Orange Juice 16 Oz Recipe

Prepare oranges

Wash the oranges under cool running water to remove any wax or residue. Roll each orange on the countertop with gentle pressure to loosen the juice. Cut each orange in half crosswise.

Juice the oranges

Using a manual citrus juicer or an electric juicer, press and twist each orange half to extract the juice into a measuring cup. Continue until you have approximately 16 fl oz (about 2 cups) of juice. If you end up with slightly more, you can pour off to reach 16 oz; if slightly less, proceed to the next step to adjust volume.

Taste and adjust sweetness/acidity

Taste the freshly squeezed juice. If it tastes too tart, stir in up to 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar until dissolved. If it tastes flat, add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon or lime juice to brighten the flavor. If the juice is very concentrated or too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to reach desired intensity and exactly 16 oz volume.

Chill and serve

Fill a 16-oz serving glass with 6 ice cubes (or to preference). Pour 16 oz of the adjusted orange juice over the ice. Garnish with a mint sprig if desired. Serve immediately for best flavor.

Notes

Use ripe, sweet oranges (navel, cara cara, or valencia) for best results. For a smoother juice, strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove pulp. If using store-bought orange juice concentrate or bottled juice, adjust sugar and water proportions accordingly to match sweetness and volume.