in a juicer or blender.
Ginger water: Grate a few cm of ginger and let it steep in 1 liter of water overnight. Then strain and mix with lemon and raw honey.
Aloe vera water: If you have access to fresh aloe vera, you can scoop out about a 5 cm long piece and blend the gel with 5 dl of water.
Specific tips for those using an Omega Juicer to make celery juice
If you have an Omega MM900HDS or Omega MM1500, here's a little reminder list to get the most out of your juicer:
Make sure the celery cap with the green rubber ring is properly mounted. If it's positioned the wrong way or in the wrong place, it can fall out or interfere with juicing.
Feed the celery slowly so the machine can keep up, one stalk at a time. Let most of the juice run out before pushing in new celery.
Use the reverse setting if you see it clumping together.
Use chilled celery directly from the refrigerator for best results.
The setting on the celery end cap is important: Start by turning the celery cap just a few cm clockwise so it sits firmly on the attachment, then the resistance is lowest for the fibers to come out. If you want to increase juice extraction, you can carefully turn the end cap counterclockwise and thereby increase the resistance for the fibers to come out. NOTE: If the pressure becomes too high, the pressing chamber can become hot, which can damage both the juice and the machine. In that case, try turning clockwise to reduce the resistance.
