Carafe Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice Recipe

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1. 1

   Prepare oranges

   Wash the oranges thoroughly under cool running water to remove any wax or residues. Pat dry with a clean towel.

2. 2

   Warm slightly (optional)

   If oranges are very cold, let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes or microwave one orange for 8–10 seconds to make juicing easier and yield more juice.

3. 3

   Cut and juice

   Cut each orange in half crosswise. Using a manual citrus press or electric juicer, press each half to extract the juice, rotating to extract as much as possible. Collect juice into a bowl or directly into a carafe. Expect roughly 3/4 to 1 cup of juice per large orange; 10 oranges will yield about 7–9 cups.

4. 4

   Strain (optional)

   If you prefer pulp-free juice, pour the freshly squeezed juice through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into another container, pressing lightly on the pulp to extract liquid while leaving solids behind.

5. 5

   Adjust sweetness and intensity

   Taste the juice. If it tastes tart, stir in up to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar until dissolved. If the juice is very strong, dilute with up to 1 tablespoon cold water, stirring and tasting after each addition to reach desired balance.

6. 6

   Chill

   Transfer juice to a chilled carafe and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes if not serving immediately. If serving right away, add ice cubes directly to glasses rather than the carafe to avoid diluting the whole batch.

7. 7

   Serve

   Pour the orange juice into glasses over ice if desired. Garnish each glass with a mint sprig. Keep any unused juice refrigerated in a covered container and consume within 48 hours for best freshness.