How to Drink Aloe Vera

Enjoying Aloe Vera as a Beverage

Drink pure aloe vera juice to enjoy its natural flavor. Aloe vera has a slightly bitter taste which some find delicious. If you like it, you can buy pure aloe juice at a pharmacy or online. You can also drink it diluted in some water. Bottles of diluted aloe juice are available for sale in some grocery stores, usually under the name “aloe water.” Pure aloe vera has been shown to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and ulcerative colitis. To experience these benefits, consume 3 to 6 tablespoons (1.5 to 3 fluid ounces) of pure aloe juice daily.

Flavor your aloe vera juice to mellow out some of its bitterness. While pure aloe juice is simply the liquid that comes from juicing some of all of an aloe leaf, many of the products you'll see for sale in the grocery store called “aloe juice” are that pure aloe liquid combined with fruit juices or flavorings. You can also buy pure aloe juice, dilute it with water, and flavor it with lemon, honey, or fruit juices to taste. Products sold as “aloe juice” have to contain a certain amount of pure aloe juice. You can check the percentage on the bottle's label. If you're looking to keep your sugar intake low, be sure to check labels. Some bottled aloe juices can have a lot of added sugar!

Add a new flavor to your favorite summer beverage with aloe vera. The flavor of aloe goes well with lots of citruses and summer fruits and vegetables. Add aloe vera to your favorite lemonade or agua fresca.

Making Aloe Vera Juice at Home

Purchase an aloe vera leaf at the grocery store. Not all varieties of aloe vera are safe to consume, so while you may have a plant at home, it's best to purchase a leaf if you plan on using it for food or drink. The leaf must be fresh. If it starts to go bad, it’s not safe to drink. Make sure you wash and dry your leaf thoroughly when you get it home.

Cut off the bottom of the leaf and drain the sap. This can be accomplished by submerging the leaf in water for 5-10 minutes. You can also drain the sap by setting the leaf in a glass with the cut side down for 10-15 minutes. In either case, you will see a yellowish-brown liquid emerge from the leaf. It is important to remove this, as it is one of the parts of the aloe plant that can cause gastrointestinal problems.

Remove the spines along each side with a knife. Be careful when doing so, as the spines can be very sharp. If the sides of the leaf are particularly tough, kitchen scissors may help you remove the spines.

Remove the skin on the curved side of the leaf. Slide a knife under the skin at the bottom of the leaf and move all the way down to remove the skin. The skin might not come off in one piece, but that's okay. Just make sure you remove all of it.

Remove any yellow material that remains on top of the gel. When you take the skin off, this yellow layer may come off as well. If it doesn't, it must be thoroughly removed, as it can cause diarrhea.

Scoop or scrape the clear gel off the leaf into a bowl. For thinner leaves, you will be able to scoop the gel out with a spoon, but for thicker leaves, you'll need a knife to cut it out in blocks.

Blend the clear gel with water and flavorings. Place the gel from one large aloe leaf in the blender with two cups of water and blend on medium speed until combined. If you dislike the texture of pure aloe gel, you can strain the aloe-water mixture through cheesecloth to catch anything the blender missed. If you want to save your gel for later use, use the blender to smooth it out and then pour it into ice cube trays. When frozen, pop the gel cubes out and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer.