Hello foodies! In our modern world, most people don't go to the trouble of making their own juice, unless perhaps they own an electric juicing machine, which can be very expensive. But I humbly suggest that fresh squeezed citrus, using a simple manual juicer, is a treat worth the effort.
Bottled orange juice is not just juice, even though it doesn't have to claim the add-in flavors on the carton since the add-ins come from oranges. Because of how quickly the juice will spoil, they have to preserve it in a way that removes the flavor, and then they add the flavor back in with the add-ins. As the article states, this is why each brand has its own flavor without any natural variation that you would find in fresh oranges, because it's that brand's original formula of flavor and smell.
Five oranges didn't take that long to squeeze, and filled my mug to the brim. If you are squeezing smaller citrus, like Cuties, lemons, or limes, you'll need more of them for an equal amount of juice, of course. An added bonus is that you aren't creating any waste (except for the stickers on the fruit, or possibly the net if you are buying Cuties. Do you ever see those loose? I don't), which is especially good when so much OJ comes in plastic, or cartons that only rarely can be recycled (my city recycles cartons, but many don't). I've heard some people say not to put citrus rinds in home compost, but I always have in my two-bucket system on the balcony without any problems.
Especially during the dark winter, it feels really good to have some fresh squeezed juice to brighten your day. A manual juicer isn't expensive and imo, worth the investment! :)
Do you juice at home? Let me know in the comments!