Fresh Orange Juice Recipe

Wash and chill

Rinse the oranges under cool running water and pat dry. If time allows, chill the oranges in the refrigerator for 30 minutes—cold fruit yields cooler, fresher-tasting juice.

Have a fine-mesh strainer or nut milk bag, citrus juicer (manual or electric), and a pitcher ready. If using sugar instead of simple syrup, measure it into a small bowl.

Roll and halve

On a clean countertop, firmly roll each orange with the palm of your hand to loosen the juices. Cut each orange in half crosswise.

Extract juice

Using a citrus juicer (manual reamer or electric), press and rotate each orange half to extract the juice into a bowl or pitcher. If you prefer a pulpy juice, press more firmly and use a coarse strainer later; for smoother juice, press gently and plan to strain.

Optional blender method

If you want to capture more pulp and oils, peel the oranges, remove as much of the bitter white pith as possible, place segments in a blender, add up to 1/4 cup cold water, and pulse 6–8 times until evenly broken down. Then strain through a fine-mesh sieve or nut milk bag into the pitcher to remove larger solids.

Taste the freshly squeezed juice. If it’s too tart, stir in up to 1 tsp granulated sugar or 1 tsp simple syrup (or honey) at a time until you reach the desired sweetness. Stir until dissolved. If juice is too concentrated, add up to 1/4 cup cold water to lighten the flavor and adjust consistency.

If you used the blender method and the juice is pulpy, press the pulp with the back of a spoon in the sieve to extract remaining liquid, then discard solids.

If you want a fizzy finish, pour the juice into a pitcher and top with 1/2 cup cold sparkling water just before serving; gently stir once to combine.

Fill serving glasses with ice if desired. Pour juice over ice, garnish each glass with an orange slice and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately for best flavor and freshness.

Store any leftover unsweetened, strained juice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Shake or stir before serving. If sweetened, consume within 24–36 hours for best quality.