Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Recipe

Check and chill

Refrigerate the oranges for at least 30 minutes before juicing if you prefer cold juice. Wash the oranges thoroughly under running water and dry with a clean towel.

Roll the oranges

On a countertop, press each orange with the palm of your hand and roll it firmly back and forth to soften the segments inside. This makes juicing easier and yields more juice.

Cut each orange in half crosswise. Using a handheld citrus reamer or a manual/ electric juicer, juice all orange halves into a pitcher. If using a manual reamer, twist and press firmly to extract as much juice as possible. If using an electric juicer, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

If you prefer pulp-free juice, pour the freshly extracted juice through a fine-mesh strainer or sieve into a clean container, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract the remaining liquid. For pulp-included juice, skip straining.

Taste the juice. If it tastes tart or you prefer a slightly sweeter juice, dissolve the granulated sugar in the 1/4 cup cold water to make a quick simple syrup (stir until sugar dissolves). Start by adding 1 teaspoon of the syrup to the juice, stir, and taste. Add more syrup incrementally until you reach desired sweetness. Note: many fresh oranges need no added sugar.

Add ice cubes to the pitcher or directly to serving glasses to chill quickly. Stir the juice to combine and chill evenly. If you refrigerated the oranges and used no ice, serve immediately cold.

Pour the orange juice into glasses. Garnish each glass with an orange slice and a mint leaf if desired. Serve immediately for best flavor.