This is a guide to help you squeeze a possible deliciousness out of your juicer, even without using recipes. We'll talk flavor balance, texture, and tips for getting the most out of your equipment and ingredients.

First things first: juices and smoothies are different beasts. That may seem obvious, but lots of juicer-less folks have asked whether they can whiz up a juice recipe's ingredients in their blender and get a similar but thicker result. The answer, unfortunately, is a definitive no. First, texture is critical in smoothies and requires some attention that's absent from juicing guidelines. And equally important, juicing extracts a relatively small amount of liquid and flavor from certain ingredients, especially leafy greens, and herbs. Blending an equal amount of those ingredients could seriously overpower your earnest attempts at a mellow smoothie. So it's best to consider juices and smoothies in their own separate ways.

Since texture doesn't become an issue in juicing unless something's gone fairly horribly wrong, flavor balance is where it's at in creating delightful juices. Custom-making your own fresh juices gives you ultimate control over how sweet and how complex you like your flavors. You'll find your own optimal balance with experimentation and practice, but there are a few overarching principles to guide you in your search.

1. A formula for tasty juice

I've found that a really good juice contains the following: something sweet, something tart, something high-yield (which produces a lot of juice for its size), something earthy, and maybe something herbaceous or spicy. Earthy flavors include root vegetables as well as greens like kale, spinach, and beet greens. With a general formula like this one, the variations are endless; but here are some of my favorite ingredients from each category.

• Sweet: apples, pears, grapes, melons, pineapples, oranges, kiwis, mangoes, berries, grapes
• Tart: lemons, limes
• Roots: beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips
• Greens: Kale, spinach, lettuce, chard, arugula, mustard greens, beet greens, dandelion, sorrel, broccoli
• Herbs: Basil, parsley, cilantro, mint
• High-yield: Cucumbers, celery, fennel, tomatoes, melons
• Spicy: Ginger, hot peppers (use judiciously)

2. Juice things together that you would want to eat together.

That sounds like common sense, but for some reason it isn't always. I think a lot of people consider juicing to be a whole different realm, but remember, a juicer is just another appliance in your much-loved kitchen. If it makes a good salad, chances are it makes a pretty good-tasting juice, too. Just keep in mind that you'll likely have to alter the quantities and add a high-yield ingredient like cucumber or celery to fill your glass.

3. Balance high-yield ingredients with high-potency ingredients.

Cucumbers, celery, and apples are juicing tsunamis; but a little bit of ginger or mint goes a long way. Be aware of the behavior of each ingredient in the juicer (which will be immediately apparent when you've juiced it once), and try to maintain a reasonable balance between flexible, mellow ingredients and more intense ones.

4. Taste as you go and adjust accordingly.

Just as with a soup or a stew, you've got the flexibility to add and adjust as you juice. Stir up the juice you've got and sip. Need a little more lemon? Go for it. Or balance out too much lemon with an extra chunk of apple. It's all good.

5. To peel or not to peel?

In many cases, leaving the skin on the produce you juice is just fine—even pineapple skin can roll just fine through most decent juicers. Especially if you're using the skin, do be sure to buy produce grown with organic practices when possible. A few exceptions, where you should peel:

• Kiwis
• Produce that's been waxed*
• Citrus fruits, if you want the pure taste of the juice without the skin's oil and the pith's bitterness (it's fine to juice the whole thing, but it really does change the flavor)
• Any other ingredient where you're concerned the skin will affect the taste (for example, you might do a taste test with melons, though it's technically fine to juice the skins)
• And, if you're visually astute or serving to a crowd, any peel that might negatively affect the color of the final juice (say, cucumber skin in a cucumber watermelon juice)