Celery juice is a powerful juice that has spread like wildfire and become hugely popular. Many people have been helped with health problems through celery juice, and understandably, many questions arise about how to best use celery juice to feel good.
In this article, we try to summarize what is important to consider to make celery juice work for you, as well as common mistakes to avoid.
How do I do a celery juice course?
The basic recommendation is to drink 4.7 dl (16 ounces) of freshly pressed celery juice on an empty stomach every morning. You can either do this as a course 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 is recommended to drink more than this – up to 9.5 dl per day, either all at once or divided between morning and afternoon. The important thing is to drink 100% pure and freshly pressed celery juice, at least 30 minutes before breakfast and/or before dinner.
It is fine to drink lemon water 30 minutes before, and it is recommended to eat a (preferably fat-free) breakfast about 30-40 minutes after the juice.
A few points that are important to remember:
- Drink only pure, undiluted celery juice with no other ingredients – not even water (or ice). Do not 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.
- Drink the juice freshly pressed if possible. If not, you can store it in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours – but it will be less potent.
- Preferably do this every day for at least 30 days to truly experience the effects of celery juice.
How do I make celery juice?
Pressing fresh celery juice is very easy. 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 bits. 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 a liquid. Do not add water or anything else. Then strain out the fibers through a nut milk bag or a fine kitchen sieve. Drink immediately!
Frequently asked questions and answers
Which juicer is best?
If you have a juicer or a blender at home – use it! Drinking celery juice is always best. That’s the simple answer.
If you are looking for a new juicer and want the best one specifically for celery, we have a few points to consider here.
- A so-called "slow juicer" is the best category of juicer to use. They are quieter than centrifuges or blenders and produce more (and in our experience tastier / less bitter) juice from celery.
- The Omega Juicer MM900HDS is a good and affordable juicer specifically for celery, but there are some considerations we think you should think about before buying. The MM900HDS is not optimal for many other fruits and vegetables, although it works for those as well.
- Then the Omega Juicer MM1500 is better for you if you want an all-in-one juicer. It has the same celery function as the MM900 but is better for juicing and mashing other fruits, nuts, and vegetables. With an MM1500, you can even make ice cream, pasta, nut butter, nut milk, baby food, and much more.
- Slow juicers with twin gears (such as Angel Juicer or Greenstar Elite) are, in our opinion, the absolute best juicers available. They are even more efficient and produce a fantastic, clean juice from virtually all fruits, vegetables, and leaves – including celery. They also tend to last a very long time and have fewer issues over time compared to other options. The downside, of course, is 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 with 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 fridge and protected from excessive air circulation. If you buy celery in a store, it is often packed in plastic bags which helps to extend its shelf life.
You can also store them in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the fridge to protect them. This way, fresh celery can last up to two weeks in the fridge.
I don’t like the taste – what can I do?
One reason for this could be that you have a strong need for detox and that the celery juice kick-starts this process. This can make the taste seem bitter or unpleasant.
One way to get past this is to start gently; drink 100 ml the first day and slowly increase up to 470 ml or more as it becomes easier to drink.
The bitter and slightly sharp taste that can occur can also be influenced by the type of celery: If you have celery with thin stalks and lots of leaves, the flavor tends to be sharper.
One solution is to look for thicker celery next time you shop, and to cut off the leaves before juicing.
One last thing we’ve noticed is that the same celery tastes different depending on how we juice it. In a blender, the flavor is often sharper 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 traveling – there are other drinks that are said to offer some similar health benefits and are definitely better than nothing.
Here is a short list:
- Lemon water: Half a lemon or lime squeezed into 5 dl of water. A good start to the day whether or not you have access to celery juice.
- Cucumber juice: Cucumber gives 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 piece and blend the gel with 5 dl of water.
Specific advice for those using an Omega Juicer to make celery juice
If you have an Omega MM900HDS or Omega MM1500, here is a small reminder list to get the most out of your juicer:
- Make sure the celery cap with the green rubber ring is properly installed. If it is on backwards 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 drain out before pushing in more.
- Use the reverse mode if you see it clumping together.
- Use chilled celery straight from the refrigerator for best results.
- The setting on the celery endcap is important: Start by turning the celery cap just a few cm clockwise so that it is secured to the mount; this gives the least resistance for the fibers to come out. If you want to increase juice extraction, you can gently turn the endcap counterclockwise to increase resistance for the fibers to come out. NOTE: If the pressure gets too high, the press housing can become warm, which can damage both the juice and the machine. In that case, try turning clockwise to reduce resistance.
