Orange Juice Recipe

Prepare oranges

Wash the oranges under cool running water. Roll each orange on the countertop while pressing lightly with your palm to break down internal membranes — this helps extract more juice.

Cut and juice

Cut each orange in half crosswise. Using a manual citrus juicer, reamer, or electric juicer, extract the juice from all orange halves into a bowl or a measuring cup. If using a blender, peel the oranges (remove as much white pith as desired), segment them, place in the blender, and pulse until liquefied; then strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you prefer pulp-free juice.

Strain (optional)

If you want smooth juice, pour the freshly squeezed juice through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pitcher, pressing down on the pulp with a spoon to extract additional liquid. Discard or reserve the pulp for another use.

Adjust consistency and sweetness

Taste the juice. If it is too strong or thick, stir in up to 1 cup cold water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired intensity. If you prefer it sweeter, dissolve the 1 teaspoon granulated sugar in a tablespoon of warm water (or use 1 tsp simple syrup) and stir into the juice. Add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice if you want more brightness.

Chill or serve

Fill glasses with ice cubes if desired, or chill the juice in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes. Stir the juice again before serving. Pour into glasses over ice and garnish each glass with an orange slice or a sprig of mint.

Storage

Store any leftover fresh orange juice in a covered pitcher or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Stir or shake before serving as natural separation will occur.