I started making this juice when the first proper apricots appear in the shops each late summer. Most people only meet apricots dried or in jam, but fresh ones press into something else entirely: thick, golden and quietly sweet, closer to nectar than juice. The apple keeps it crisp and the ginger gives it a bit of warmth on the way down. When my energy dips mid-afternoon, this is what I pour instead of reaching for another coffee.
Why these ingredients work
Apricots carry more vitamin A than you would expect from a soft fruit, around 450 IU per glass, which your body puts towards healthy skin and eyes. They also bring a useful amount of potassium, about 470mg a glass, which your muscles and nerves draw on through the day. The apple is there for balance, adding clean sweetness and extra yield, and the ginger gives the whole thing a gentle heat that makes it feel more like a tonic and less like a fruit squash. None of this is magic, it is just fruit doing what fruit does, with nothing added.
FAQ
Can I use dried apricots instead of fresh?
Not in a juicer, no. Dried apricots have had their water removed, so they will not press into juice, and they are far more concentrated in sugar. If dried is all you have in the cupboard, soak them and blend them into a smoothie instead. This recipe wants fresh fruit.
Do I need to peel the apricots first?
No. The skin is thin, and it holds most of the colour and a good share of the fibre. Just wash them, halve them and take the stones out. The stone is the only part that has to go.
How many calories and how much sugar are in a glass?
One glass comes to about 145 calories and 27g of sugar, and every gram of that sugar is from the fruit itself, there is none added. You also get roughly 470mg of potassium, 15mg of vitamin C and about a fifth of your daily vitamin A. If you are watching sugar, halve the apple and add a little cucumber to make up the liquid.
If you want more ideas along the same lines, see the full energy juice collection. It is all caffeine-free, natural lift, no crash.
Apricot, Apple and Ginger Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative for the blender method
Ingredients
- 8 ripe apricots about 320g. Ripe but not squidgy; halve and remove the stones, no need to peel
- 2 sweet apples about 300g, quartered. Gala or Jazz work well
- 25 g fresh ginger peeled, or scrubbed well if the skin is clean
Instructions
Juicer method
- Halve the apricots and pop out the stones. Quarter the apples and peel the ginger.
- Feed the apricot halves through the juicer first, then push the apple wedges through behind them. The apple clears the soft apricot pulp off the auger, so alternate rather than dumping it all in at once. Finish with the ginger.
- Stir the juice well, pour into two glasses and drink within the hour. Apricot juice separates quickly, so give it a stir if it has been sitting for a bit.
Blender method
- Stone the apricots, quarter the apples and roughly chop the ginger. Put everything in a high-speed blender with 100ml of cold water.
- Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds until completely smooth.
- Strain through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve, squeezing the cloth to get every last drop. Pour into two glasses and serve over ice if you like it cold.