What to Do With Juice Pulp: 10 Easy Ways to Use It

Leftover juice pulp is easy to use: bake it into muffins and quick breads, turn it into crunchy crackers, mix it into veggie burgers and fritters, simmer it into soups and sauces, or freeze it for later. Vegetable pulp works best in savory dishes, fruit pulp in sweet ones. Use fresh pulp within a day, or freeze it in portions for up to about 3 months.

Every glass of homemade juice leaves a pile of pulp behind, and it is a shame to throw it all away. Below are 10 simple ways to use juice pulp, with amounts and tips so the results turn out moist, not dry or soggy.

First, Know Your Pulp

Pulp is the fiber and solids left after juicing. How you use it depends on what went into the juicer.

• Carrot, beet and apple pulp: sweet, fine and versatile. Best for baking, both sweet and savory.
• Green pulp (cucumber, celery, spinach, kale): mild and grassy. Best in savory food like soups, burgers and crackers.
• Fruit pulp (pineapple, berries, pear): sweet. Good in muffins, pancakes, smoothies and frozen treats.
• Citrus pulp: can be bitter if pith or peel went in. Use small amounts, or compost it.
• Ginger pulp: very strong and fibrous. Use a pinch to flavor tea, broth or stir-fry sauces.

Tip: If you plan to use pulp, peel citrus before juicing and remove apple cores and seeds. That makes pulp much nicer to cook with.

How to Store Juice Pulp

• Fridge: put pulp in a sealed container right after juicing and use it within 1 day. Pulp is moist and spoils quickly.
• Freezer: pack it into freezer bags or ice cube trays in 1/2-cup portions, press out air, label and freeze for up to about 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
• Dehydrator or oven: spread pulp thinly and dry it at a low temperature until crisp, then grind it into a flour-like powder for crackers and baking.

Only save pulp from clean, washed produce, and use the same hygiene as for fresh juice.

1. Carrot Pulp Muffins

Carrot pulp is perfect in muffins because it is fine and slightly sweet. Use it in place of grated carrot in your favorite carrot muffin or carrot cake recipe.

• Use about 1 cup of carrot (or carrot-apple) pulp per 12 muffins.
• Pulp is drier than grated carrot, so add 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra milk, yogurt or applesauce.
• Cinnamon, ginger, raisins and walnuts all go well.

2. Crunchy Veggie Pulp Crackers

Crackers are one of the best uses for green or mixed vegetable pulp.

1. Mix 2 cups vegetable pulp, 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup sunflower or sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder and herbs, and enough water to make a spreadable mix.
2. Let it sit 10 minutes so the flax thickens.
3. Spread very thin on a lined baking tray and score into squares.
4. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for about 45 to 60 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp. Thinner crackers dry faster.

3. Veggie Burgers and Fritters

Pulp adds bulk and moisture to veggie burgers, meatballs and fritters.

• For burgers, mix 1 cup vegetable pulp with 1 can mashed beans or chickpeas, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or oats, 1 egg (or a flax egg), and spices. Shape and pan-fry.
• For fritters, combine 1 1/2 cups pulp, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup flour, chopped scallions, salt and pepper. Fry spoonfuls in a little oil until golden.
• Squeeze very wet pulp in a towel first so the mix holds together.

4. Soups, Stews and Sauces

This is the easiest use for vegetable pulp. Stir 1/2 to 1 cup into soups, chili, lentil stew, pasta sauce or curry during cooking. It adds body and disappears into the dish. Carrot, celery and beet pulp work especially well in tomato sauces and minestrone.

5. Homemade Vegetable Broth

Simmer vegetable pulp with onion skins, herb stems and a bay leaf in water for 30 to 45 minutes, then strain. Avoid pulp with lots of beet (it turns broth pink) or very bitter greens.

6. Pulp Pancakes and Waffles

Fold 1/2 cup of carrot, apple or pear pulp into pancake or waffle batter. Add a splash of extra milk because the pulp absorbs liquid. Cinnamon and a little vanilla make them taste like carrot cake.

7. Quick Breads and Snack Bars

Use pulp in banana bread, zucchini bread or homemade oat bars. Replace up to half of the grated fruit or vegetable in the recipe with pulp. Fruit pulp, such as apple, pear and pineapple, adds sweetness so you can often reduce the sugar a little.

8. Smoothies

Add a spoonful or two of fruit pulp to smoothies for extra body. Frozen pulp cubes work like ice and make the smoothie thicker.

9. Frozen Fruit Pulp Pops

Blend fruit pulp (pineapple, berry, mango, apple) with some of the juice or a little yogurt until smooth, pour into ice pop molds and freeze. A simple way to use sweet pulp in summer.

10. Compost It

If you have more pulp than you can cook with, it makes excellent compost. It breaks down quickly and adds nutrients to garden soil. Mix it with dry materials like leaves or shredded paper so the pile does not get too wet.

Easy Recipe: Carrot Apple Pulp Muffins

If you only try one recipe, make this one. It uses the pulp from a carrot apple juice and makes 12 soft, lightly spiced muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups carrot and apple pulp, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup raisins or chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt and vanilla, then stir in the pulp.
4. Fold the wet mix into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in raisins or nuts.
5. Divide between the cups and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

If the batter looks very stiff, your pulp was dry; add 2 to 3 tablespoons more yogurt or milk. The muffins keep for 2 days in an airtight container or 3 months in the freezer.

Best Uses by Pulp Type

Tips for Cooking With Juice Pulp

• Adjust moisture. Pulp from a slow juicer is drier; pulp from a centrifugal juicer is wetter. Add or squeeze out liquid as needed.
• Start small. Replace a quarter to half of the vegetables or fruit in a recipe with pulp at first.
• Season well. Pulp has less flavor than whole produce, because the juice is gone. Use extra herbs, spices and salt in savory dishes.
• Keep batches separate. If you want to use pulp for baking, juice sweet produce separately from strong greens and ginger.
• Use a blender for pulp too. If you make juice with a blender and nut milk bag, the leftover pulp works the same way. See our guide on how to make juice without a juicer.

If you only want to save pulp sometimes, start with carrot apple juice; its pulp is the easiest to use. Our green juice recipe pulp is best for crackers and soups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat juice pulp?

Yes. Pulp is simply the fiber and solids of the fruits and vegetables you juiced. As long as the produce was clean and the pulp is fresh, it is safe to eat in recipes.

How long does juice pulp last?

About 1 day in a sealed container in the fridge, or up to about 3 months in the freezer.

Can I freeze juice pulp?

Yes. Freeze it in 1/2-cup portions in bags or ice cube trays. Thaw it in the fridge and squeeze out any extra water before using.

What can I make with carrot pulp?

Carrot muffins, carrot cake, pancakes, veggie burgers, crackers, soups and pasta sauce. It is the easiest pulp to bake with.

What can I do with green juice pulp?

Make savory crackers or fritters, stir it into soups and sauces, or add it to veggie burgers. It is not ideal for sweet baking.

Does juice pulp have any flavor?

Some, but much less than whole produce. Most of the flavor goes into the juice, so season pulp dishes generously.

Pick one or two of these ideas and keep a container in the freezer for pulp. After a few juicing sessions, you will have enough for a batch of muffins or crackers, and much less waste going in the bin.