How to cook juice

Information for juice in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Juice

Compared with the numerous beverages available today, juice remains a nutritious choice. It retains most of the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals) in the original fruit or vegetable, although it may also be higher in calories and sugar than many suspect. There are 175 calories in 12 ounces of apple juice, for example, and 230 calories in grape juice. Apple juice has 45 grams of fructose, a naturally occurring form of sugar, and grape juice has 57 grams of this sugar. Tomato juice contains 62 calories in a 12 ounces serving; however, it also contains 1,314 milligrams of sodium. If you are monitoring your sodium intake, always check labels of vegetable-based juices.

In addition, be aware that not all juices sold today are all juice. Some may be 100 percent fruit juice, but other brands may have juice mixed with water or simply be water with added sugar and flavoring. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the terms used on juice labels and requires manufacturers to state the percentage of pure juice used in the product.

Terms consumers may encounter include:

100 percent juice - These juices do not contain added water.

From concentrate - This juice has undergone processing to remove most of the water from the original fruit juice. The resulting concentrated liquid is frozen, and then rehydrated. It may be considered 100 percent juice if the amount of water added back to the concentrate does not exceed FDA guidelines for 100 percent juice.

Not from concentrate - The most expensive kind of juice in the supermarket, this is juice that does not have added water or sweeteners. Nor has it been reduced down to a concentrate and then rehydrated.

Other terms to look for on labels include cocktail, punch, drink, or beverage - These may signify that only a small percentage of actual juice was used. It also usually indicates that sweeteners were added.

Preparation tips

Numerous juicing machines are available on the market, many of them relatively inexpensive. Try making your own juice at home with one of these machines. Not only do you guarantee that you are getting a pure product but also you can experiment with different combinations of fruits. Orange and pineapple, for example, make a tasty, tangy fruit juice. Carrot juice can be blended with juice from vegetables or fruits for an extra-nutritious drink. When choosing fruits at the supermarket, choose those that are sold during their peak season and are properly ripened.

Serving suggestions

Juice makes an excellent addition to any meal. To reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, try substituting juice for coffee at coffee breaks. If you don’t want to make your own juice at home, numerous juice combinations are available at the supermarket. Check the label to make sure you are getting fruit juice and not sweetened water, however.

• Soda pop
• Wine
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• Margarine
• Lard
• Vegetable shortening
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