I used a bunch of organic dandelion greens and a bunch of dino kale and some carrots to sweeten it. I did wash any of them. It tastes really bitter. I don't think it's because of the carrots though. Because I juiced the carrots separately and it tastes much better and not bitter. So why does the green juice taste so bitter? Is it because I didn't wash them?

Are you new to juicing? Greens normally taste bitter, some worse than other, Collard greens for example. You can throw an Apple or two in to sweeten it up. Vegetables are more bitter tasting than any fruit juices will be.

If I don't add lemon juice to mine I can't stand the taste. So add a half a lemon to about 16oz of juice and you will be much happier, I promise.

I'm not exactly new, but I haven't made many green juices either. I thought carrots were enough to sweeten but I will try with fruit next time. Thanks for advice!

Also, I made a typo. I meant to say I didnt wash any of them

It would be the dandelions, they are very bitter.

It's good to have very strong-tasting green juices and better not to dilute them with fruit or carrots, soon your taste buds will adapt and you will start to enjoy the taste. Best not to mix a bunch of different foods and mask flavors, for these flavors play a very important role. Bitter flavors especially play a very important role in digestion and increasing digestive strength. When special receptors on your tongue recognize a bitter taste, they send signals to your brain that have a wide-reaching effect, increasing  your production of saliva, hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and many other enzymes and substances that aid in digestion. It increases your production of 'intrinsic factor', necessary for the absorption of vitamin b12, and also the production of bile, which improves fat digestion and helps eliminate toxins from the body. The "bitter reflex", as its called, even causes the secretion of chemicals that heal the lining of the intestine wall. Truth be told I would need to write many many pages to do full justice to all of the biochemical processes set in motion and the effects they have on digestion. And the key thing to realize here is that none of what I mentioned has anything to do with the phytochemicals in the bitter plants, all of these amazing things are caused by just tasting something bitter! Wanting to sweeten your green juice with some fruit or carrots is understandable, for we have been raised to cater to our taste buds. But such an innocent-seeming thing would deprive you of all of the above benefits. Don't be ruled by your taste buds, take charge and reap the benefits of facing these unpleasant tasting foods head on.

The strong-tasting foods like pure green juices are great for rehabilitating tastebuds and a major step to overcoming the temptation of yummy-tasting SAD foods or raw junk food. Drink pure green juices everyday, eat strong tasting greens and sprouts everyday, and very soon your tastebuds will have a complete overhaul and you will enjoy the strong flavors. Cooked foods and raw junk foods (packaged foods, desserts , etc) will taste like garbage. Don't be afraid of the strong flavors, embrace them! They are one of your best friends in preventing you from falling off the raw bandwagon.

Hoko Wrote:
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> Also, I made a typo. I meant to say I didnt wash
> any of them


AND you said it tastes like dirt! but did not follow up with that? Well wash them and they won't taste like dirt lol. That stuff is supposed to taste bitter just take it easy at first and use some carrot NOT! fruit.

Superjuice Wrote:
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> Hoko Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Also, I made a typo. I meant to say I didnt
> wash
> > any of them
>
>
> AND you said it tastes like dirt! but did not
> follow up with that? Well wash them and they
> won't taste like dirt lol. That stuff is supposed
> to taste bitter just take it easy at first and use
> some carrot NOT! fruit.


Carrot juice is still high in sugar, particularly fructose.

A little carrot is better than the use of fruit. Carrot has sodium in it which is good if a person is going to a raw diet and is not aware of which veggies have sodium.