Learn how to make deliciously refreshing cold-pressed Blueberry Juice without an electric juicer. Perfect for sipping straight or adding to smoothies, sauces, and more.
Blueberry juice is delightful for drinking, but you can also use it in various smoothies, fruity drinks, baked goods, and even sweet and savory sauces.
Store-bought blueberry juice, however, is expensive and hard to find. Plus, it is rarely made without additives and sneaky sugars.
Fortunately, making homemade blueberry juice with fresh or frozen blueberries, water, a food processor or high-quality blender, and a fine mesh strainer is easy.
No fancy fruit juicer is needed!
On top of that, since this is a cold-pressed juicing technique, it doesn’t involve boiling the berries, which can damage the beneficial antioxidant compounds. As a result, this blueberry juice retains many of the benefits of raw blueberries.
If you love healthy blueberry recipes, check out my Blueberry Water, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt, and Blueberry Kale Smoothie while you’re here, but first, let’s make blueberry juice!
Why Make This Blueberry Juice Recipe
Here are seven reasons why this recipe is a keeper:
- Blueberries are an antioxidant-packed superfood.
- Cold-pressed blueberry juice contains many of the same nutritional qualities as raw blueberries.
- Freshly made blueberry juice is so rich, smooth, and silky that you will never reach for a store-bought bottle of blueberry juice again.
- Juicers are difficult to clean, so using this cold-pressed blender technique makes everything easier.
- You can use fresh seasonal blueberries or a bag of frozen blueberries, which are always in season.
- You also aren’t limited to just blueberries. There are infinite flavor combinations for you to experiment with.
- With this simple recipe, you can make a healthy drink in just a few easy steps.
Ingredient Notes
You will only need two ingredients to make this delicious juice:
- Blueberries – Look for smaller berries with a deep blue pigment for the most vibrant flavor. They’re picked at their prime and typically the sweetest. Or, simply grab a bag of frozen blueberries (or wild blueberries). Again, they’re picked and frozen at their prime, so you’ll know they’ll be delicious.
- Filtered water – Blending the berries with cold water makes it easier to strain it through a sieve.
How to Make Blueberry Juice
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make blueberry juice in a blender:
Step 1: Prep.
If you’re using fresh blueberries, first wash and drain them well -or if you’re using frozen blueberries, let them thaw completely.
Step 2: Purée.
Add the berries to a food processor or blender with 1/3 cup of water. Then, pulse the mixture a few times before blending until liquified.
Step 3: Strain.
Place a mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the blueberry purée into the sieve and push it through using a rubber spatula to separate the pulp from the juice. Alternatively, you can also strain it through 3 to 4 layers of cheesecloth.
If it looks like the pulp still holds quite a bit of juice, you can transfer it back into the blender, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, and pulse it a few times. Then strain the pulp one more time. This way, you will get a bit more juice out of the pulp.
Step 4: Serve.
Enjoy the strained juice as is, or pour it over ice cubes for a refreshing drink. You can also dilute it with water to the desired consistency.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips on how to make the best blueberry juice possible:
- Use fresh blueberries when they’re in season. Otherwise, blueberry juice made from frozen berries is just as delicious. Frozen wild blueberries are perfect for making wild blueberry juice as they are more readily available than fresh.
- Be sure to wash fresh blueberries well so no dirt or debris contaminates your juice. The easiest way to do this is by submerging the berries in a bowl of cool water for 5 minutes, draining, and rinsing well.
- Blueberries contain a soluble fiber called pectin, which is a natural thickening agent. As a result, the juice will thicken into a syrupy consistency soon after making it. You can help prevent this by straining the blended berries 2-3 times instead of once. This will also help create a more concentrated flavor.
Variations
Now that you know how to juice blueberries without a juicer, I encourage you to experiment with fun flavor variations. You’ll love these ideas:
- Make it with mixed berries. Purée the blueberries with water and blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, or all of the above.
- Add tropical fruits. Purée the blueberries with water, mango, pineapple, papaya, guava, or passionfruit.
- Add more flavoring agents. Try blending the blueberries with a pinch of cinnamon and other warming spices, a splash of lemon or lime juice, and fresh herbs like mint or basil.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: It’s best to enjoy fresh blueberry juice right away as it will start to thicken almost immediately, but you can refrigerate it in a glass jar or bottle with a tight lid for up to 1 day.
Just mix it with a bit of water in case it thickens too much.
Freezing: To extend the shelf-life, freeze the juice in an ice cube tray, then transfer the cubes to a zip-top bag and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can pour your next batch of fresh blueberry juice over the frozen cubes, and they won’t water down the juice as they melt. They’re also great blended directly into smoothies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make cold-pressed blueberry juice sweeter without sugar?
I wouldn’t recommend adding any sweeteners, but you can blend the blueberries with a sweet, juicy apple to sweeten it up a bit.
You can also substitute the filtered water with filtered 100% apple juice.
What is blueberry juice good for besides drinking?
Because of the concentrated taste, this juice is also a great way to add bold blueberry flavor to various recipes.
Here are some of the many ways to use it besides drinking it straight:
- sweeten oatmeal;
- add to a smoothie;
- make frozen yogurt or ice cream;
- make homemade blueberry syrup;
- make chia seed pudding;
- make blueberry green tea or blueberry lemonade;
- use it as a mocktail or cocktail mixer.
More Fruit and Berry Recipes
Here are a few other healthy recipes you might like:
How to Make Blueberry Juice (Easy Recipe)
Make your own blueberry juice in just a few easy steps. No fancy equipment is needed! You can make it from frozen or fresh berries.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries (about 4 cups)
- 1/3 cup of water
Instructions
- If using fresh blueberries, wash them and drain the water. If using frozen blueberries, let them thaw completely.
- Place the berries into a food processor or blender. Add 1/3 cup of water.
- Pulse a few times, then process until the berries are liquified.
- Place a mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the pureed blueberries into the sieve and push through the sieve using a rubber spatula.
- If it looks like the pulp still holds quite a bit of juice, you can transfer it back into the blender, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, and pulse it a few times. Then strain the pulp one more time. This way, you will get a bit more juice out of the pulp.
- Serve as is or pour over ice. You can also dilute the blueberry juice concentrate with water to the desired consistency.
- Store the freshly made blueberry juice in a glass jar with a tight lid in the fridge for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1/2 of recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 77Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 5mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 1g
Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.