There’s something incredibly satisfying about making fresh juice at home, especially when you combine fruits and vegetables that complement each other so beautifully. This Sweet Pear Juice with Apple and Carrot is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can create something extraordinary. Pears bring a delicate, honeyed sweetness and smooth texture, apples add crisp tartness and body, while carrots contribute earthiness, vibrant color, and a whole host of nutrients. Together, these three ingredients create a juice that’s naturally sweet enough to feel like a treat but packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make it genuinely good for you. The color is a gorgeous golden-orange that looks like liquid sunshine, and the flavor is balanced, refreshing, and never cloying. Whether you drink it first thing in the morning for an energizing start, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or after a workout for natural hydration, this juice is versatile, delicious, and infinitely better than anything you’ll find in a store.
This recipe makes about four cups of juice, serving four people, and takes just 15 minutes if you have a juicer, or about 25 minutes if you’re using a blender and straining method. Each serving contains approximately 130 calories, giving you natural energy from fruit sugars along with fiber and nutrients.
1. Ingredients
- Ripe pears – 4 medium (about 2 pounds)
- Apples – 3 medium (about 1 pound)
- Carrots – 4 medium (about 12 ounces)
- Fresh ginger – 1 inch piece (optional, for zing)
- Fresh lemon juice – 2 tablespoons (optional, for brightness)
- Water – 1/2 to 1 cup (only if using blender method)
- Ice cubes – for serving
2. Choose Your Fruit Wisely
The quality and ripeness of your fruit significantly impacts the final juice. For pears, look for ones that yield slightly to gentle pressure near the stem, indicating they’re ripe and juicy. Bartlett, Anjou, or Bosc pears all work beautifully. Avoid rock-hard pears which haven’t developed their full sweetness yet, and overripe pears that feel mushy. For apples, choose sweet varieties like Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp if you want a sweeter juice, or use Granny Smith for more tartness and less sugar. A combination of sweet and tart apples often provides the most balanced flavor. The carrots should be firm, bright orange, and free from soft spots or excessive dirt. Organic produce is ideal for juicing since you’ll be using the whole fruit and vegetable, though thoroughly washing conventional produce also works.
3. Wash and Prepare Everything
Rinse all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool running water, scrubbing the carrots and apples with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt or residue. Even if you’re planning to peel them, washing first prevents transferring any surface contaminants to the flesh when you cut. For maximum nutrition, you can leave the skins on apples and pears since they contain valuable fiber and nutrients, but peel them if you prefer a smoother juice or if they’re not organic. Cut off any bruised or damaged spots. Trim the tops off the carrots and cut off the very bottom tip. If your carrots are very large and thick, cut them in half lengthwise so they feed through your juicer more easily.
4. Cut to Size
Cut the pears and apples into quarters, removing the cores and seeds. The cores can make juice slightly bitter and the seeds contain compounds you don’t want in large quantities. Cut each quarter into smaller chunks that will fit easily through your juicer’s feed tube, usually two to three inch pieces. If using a blender, you can cut them even smaller, into one-inch cubes, which helps them break down more easily. Cut the carrots into pieces about two to three inches long, or small enough to fit comfortably in your equipment. If you’re including fresh ginger, peel it with the edge of a spoon, which removes just the thin skin without wasting the flesh underneath, and cut it into small pieces.
5. Juicing Method with a Juicer
If you have a juicer, whether centrifugal or cold-press masticating style, this is the easiest and most efficient method. Turn on your juicer and feed the prepared fruit and vegetables through the chute, alternating between harder items like carrots and softer items like pears. This alternating helps push everything through more efficiently and extracts more juice. The carrots will create a thick, pulpy juice, the apples provide tartness and liquid, and the pears add smooth sweetness. If you’re using ginger, add it in the middle of juicing sandwiched between other ingredients so it gets fully processed. Collect all the juice in a large pitcher or bowl placed under the juicer spout.
6. Blender Method
If you don’t have a juicer, you can absolutely make this juice with a regular blender, though the process takes a bit longer and the yield is slightly less. Place all your prepared fruit and vegetables in a high-powered blender. Add half a cup of water to help everything blend smoothly. Start blending on low speed to break everything down, then increase to high speed and blend for about one to two minutes until the mixture is as smooth as possible. You’ll end up with a thick, pulpy mixture rather than clear juice. This is where the straining comes in.
7. Strain for Smooth Juice
If you used a blender, you need to strain the mixture to separate the juice from the pulp and fiber. Set a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth-lined colander over a large bowl or pitcher. Pour the blended mixture into the strainer in batches. Use a spoon or spatula to press down on the pulp, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. This takes some patience and elbow grease, but you’ll extract a surprising amount of juice. Keep pressing and stirring until the pulp is relatively dry and you’ve gotten most of the liquid out. The resulting juice will have a bit more pulp and texture than juicer-made juice, but it’s still delicious and retains more fiber, which some people prefer.
8. Add Optional Enhancements
Once you have your juice collected in a pitcher, taste it and decide if you want to add any enhancements. If the juice seems too thick or concentrated, you can thin it with a bit of cold water, adding a quarter cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If you want more brightness and a pop of acidity to balance the sweetness, stir in the fresh lemon juice. Start with one tablespoon, taste, and add more if desired. The lemon juice also helps prevent the juice from oxidizing and turning brown. If you didn’t juice the ginger but want that warming spice note, you can grate a small amount of fresh ginger directly into the juice and stir well, then strain again if you don’t want the pulp.
9. Chill or Serve Fresh
Fresh juice is best consumed immediately while all the nutrients are at their peak and the flavor is brightest. However, if you prefer cold juice, you can refrigerate it for 30 minutes to an hour before serving, or simply serve it over ice. Pour the juice into tall glasses filled with ice cubes. The ice not only chills the juice but also provides a refreshing, cold drinking experience. As the ice melts slightly, it dilutes the juice just a touch, which some people prefer.
10. Garnish and Present
For a beautiful presentation, garnish each glass with a thin slice of pear or apple floated on top, or a carrot curl made by using a vegetable peeler to create long, thin ribbons that you twist and place on the rim. A small sprig of fresh mint also makes a lovely aromatic garnish. These touches transform simple juice into something special and show your guests that you put thought and care into what you’re serving.
11. Storage Tips
Fresh juice is always best consumed within a few hours of making it because the nutrients begin to degrade and the juice will separate and oxidize. If you need to store it, pour the juice into an airtight glass container, filling it as full as possible to minimize air exposure. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to help preserve color and freshness. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, though the flavor and nutrition will be best within the first 12 hours. Give it a good shake or stir before drinking because natural separation will occur. The juice may darken slightly, which is normal oxidation, but it’s still safe to drink.
12. Nutritional Information Per Serving
- Calories – 130
- Protein – 2 grams
- Total fat – 0 grams
- Saturated fat – 0 grams
- Carbohydrates – 33 grams
- Fiber – 6 grams (if using blender method with pulp)
- Sugar – 24 grams (naturally occurring)
- Cholesterol – 0 milligrams
- Sodium – 50 milligrams
13. Helpful Tips
The ratio of fruits and vegetables in this recipe can be adjusted based on your preferences and what you have available. If you want a sweeter juice, use more pears and sweet apples and fewer carrots. For a more vegetable-forward, less sweet juice, increase the carrots and use tart apples. You can also add other complementary ingredients like celery for a refreshing green note, cucumber for hydration and mild flavor, or a small piece of beet for earthiness and gorgeous color. Fresh ginger is highly recommended even though it’s listed as optional because it adds a warming spice and has anti-inflammatory properties. Just a small piece goes a long way, so start conservatively. Too much ginger can be overpowering and make the juice taste spicy rather than refreshing. If you’re new to ginger in juice, start with just half an inch. Lemon juice is another ingredient that seems optional but really elevates the final result. It brightens all the flavors, prevents oxidation and browning, and adds vitamin C. Don’t skip it unless you have a citrus allergy. The type of juicer you use affects the final product. Centrifugal juicers are faster and more affordable but create heat and incorporate more air, which can lead to faster nutrient degradation and more oxidation. Cold-press or masticating juicers work more slowly but preserve more nutrients and enzymes, create less foam, and produce juice that stays fresh longer. Both types work perfectly well for this recipe. When juicing, you’ll be left with a significant amount of pulp, which is the fiber-rich portion of the fruits and vegetables. Don’t throw it away. Carrot and apple pulp can be added to muffin or cake batters, mixed into oatmeal, added to veggie burgers, or composted. Pear pulp can be stirred into yogurt or used in baking. Some people even dehydrate the pulp and grind it into a powder to add fiber to smoothies. If you’re making juice regularly, investing in a good quality juicer is worthwhile. It saves time, extracts more juice, and makes the process much more convenient. However, the blender method works perfectly fine if you’re just trying out juicing or making it occasionally. For people watching their sugar intake, be aware that juice concentrates the natural sugars from fruit while removing the fiber that would normally slow sugar absorption. You can reduce the natural sugar content by using more carrots and fewer fruits, or by including vegetables like celery and cucumber. Adding a handful of fresh spinach or kale also boosts nutrition without significantly affecting the sweet flavor. This juice works beautifully as a base for smoothies. Use it instead of water or milk when blending smoothies for extra flavor and nutrition. It’s also great frozen into popsicles for a healthy treat, or frozen in ice cube trays and popped into sparkling water for naturally flavored fizzy drinks. The natural sweetness and beautiful color make this juice popular with kids who might otherwise resist eating whole carrots or pears. It’s a great way to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in a form that feels like a treat rather than a chore. For the freshest juice with maximum nutrients, try to use fruits and vegetables at room temperature rather than cold from the refrigerator. Room temperature produce yields more juice and the natural flavors are more pronounced. However, if you prefer cold juice, serving it over ice is better than starting with cold produce. The combination of pears, apples, and carrots provides vitamin A for eye health from the carrots, vitamin C for immune support from the apples and pears, potassium for heart health, and various antioxidants that fight inflammation and cellular damage. It’s genuinely nourishing as well as delicious. This juice is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and suitable for almost any dietary restriction. It’s gentle on the digestive system and can be consumed by most people including children and elderly folks. The natural sugars provide quick energy without the crash that comes from refined sugar.
