The orange juice recipe
for your table
Choose juicing oranges, not eating oranges. A juicing orange has thin skin, feels heavy for its size, and is full of juice; an eating orange has thicker skin and is easier to peel, but yields less when juiced.
Halve the oranges and juice them. With a hand juicer, you have more control over how hard you press, and less of the white pith comes along; an electric juicer is faster and more convenient once you’re juicing more than four or five. Count on about three for 20 cl.
Decide whether to strain it. A fine strainer makes the juice smooth and clear, while leaving it unstrained keeps the pulp in, making the juice fuller and thicker. Remove the seeds in both cases.
Fill the glass with ice, pour the juice over it, and hang an orange slice on the rim. Drink it immediately: fresh juice quickly loses flavor, and the solids sink to the bottom, making the juice visibly separate.
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The story
Orange juice is the simplest drink there is, and that is precisely why every choice matters. The orange determines almost everything: a juice orange is grown for juice yield and has a thin skin, while a hand orange is grown to be peeled. Then the juicer determines how much you extract, and the strainer determines how the juice sits in the glass. Freshly squeezed juice changes quickly. The flavor becomes flatter after fifteen minutes, and the juice separates into a clear and a cloudy layer, while juice from a carton tastes the same day after day. That difference is the whole argument for squeezing your own.
The right glass
Freshly squeezed juice looks best in a low, clear glass of 20 to 25 cl. A serving of three oranges fills a glass like that to just below the rim, and you can see the color through the glass. Tempered glass is practical here: it can handle ice cubes straight from the freezer and can simply go in the dishwasher. Stackable sizes can be found in the Duralex Picardie collection.
Arcoroc Log Tumbler 22 cl (6 pieces)
Duralex Picardie Tumbler 20 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 27,90.
The right tools
For orange juice, besides the glass, you use a citrus juicer to extract the juice and a fine strainer to keep pulp and seeds out. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 38,85.
Which twist belongs with it?
Orange juice itself is alcohol-free. The classic combination is vodka, because juice with vodka over ice is exactly a screwdriver, while adding prosecco makes the same glass a mimosa. On every drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
A teaspoon of lemon juice makes the juice less sweet and keeps its color bright for longer. Half orange and half pink grapefruit makes for a more bitter glass, while a few slices of fresh ginger in the juicer make it sharper. If you juice blood oranges, the juice will be dark red and slightly less sweet. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Put the oranges and the glass in the refrigerator for half an hour before juicing; you will need less ice and the juice will not become watery. Pour only once everyone is seated at the table. If you do have to wait, stir the juice again briefly, because the solids settle at the bottom.
Good to know
Juicing orange or eating orange?
A juicing orange is grown for juice yield: thin skin, lots of juice and often seeds. A eating orange has a thicker skin that comes off easily, but yields less in the juicer. Check the weight: heavy for its size means lots of juice.
How many oranges go into a glass?
Count on about three juicing oranges for a 20 cl glass. Small or dry ones may take four, while large, juicy ones may take two. Weigh or juice one first to see how much you get per orange.
Hand press or electric juicer?
With a hand press or squeezer, you can feel how hard you are pressing, which makes a difference: if you press through the white inner pith, it adds bitterness. An electric juicer works faster and requires no effort, which is convenient once you are making more than four or five.
Do you strain the juice or not?
A fine sieve makes the juice smooth and translucent, leaving the pulp and seeds behind. If you leave the pulp in, the juice is fuller, thicker, and cloudier. You remove the seeds in both cases because they give the juice a bitter aftertaste.
Why drink it immediately?
Freshly squeezed juice quickly loses its flavor and becomes flatter after fifteen minutes. It also separates: the solid parts sink to the bottom, leaving a clear layer on top. Stirring partly solves this, but the fresh flavor of the first glass does not return.
What is the difference from juice from a carton?
Juice from concentrate is concentrated in the country of origin and diluted with water again here. Not from concentrate is pasteurized immediately after pressing and put into the carton without that intermediate step. Both may be called orange juice; a fruit drink or nectar does contain added sugar, which is listed in the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
How many oranges do you need for a glass of orange juice?
About three juicing oranges for a 20 cl glass. With small or dry fruit, you need four; with large, juicy fruit, two.
What is the difference between a juicing orange and an eating orange?
A juicing orange has a thin peel and lots of juice and is intended for juicing. An eating orange has a thicker peel that is easy to remove, but produces less juice in a juicer.
Why should you drink freshly squeezed orange juice immediately?
Because the flavor becomes flatter within fifteen minutes and the juice separates: the pulp sinks to the bottom, leaving a clear layer on top. Stirring helps a little, but fresh is still better.
What does not from concentrate mean on a carton of orange juice?
That the juice has not been concentrated after pressing and later diluted with water, but has been pasteurized and packaged immediately. Juice from concentrate has gone through that intermediate step.
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