Oranges are the one ingredient that sometimes doesn't make it to the juicer because they're such a great snack.
When we first started juicing, we'd bring home the most beautiful oranges that tasted like they were sucked dry by an orange vampire. We had no idea how to pick an incredible orange.
Choosing them can be difficult if you don't know what you're looking for, but you'll become an expert by the end of this article.
Choosing Oranges
Choosing an orange can actually be really difficult at times, but once you learn what to look for, you'll take home juicy ones every time. Don't just go for the beautiful looking ones. The ones we end up taking home are some of the ugliest oranges you've ever seen. Those old ladies at the store before you only sift through the great looking ones.
The #1 thing we look for is how heavy they feel compared to their size. If we were blind, we'd still pick out incredible oranges just by doing this.
Good
- Firm
- Smooth
- Thin-skinned
- Heavy for its size (meaning more juice)
Avoid
- Soft
- Moldy
- Bruises
Color isn't an indication of quality. Some are dyed and some fully-ripened oranges may regreen. Saying that, we still do end up looking at the bright colored ones first.
Don't avoid oranges with brown patches. It just means it was grown in a warm and humid climate.
Slight scratches or marks on the skin is called "wind scarring". This happens when the orange rubs against the tree when its windy. Don't be afraid of these.
Always Peel Oranges
Unlike lemons and limes, orange peel has a very bitter oil in it that will ruin the flavor of your batch.
It's not harmful, but you'll only make this mistake once.
Juice Prep
Instead of sitting there peeling each orange slowly by hand, we find it quick and easy to cut the orange into quarters, then separate the peel from the 'meat'.
You can de-seed it if you'd like. We only de-seed what's easy to get to. Removing the seeds does positively affect the flavor, but it isn't enough for us to spend time tediously removing all of the seeds.
