Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice
Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice feels like such a luxury, but it’s SO worth the bit of effort it takes to make it!
There’s just nothing like the taste of fresh homemade orange juice.
May 4 is National Orange Juice Day, and it will be here before we know it! So what better way to celebrate than making our own fresh orange juice?! Though honestly, I don’t need a holiday to make this orange juice recipe, and I’m guessing you don’t either!
You may think homemade orange juice as simple as squeezing some oranges (and basically it is), but I have some more info for you here, like the best oranges for juicing, how many oranges you need for a glass of juice, the best way to juice oranges, and more!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Homemade Orange Juice
Benefits of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
How to Make Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Best Tools for Homemade Orange Juice
How Long Does Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice Last?
Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
The Story Behind the Recipe
Having a … selective … eater in the house, I try to work in nutrition wherever I can. Said eater, who I won’t rat out, won’t go anywhere near store-bought orange juice. Fresh-squeezed, however? That’s a whole other thing.
We all know how amazing freshly squeezed orange juice tastes vs. the OJ that comes in a carton. There’s just something so light and BURSTING with flavor about freshly squeezed orange juice. Plus, you can control the amount of pulp (we strain it all out for the aforementioned unnamed eater).
So a couple of years ago, I bought an electric citrus juicer, and haven’t looked back. Our kitchen doesn’t have a lot of storage, so I tend to avoid buying a lot of small appliances. But this one was totally worth the money (it actually was super inexpensive) and the space it takes up.
It makes quick work of getting every last speck of juice out of the oranges and is fun for everyone in the family to use.
So! I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about homemade orange juice. Because – yes – it is as simple as cutting oranges in half and squeezing them. But there are actually a few questions that have come up for me over the years, so I thought I’d share!
Why You’ll Love Homemade Orange Juice
Whether for a special occasion (hello mimosas!) or you’re just looking at getting more vitamins in a delicious way, homemade fresh-squeezed orange juice is so satisfying to make! Plus, it’s just out-of-this-world delicious – not knocking store-bought OJ, which can be great, but it’s just better. Way better.
Benefits of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Is fresh orange juice good for you? It is! There are many benefits of juicing oranges for homemade orange juice. The top being what you probably already know: Fresh orange juice contains loads of vitamin C! A one cup (8-ounce) serving of fresh squeezed orange juice contains 116 mg of vitamin C, which meets (and exceeds!) the recommended daily allowance for both men and women. (source)
Orange juice is also a great source of magnesium, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium. (source)
While fresh-squeezed orange juice contains no added sugars (it’s perfectly sweet without!), a one-cup serving does have about 23 grams of sugar, so that is something to keep in mind if you’re watching your sugar intake for health reasons. (source)
Best Oranges for Juicing
I tested four different types of oranges for juicing: Navel, blood, cara cara, and mandarin.
Based on my family’s testing, here are the types of oranges, in order, that are the best oranges to juice:
Navel oranges: In our opinion, navel oranges produce the best tasting juice. It’s sweet, but not overly so, with just enough tart flavor to make it interesting. I also love the classic orange color. It has some pulp, but not as much as others. Navel oranges are easy to juice and don’t have any seeds.
Cara Cara oranges: Cara Cara oranges yielded more juice per pound than any of the other three types of oranges we tested. The taste was good – a little sweeter but overall more watered down than Navel, hence its #2 rating. Oh, but the juice is super pretty – a pinkish orange. Cara Cara is actually a cross between two sub-types of naval oranges. They kind of look like a mini grapefruit when cut open, but taste like an orange.
Blood oranges: Blood oranges are just cool! Blood orange juice is the most gorgeous ruby red. But honestly, otherwise, the juice rates a solid third place for us. It has SO much pulp (not a good thing in our opinion) and the taste was a bit bland compared to the other juices.
Mandarin oranges: Tiny mandarins are not the first thing one thinks of when juicing oranges, but we thought we’d give them a go. Pound for pound, they don’t produce as much juice as the other oranges we tested. They had tons of pulp, but the juice was very sweet, though it had a weird aftertaste. They also fell apart a bit when juiced.
Other types of oranges for orange juice:
Valencia oranges: Valencia are commonly considered a great juicing orange, but I haven’t been able to find them at my local grocery stores. I’ll keep looking and update here when I’ve found some!
Clementine oranges: Clementines are a cross between oranges and tangerines. They’re another small orange that produces great juice, but you’ll need a lot of them. I haven’t tested these either.
How Much Juice Per Orange?
The answer to this question really depends on the particular orange. However, our testing showed us that:
3 pounds navel oranges (7-8 large navel oranges) = 16 ounces (2 cups) of juice.
Blood oranges and mandarins are similar pound for pound. Cara cara oranges will give you a bit more juice than that per orange; our testing showed us that cara cara are the juiciest.
How to Make Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Cut oranges in half horizontally through the middle, leaving the stem and bottom intact.
Use a citrus reamer or juicer to juice each half thoroughly.
If you want less pulp, strain the juice through a fine-mesh sieve.
Drink immediately or chill and enjoy within 3 days.
Best Tools for Homemade Orange Juice
There are a wide range of tools for making fresh-squeezed orange juice. You can use anything from a handheld citrus reamer to a super fancy juicer that you keep stocked with oranges (dare to dream!) I’m focusing on tools that can be easily used at home:
1. My preferred tool: An electric citrus juicer
I like to use an inexpensive electric citrus juicer (affiliate link) for my fresh orange juice. It’s only $20 and gets the job done quick! But use whichever tool you like best and makes the most sense for your kitchen.
2. Handheld citrus reamer
This simple wooden citrus reamer (affiliate link) makes quick work of juicing and can store right in your utensil drawer.
3. Other tools
Other orange juice recipe tools include sturdy manual juicers like this one (affiliate link). Or, you can simply blend your oranges in the blender and squeeze the juice out using cheesecloth or a nut milk bag (affiliate link).
Tips for Success
Start with room-temperature oranges. Cold oranges yield less juice because they’re harder to squeeze/juice. Some recommend microwaving cold/refrigerated oranges for 15-20 seconds before juicing them to warm them back up.
Buy more oranges than you think you’ll need. What’s the worst that can happen? You have too many oranges and have to make more homemade orange juice tomorrow morning too? Bummer!
How Long Does Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice Last?
You’ll want to enjoy your freshly squeezed orange juice within about 3 days. The juice might settle when refrigerated, so you’ll want to stir it before drinking it.
Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Storage Info:
Fresh orange juice keeps for around 3 days in the fridge. It may separate while sitting, so give it a stir before serving.
A couple of cocktail recipes with fresh orange juice:
Mimosas: Pour a champagne glass half full of fresh orange juice. Fill the rest of the way with champagne or sparkling wine (I like Prosecco in mimosas because it’s not too sweet).
Screwdriver cocktail: Fill a tall glass with ice. Add a shot of vodka. Pour orange juice to the top and stir. Serve with a straw.
Nutrition
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