Orange Juice (fresh) Recipe

Prepare oranges

Rinse the oranges under cool running water and pat dry. Roll each orange on the countertop while pressing firmly with the palm of your hand to help loosen the juices. Cut each orange in half crosswise.

Juice the oranges

Using a manual citrus juicer, electric citrus press, or a hand-held reamer, extract the juice from each orange half into a large measuring cup or bowl. If using a blender, peel the oranges, remove large seeds, and blend until smooth, then strain if you prefer pulp-free juice.

Strain (optional)

If you prefer smooth juice with little to no pulp, pour the extracted juice through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pitcher, pressing the pulp with a spoon to extract remaining liquid. Discard or save pulp for another use.

Adjust and dilute

Taste the fresh juice. If it is very sweet and concentrated, stir in up to 1/2 cup cold water to reach your preferred strength (the recipe calls for 1/2 cup). If the oranges are tart, you may add the provided 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and stir until dissolved. Adjust water and sugar to taste.

Chill and serve

Add ice cubes to individual glasses or to the pitcher. Pour the orange juice over ice, garnish each glass with a mint leaf if desired, and serve immediately. Fresh-squeezed juice is best within 24 hours when refrigerated.