How To Make Orange Juice

Most popular breakfast

Orange juice is among the most popular breakfast beverages in the western countries.

Its popularity lies in the fact that making orange juice is packed with vital minerals and vitamins that are required for the normal functioning of the human body, as well as for optimum wellness.

A single orange fruit contains 25 per cent of vitamin C, among other nutrients. You need many oranges in order to produce a glass of fresh orange juice.

However, the amount of juice you get depends on the type of oranges you are juicing.

Blood and naval varieties are among the juiciest oranges available, and 1-2 lb can give a yield of 250 ml of juice.

Nevertheless, do not be afraid to go for the oranges you prefer most; there is no restriction on the types of oranges required for juicing.

Preparation of the fruit for juicing

• Warm oranges release more juices than cold ones. Warming the fruit before juicing helps improve the yield of juice. Take care not to destroy the antioxidants that make the orange a super food.
• A little heat is enough to prepare an orange for juicing. However, cold oranges have their role. It is advisable for you to keep the oranges in the fridge prior to juicing if you are looking for cold juice. This way, it will come out of the juicer cold.

• Squeeze the oranges, one by one, against a hard surface to make them soft. This also helps break the fibers that hold juice and thus prevent the oranges from releasing all the juice they contain.
• Wash the oranges and place them in a tray. Then juice the oranges using one of the two methods described below.

Making orange juice using a manual juicer

• Manual juicers are very cheap, and therefore everyone can own one. However, they can only juice the fleshy part of an orange, since they do not have the ability to juice hard components such as the skin of an orange. They are also slow, but will give you enough juice to keep you healthy.
• To extract juice from an orange, you can use the manual citrus juicer. A hand juicer can help, but it will leave your juice with too much pulp.

• These juicers have no inbuilt knives to cut the orange into pieces, because there are parts of an orange that are not juiced. Only the inside part is relevant in the juicing process. Therefore, you need a knife to continue with the juicing process.
• Cut one orange after the other in to two pieces as you remove the seeds. Work on one orange at a go, since exposing them to air leads to loss of certain nutrients.
• Place one half of the orange face down on your juice extractor and press it downwards as you rotate it to release the juices held between the fibers.
• If your juice contains pulp, you can use a strainer to remove it. Take the juice immediately, or keep it in an air tight container.

Making orange juice with a centrifugal juicer

A centrifugal juicer is the best machine for juicing oranges. It is fast, efficient and reliable. It also saves your time and energy, but can be very costly and hence not affordable by most people.

If you want to juice the entire orange together with its skin, then you need to use a centrifugal juicer. Even though the skin of an orange is bitter, it is a rich source of vital minerals, especially:

• magnesium
• selenium
• calcium
• potassium
• phosphorous.

It also contains a good amount of vitamin B1, 2, 6 and Vitamin C.

These minerals help to lower the increased blood pressure level and hence, high blood pressure patients are recommended to drink this juice.

In fact, the healthy ingredients of the juices are mixed in the blood stream much quicker than in any other form. In this case, you need to cut your oranges into quarters for better juicing.

Operations

Place a collecting can below the sprout and then turn the juicer on.

• Feed one quarter after another through the shoot, and push it down to the juicing chamber. You need to have a tamper for pushing the oranges down the juicing chamber.

• Let the juicer extract all juice from the oranges before switching it off. This juicer works by pressing the pieces of orange into pulp, which is then passed out as juice through the sprout.
• Take it immediately or keep it in an airtight container to prevent the oxidation of the essential nutrients.

Precautions

At the juices made from orange first you should ensure that the natural flavor is retained and the vitamin and mineral contents are not diluted. Orange juice it contains good content of various useful minerals and is low in fats and contains no cholesterol.

Because orange juice is high in sugars and hence, you should consume it in moderation (it can pose more problems if you are having an upset stomach cause of it’s high in acidic content).

It is recommended that you should drink only one or two glasses of orange juice a day.

Storing oranges at room temperature promotes softening, making oranges more manageable and yielding the most juice. Be cause fresh juice is difficult to store and hence, you should never rely on packaged orange juices.

Such type of commercial orange juices contain preservatives and have more calories as compared to your homemade fresh juice.

Amazing Benefits of Oranges

Cancer Fighter – Citrus fruits contain substances called limonoids that last in the blood stream for up to 24 hours after consumption. Limonoids are cancer fighters, acting as a strong antioxidant preventing the breakdown of cell DNA.

Prevent High Blood Pressure – Try eating only oranges for a couple days, and drink plenty of water. Oranges contain potassium and are sodium-free making them the perfect support system for our blood system.

Sodium from processed foods should be eliminated and potassium-rich fruits increased, if you want to get rid of hypertension.

Healthy Bones – Oranges are a great source of magnesium, a mineral required for the absorption of calcium in the body, thus helping to maintain and form healthy bones and teeth.

Repair damaged sperm – Oranges, as we all know, are incredibly rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C has been found to protect sperm from genetic damage that would otherwise cause birth defects.

Improves mood – Oranges contain vitamin B6, otherwise called the „mood vitamin” as B6 acts in the brain to help produce serotonin and thus makes us happier.

Constipation reliever – Oranges, as well as all other acidic fruits have an alkaline effect in the digestive system, stimulating digestive juices and relieving constipation.

Strengthens Immune System – Polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, reduce inflammation and efficiently combat viruses and other bacteria.

Prevents Arteriosclerosis – Arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries. Vitamin C in oranges, if consumed regularly, slows this degenerative process.