Squeezed Orange Juice Recipe

Prepare oranges

Wash the oranges thoroughly under cool running water to remove any wax or residue. Pat dry with a clean towel.

Roll oranges (optional)

On a clean countertop, firmly roll each orange back and forth under the heel of your hand for 20–30 seconds to loosen the juice inside.

Halve and juice

Cut each orange in half crosswise. Using a manual hand juicer, reamer, or electric citrus juicer, press and rotate each half to extract the juice into a measuring cup or pitcher. Continue until all halves are juiced. Strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve into the pitcher if you prefer pulp-free juice; otherwise leave pulp in.

Adjust sweetness and brightness

Taste the freshly squeezed juice. If it tastes too tart or not sweet enough, stir in up to 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (or 1 tsp simple syrup) and mix until dissolved. If the juice is very sweet and needs brightness, add up to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice and stir.

Dilute and chill (optional)

If the juice is very concentrated, add up to 1 cup of cold water and mix to desired strength. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes if you want it colder without adding much ice, or proceed to serve over ice.

Serve

Fill serving glasses with ice cubes (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice per glass). Pour the orange juice over the ice, stir briefly to chill, and taste once more to adjust sweetness if needed.

Trim a thin slice from one orange and cut into wheels or half-wheels. Slide a slice onto the rim of each glass and tuck a mint sprig alongside the slice for aroma and presentation.