Wondering what to do with leftover juice pulp? It’s a common conundrum that most avid juicers come across: the more you juice, the more pulp you get – ridiculous amounts of it! And you can’t just toss this stuff out because, well, it just seems like such a waste of perfectly good stuff.
There must be a better use for it than chucking it in the trash, right?
Totally. In fact, there are several awesome, creative ways to put that pulp to good use so don’t throw it away quite yet!
What to Do with Pulp from Juicer That You’re Not Using Right Away
Just a quick note on what to do with pulp from juicer leftovers that you’re not using right away – freeze it.
Stasher’s Reusable Storage Bags are perfect for this – they’re made out of food grade silicone and will store your leftover juice pulp in a fresh, non-toxic case until you’re ready to use it.
A wise way to do it is to designate bags for ingredients you use a lot. For example, carrots – I love putting leftover juicer pulp into carrot cake recipes so I will always have a “carrot” bag nearby when I start juicing carrots. If some bits of apple or celery get in, that’s okay – but I do try to get mostly carrot pulp in the “carrot” bag and beetroot in the “beetroot” bag and so on.
I end up with piles of this stuff and it’s great that way because it allows me to bake big batches of, say, carrot cake or have a huge stash on hand for stuffing when Thanksgiving rolls around.
What to Do With Leftover Juice Pulp
Okay, now on with the show – don’t throw away any of that precious pulp until you’ve tried a few of these creative ways to put your juice pulp to good use!
#1. Whip up a face mask
Why spend money on beauty products when you have fresh ingredients for luscious masks by the bucketfuls? Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidant content – why not get double the benefits by both drinking the nutrition AND putting it on your face?
If the pulp is gentle – say, cucumbers or carrots – you can apply it directly to your face, or mix in a bit of honey for better staying power. If it’s a bit harsher – say, lemons – you can mix it with a little honey and oatmeal or even yogurt.
#2. Make a Face or Body Scrub with Leftover Pulp
Many fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidant content, as well as act as excellent and gentle exfoliators. Which is why it’s so lovely to make an exfoliator with leftover juice pulp from anything from cucumbers, carrots, lemons (especially lemons!), tomatoes, oranges, parsley, lettuce, radish…actually, pretty much anything!
What should you use? Here’s a quick roundup of yummy juicer pulps to put on your face (or body):
Lemon exfoliates, lightens and brightens. It’ll also tighten your pores and zap excess oil. Don’t leave it on your skin too long, though – it can start to hurt.
Ginger is a renowned natural remedy for hypopigmentation.
Berries are super high in antioxidants and strawberry pulp is especially great ’cause the stuff is a natural source of salicylic acid – you know, the stuff that helps get rid of acne and encourages healthy skin turnover. You can also use strawberry pulp to give your teeth a gentle whitening. Yea, that sounds very strange but so does charcoal. They both work but strawberries taste better.
Cucumber (organic so you can leave the peel on) is chock full of skin-friendly minerals like silica, potassium, and magnesium. It’s also very, very soothing and incredibly hydrating – perfect for inflamed skin.
Potato pulp is awesome for getting rid of oily skin. It’s also a natural bleacher.
Pineapple pulp is full of alpha-hydroxy acids that clean away dead cells, revealing brighter, awesome-r skin underneath. It does sting, though, so you as a quick exfoliator (max 5 minutes) rather than a face mask.
Papaya pulp is one of the best whitening agents – juice papaya and use the pulp if you have dark spots.
Basil is known to be a great acne-banisher when used both internally and externally (mix the basil pulp with a little bit of no-sugar, plain yogurt for an amazing face pack, btw – will leave your face very matte and lovely).
Kale, the queen of greens, kale, shouldn’t be left out especially if you’re making a lot of green juice. Kale’s full of skin-health-boosting vitamins like A and K – A is great for fighting acne, reducing wrinkles and promoting skin turnover while Vitamin K helps fade spots. Kale’s also packing lutein, a carotenoid that boosts skin elasticity and helps hydrate the skin.
Sweet potatoes and orange squash are also packing serious carotenoids.
How to make it?
Simply mix together…
- 1/4 cup juice pulp
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup oil (olive oil and coconut oil work great)
- 3 tbsp of honey for better consistency (manuka honey is great, especially if you’ve got acne)
Oh, you probably already know about the amazing benefits of wheatgrass juice, but did you know that the pulp is amazing for your skin as well?
#3. Add it to Smoothies for an Extra Fiber Boost
The fiber found in fruits and vegetables is awesome and it’s all right there in your leftover pulp. Juicing extracts the juice from the fiber, allowing your body to take a break from digestion and directly absorb all the nutrients and living enzymes from the juice. This is one of the unique benefits of juicing over blending.
See our post on the difference between juicing and blending and why it matters here.
But dietary fiber is also an incredibly important part of your diet. Use your leftover fiber to give yourself an extra boost when you blend your next smoothie!
#4. Sprinkle the Leftover Juice Pulp on a Salad
Salads are sort of like parties: the more, the merrier! If you’re into sprinkling lots of diversely yummy goodness on top of your salads, toss in some juice pulp as well. It’s great for texture, adds extra dietary fiber, and even a bit of flavor!
We especially love carrots and beet pulp for this.
Simply…
- Mix your juicer pulp with a light vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil and a vinegar of your choice
- Add in a bit of goat cheese
- Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste
…for juice pulp that tastes good on its own or atop any salad.
Oh and you can and should definitely feel free to use leftover juice pulp when making cous cous salads, quinoa salads, etc. They blend beautifully.
#5. Use the Leftover Juicer Pulp as a Natural Thickener
Leftover vegetable juice pulp is great as an alternative to store-bought thickeners such as flour and the like. We usually store the leftover pulp in the freezer and toss some in whenever we’re making soups and stews and even sauces. The pulp is an excellent thickener, nutritious, and just soo much better than using store-bought thickeners.
Want more juicer pulp recipes? Check out our ultimate guide to using juice pulp!
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