When you put produce through the juicer, all that beautiful pulp gets left behind. Lots of fiber and some nutrients are still left in the pulp; and if you juice regularly, the amount of pulp adds up quickly. Surely there must be a creative way to use these leftovers (other than making unappetizing crackers and pastries). I was tired of throwing my juice pulp in the trash, so I went searching for better ideas on what to do.
First, let’s cover the short list of what you can do with leftover juice pulp. Then, I’ll go over the beneficial uses of each idea.
My favorite (and tastiest) idea for leftover juice pulp is using it in veggie burgers. The fibrous pulp helps bind the other ingredients of the burger together, and the veggies add an additional depth of flavor. In general, I like to make veggie burgers with a few key ingredients in mind. You need:
Add finely chopped leftover juice pulp to your favorite recipe or to any combination of the above key ingredients, then preheat your skillet and cook your burger to perfection.
Pro-tip: Not interested in veggie burgers? Add leftover juice pulp to any ground protein burger before cooking.One of the most practical uses for leftover juice pulp is creating vegetable stock for use in soups and stews later on. To do this, simply bring your pulp, water, herbs, and spices to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on medium heat. Cover and let sit for up to two and a half hours. Afterward, drain the stock from the pulp with a strainer. Once cooled, you can store in the fridge for a couple weeks. Or, create vegetable stock ice cubes and freeze them for use anytime.
Lots of articles suggest adding leftover pulp to muffins, breads, and even making crackers. But who bakes often enough to practically use up all the leftover juice pulp? Not to mention, it’s difficult to hide the taste of pulp when using a significant amount. Which is why I think pizza crust is the perfect way to use leftover juice pulp in a delicious way.
If you love pizza, batch make pizza crusts at home, adding generous-but-not-overwhelming amounts of pulp to the large batch. Be sure to add your italian herbs and spices as well. Separate your dough into individual pies and freeze for use whenever you desire pizza.
Once you’ve made your pizza crusts and frozen them, you can use the rest of your leftover juice pulp when cooking homemade pasta sauce. Make sure your pulp is cut into small enough pieces that it can become part of the sauce; you don’t want strings of fiber getting stuck in your teeth. You can add leftover pulp to a homemade pasta sauce or simply add it to a premade pasta sauce when reheating it.
If you have a dehydrator, this is a great option. Simply dehydrate the pulp until it’s brittle enough to be pulverized into a fine powder. Blend into a powder and store in an airtight container. Add a couple tablespoons of your homemade fiber powder to smoothies, cereals, soups, and more to receive the benefits of the fiber from your leftover juice pulp.
This is perhaps the easiest and most obvious of the options. But I can hear many of you saying, “I don’t have a compost bin!” The good news is that there is likely a community garden or a local farmer in your area who would love to receive the pounds of leftover juice pulp you have to give them. If making something edible out of your juice pulp is not the path for you, then I highly recommend this option; it prevents waste and feeds future plants.
There likely aren’t a lot of people reading this article who have chickens, so I thought it was best saved for last. However, for those who do have chickens in their backyard or on the farm, your waste is their delicious snack. After reading forums on the subject, it’s clear that chickens love that leftover pulp. The only caveat? Don’t feed them citrus or citrus rinds.
I have come across a lot of ways people suggest using leftover juice pulp. Some of the ideas that could work (with the right recipe) include zucchini bread and dog treats. But there are others, such as popsicles and pastries, which require you to hide the taste of the pulp and those sound like a giant waste of time. It seems that the most efficient use of pulp requires some batch process, as the amount of pulp could quickly overwhelm how much time you have to create other food from that pulp. How do you use your leftover pulp? Are there any ideas in this article that you’re going to try? What other ideas did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
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Char
May 29, 2020
I just finished making vegetable broth from leftover juice pulp. Can I use the same juice pulp again to make veggie burgers? Would the nutritional value still be there?