Orange Juice Recipe

Prepare oranges

Wash the oranges thoroughly under running water. Pat dry. Roll each orange on the countertop with the palm of your hand while pressing slightly — this loosens the juice and makes extraction easier.

Cut and juice

Cut each orange in half crosswise. Using a manual citrus juicer or electric juicer, extract juice from all orange halves into a large measuring cup or pitcher. If you prefer pulp-free juice, strain the extracted juice through a fine-mesh sieve into the pitcher, pressing gently to extract as much liquid as possible and discard large pulp and seeds.

Adjust sweetness and acidity

Taste the fresh orange juice. Stir in the granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice. If the oranges are very sweet, you can omit sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add up to 1/2 cup cold water to thin the juice to your preferred strength (start with 1/2 cup and add more, up to 3/4 cup, if desired).

Chill

Add ice cubes to the pitcher or to individual glasses to chill the juice quickly. If you prefer not to dilute the juice with ice, chill the strained juice in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes instead.

Serve

Pour the orange juice into glasses over ice if desired. Stir briefly to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness or dilution, adding a pinch more sugar or a splash more water if needed.

Float an orange slice on top of each glass and add a sprig of fresh mint for aroma and presentation.