Fresh Orange Or Grapefruit Juice Recipe

Wash and warm

Rinse the oranges or grapefruits under cool running water to remove any dirt or residue. Pat dry with a clean towel. If fruit is refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes; juice yields more easily when fruit is slightly warm.

Roll and halve

On a cutting board, firmly roll each fruit under your palm for 20–30 seconds to loosen the juice. Cut the fruit in half crosswise with a sharp knife.

Manual or mechanical juicing

Using a hand reamer or manual citrus press, press and rotate each half to extract juice into a bowl. If using an electric citrus juicer, press each half onto the reamer and operate until the fruit is fully juiced. Continue until all halves are juiced. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup if you prefer pulp-free juice; otherwise, skip straining for a pulpy juice.

Measure and adjust

You should have roughly 3 to 3 1/2 cups (720–840 ml) of juice from 6 large oranges or slightly less for grapefruit. Taste the juice. If it tastes too tart or strong, add up to 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water and stir. If needed, dissolve up to 1 teaspoon sugar (or to taste) in a small amount of juice before mixing in; add a pinch of salt to brighten flavor if desired.

Chill

Add ice cubes to a pitcher or directly to glasses. Pour the prepared juice over the ice. If serving from a pitcher, add ice there and stir gently to chill without diluting too much.

Garnish and serve

Garnish each glass with a mint leaf and a slice of orange or grapefruit on the rim if desired. Serve immediately for best flavor and vitamin content.

Storage: Fresh-squeezed juice is best consumed immediately. If storing, keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours and stir before serving. Expect slight separation — stir or shake gently to recombine.