Fresh-Squeezed Blood Orange and Ginger Juice
When I was in high school, one of my friends did a science fair experiment comparing the nutrients in store-bought vs fresh-squeezed orange juice. She took that puppy all the way to the state science fair. Science was never my favorite subject so I don't remember what exactly she measured or what the results were, but I do remember her raving about how tasty her homemade OJ was.
Back then, I never made homemade orange juice. But for some reason, after all these years, seeing piles of oranges at the grocery store reminded me of her experiment and inspired me to make some homemade orange juice for myself. I wanted my orange juice to have a variety of orange flavors and some warming spices to make it a little better suited for winter.
To do this, I used a combination of blood oranges and navel oranges, but feel free to mix and match with your orange preferences. However, I wouldn't recommend using too many blood oranges because they'll make your juice super tart. (Pst! valencia oranges make a mean juice if you can find them!)
This recipe only makes 2 cups of juice since fresh-squeezed juice doesn’t keep for very long. If you're serving a crowd, be sure to double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed!
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 cups of orange juice
Ingredients
6 navel oranges
2 blood oranges
2 teaspoons grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Steps
Firmly roll all oranges on a flat surface to loosen their insides. Then, cut the oranges in half and use your hands or a citrus juicer to squeeze all the juice out of the oranges into a pitcher or small bowl. If you prefer juice without pulp, strain the juice.
Whisk the ginger and cinnamon into the juice until well combined. If you want a smoother texture, use ground ginger rather than grated. Drink within 24 hours, keeping refrigerated and whisking or shaking before each serving.
Sustainability Tips
Oranges: Make this juice when your oranges are in season. For most orange varieties, they are in season during winter. Buying oranges when they're in season will make it easier to buy locally and organically, which will cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from travel and nasty pesticides.