The Best Way to Make Fresh OJ Without a Juicer
Morning is a delicate time for many of us. We emerge from sleep slowly, vulnerably, and everything seems a little brighter and louder than it's supposed to. A coffee maker is a necessary chaos to which we've become accustomed, but a juicer—that's just too much noise and extra cleanup. The obvious solution would be to just buy cartons or bottles of pre-squeezed OJ and grapefruit juice, but have you seen the prices they're charging these days? Plus there's all the extra wasteful packaging and sometimes added sugar. You're much better off just squeezing your own orange juice, and here's the best, tidiest, most efficient way to go about that.
If you possibly can, select citrus that is specifically bred for juicing—ideally sweeter orange varieties like Valencia or navel oranges. Some people like to zap the whole fruit in the microwave for a minute, but that's not necessary. Just take the fruit and roll it against a hard surface with the heel of your hand to soften it slightly. This motion helps break the membranes that contain the juice within, and make for easier squeezing. Then cut the citrus in half along the widest part of the equator. (Yeah, this all seems incredibly simple, but you see people trying to juice orange quarters and you realize you can't just go assuming, ya know?)
Grab a fork and a bowl. Lightly poke the cut surface all over with the tines of the fork. Then holding the citrus in one hand, pick a spot toward the center of the fruit, plunge the fork in and twist it to release the juice into the bowl below. Moving in a circle out toward the edge of the peel, repeat this motion until there's no more juice to be squeezed. Then move on to the other half. Mildly tedious? Indeed—but highly effective. You won't waste a drop.
From here, you can fork out any seeds, and remove the pulp using a colander or a fine mesh strainer, or just go ahead and chug it chunky-style. This method is also highly effective with other kinds of citrus come summertime should you choose to set up a lemonade stand on your sidewalk. Call it "artisanally hand-squeezed." Charge $5. You've earned it. Maybe buy a juicer with all that extra cash.
