How to Make Karela Juice

Karela juice comes from the green flesh of bitter gourd, also called bitter melon, and you can grow your own.
Image Credit: Calvin Chan Wai Meng/Moment/GettyImages

Karela juice, also called bitter gourd juice or bitter melon juice, is sometimes difficult to find in stores so you might try growing your own gourds and making the juice yourself. When consumed in moderation, karela juice is used as a folk remedy to help a with several medical conditions.

Advertisement

Karela juice is also believed to help control blood sugar levels in diabetics, but more research is needed in this area, according to the University of Maryland. According to a December 2016 article published by ​Marumegh,​ bitter gourd also provides several important vitamins and minerals.

Video of the Day

Video of the Day

A juicing machine might be the obvious choice for extracting karela juice, but you can make the juice with your household blender instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for a quality juicer.

Advertisement

Read more:What to Know Before You Try Bitter Melon for Diabetics

Step 1: Cut and Rinse

Cut the skin from the bitter gourd with a small kitchen paring knife. Wash the gourd under cold running water and place it on a cutting board.

Step 2: Remove the Seeds

Slice the bitter gourd down the center with a kitchen knife. Scoop out the seeds and white flesh from the bitter gourd with a spoon, leaving the green outer section.

Advertisement

Step 3: Cube the Flesh

Cut the outer green flesh of the bitter gourd into small- to medium-size cubes. Use a sharp knife.

Step 4: Reduce the Bitterness

Scoop the bitter gourd cubes into a bowl and cover them with water. If you want to off-set the bitterness, you can soak the cubes for about 30 minutes in a bowl of water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt or juice from half a lemon.

Step 5: Blend Your Ingredients

Add the bitter gourd to a blender. Pour water, apple juice or lemon juice into the juicer or blender to lessen the bitter taste, making the karela juice more palatable.

Advertisement

Adding honey, black pepper and ginger also helps with making the karela juice tastier. Blend the ingredients until the juice is smooth and uniform.

Step 6: Strain Karela Juice

Place a wire mesh strainer or several layers of cheesecloth over a bowl or glass. Pour the juice through the strainer to remove any solid pieces of the bitter gourd.

Press the solids against the wire mesh with the back of a spoon or squeeze the cheesecloth to extract as much juice as possible.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Step 7: Chill and Serve

Place the karela juice in the refrigerator to chill between 1 to 2 hours. Pour the karela juice into a serving glass. Top the juice with a sprinkle of black pepper or chaat masala and serve.

Read more:The Benefits of a Three-Day Juice Fast

Follow These Tips

It is generally recommended that you drink karela juice in the mornings on an empty stomach for full beneficial results. Sweeten karela juice with honey, but avoid other sugars which can alter the taste and health benefits.

Advertisement

If you have a juicing machine, you can simply process the saltwater-soaked cubes through the juicer instead of blending and straining the cubes.

Consume your juice within one to two days and refrigerate your leftovers immediately to reduce risk of harmful bacterial growth, as advised by Michigan State University.

Things You'll Need

  • Bitter gourd

  • Paring knife

  • Spoon

  • Bowl

  • Salt or lemon juice

  • Colander

  • Blender

  • Apple juice

  • Honey

  • Black pepper

  • Ginger

  • Juicer

  • Wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth

  • Glass

  • Chaat masala

references