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As juicing continues to be more popular, orange juice lovers need to know the best oranges for juicing.
The right ingredients always produce the best quality, yield, and nutrients. Fresh orange juice is a great thirst quencher but it can be expensive when purchased in restaurants or as fresh-squeezed at the market.
Juicing at home gives the full benefits of drinking orange juice made at home. With plenty and affordable juicers in the market, there is no reason not to start juicing your own orange juice. Just make sure you’re being conscientious about how long fresh juice lasts, and are storing it accordingly.
The seven best types of oranges for juicing are:
- Valencia orange
- Navel orange
- Blood orange
- Clementines
- Tangerines
- Satsuma oranges
- Tangelo oranges
Different types of oranges produce different tastes which can be sweet or sour.
I have provided the available and best oranges for juicing quality juice throughout the seasons.
Best Types of Oranges for Juicing
Valencia Oranges
These oranges are named after Valencia city in Spain. The great news is Valencia oranges are available throughout the year, from April to December.
The taste is sweet and the yield is amazing that why commercial juice processors use these oranges.
Valencia oranges contain few seeds which make the prep easier and allow maximum juice extract.
In terms of nutrients, they are rich in fiber and Potassium. These minerals help fight cancers and are beneficial for heart functioning.
It can also be used for cooking apart from juicing and enjoy the flavor in various foods.
Navel Oranges
These oranges are a great choice for juicing among many juicers because they don’t have seeds. A very popular variety in the market which is very easy to peel and readily available. They are the most commonly purchased oranges for eating, which makes them more available and often one of the cheaper types of oranges.
With their large size and seedless nature, they make the best orange choice for juicing producing high yields.
Navel oranges contain Limonene which makes the oranges turn bitter after some time. This means you have to drink the juice immediately after juicing.
It is a great choice of juicing that requires less preparation due to a lack of seeds and they are easy to peel.
Blood Orange
The blood oranges are one the healthiest to juice as they contain high antioxidants.
Available from January to April that can cover the absence of the other oranges during this period.
Blood oranges as the name suggest having a dark red color like blood. They contain lower acid content than the other oranges.
You can choose from the three types of blood oranges which include, Sanguigno, Tarocco, and Moro.
It can be used for cooking various types of meals providing a sweet taste and flavor.
Clementines
The Clementine orange is great for juicing, snacking, and cooking. It is a hybrid created in Algeria from a crossbreed of normal orange and Mandarin. They are typically slightly smaller than a Mandarin orange.
Mostly grown in Morocco, South Africa, Israel, Spain, and California.
While these are great for juicing in terms of flavor, they’re one of the less efficient oranges to use for juicing, due to their very small size.
Tangerines
A great option especially for aiding in weight loss. They contain Synephrine (low bitterness) and a robust flavor perfect for cooking and juicing.
The hiccup with juicing tangerines is that they are not always available (typically only from about fall to spring), making them very expensive to juice if you can find them in the off-season. If you’re willing to wait and use these during their season, then they make some very high-quality juice.
Satsuma
The Satsuma oranges are grown in California and Gulf coast and are available in a short period. They belong to the Mandarin oranges which are sweet and few seeds.
Satsuma is a great choice for juicing but the short period of availability in the market is a limitation.
The oranges contain high fiber that is soluble to keep cholesterol levels low.
Their size is smaller which requires to buy more for maximum juice. All in all, the juice is great.
Tangelo
This type of orange is a crossbreed between Mandarin and Pomelo. The combination provides oranges with sweetness and high yield. They do have a slightly more tart flavor than other orange varieties, but this is well offset by the sweetness. If you prefer a slightly tart fruit, this may be the perfect choice for you!
There are 2 types of Tangelo oranges available that include Honeybell, and Orlando.
These oranges contain a high content of Vitamin A which is a great boost for visual health. It also contains other minerals like Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium.
Benefits Of Orange Juice
There are great benefits of orange juice, especially when made at home.
Save your money: Juicing at home saves some dollars coz the commercial juice is not cheap. Investing in a juicer ensures continuous juicing at home whenever you desire.
Quality: Bottled juice from shops is full of preservatives that kill the nutrients in the juice. For commercial purposes, it’s hard to juice pure juice that leads to additions of flavor or sugar.
Juicing at home ensures quality juice with the maximum nutrients and free from chemicals.
Fresh orange juice contains antioxidants, enzymes, vitamin C, A, Potassium, Magnesium etc.
These minerals and nutrients help healthy body functioning and nourishment.
Here is a highlight of the benefits of orange juice according to the USDA database.
- Reduces Risks of Heart Attacks
- Contains Healing Properties
- Prevents Cancer
- Benefits for Treating & Preventing Ulcers
- Prevents Kidney Stones
- Maintains the Blood Pressure Levels and lower cholesterol
- Assists in Weight Loss
- Treats Anaemia
- Boost for skin
- Promotes the Immune System
How to Juice Oranges
Oranges are one of the easiest fruits to juice due to their soft texture. Juicing oranges can be done with manual or electrical juicers/blenders.
Manual Juicing
This can be done using citrus juicers which mostly are manual. It involves using rotating the lever to squeeze and extract the juice from the pulp.
Manual juicing for oranges is simple as it doesn’t require much energy. Also, manual juicers are cheaper in the market than juicers/blenders.
Juicer and Blender
This method is faster because the machine is electrically powered. Once you peel and remove the seeds if any, then insert them inside, you are good to juice.
Blenders or mixers produce whole juice containing pulp which can be nutritious. You can separate the pulp to have a more pure juice.
To Peel and Include Seeds Or Not?
This question depends on the purpose of the juice prepared. Some types of oranges are bitter that can lead to a sour tasty juice.
Also, if you don’t need seeds in the juice, you can always choose seedless oranges or remove them manually before juicing.
Peels contain nutrients and it’s great to utilize the benefits fully. Mixing small amounts of peels with the juice can increase the nutrients level. Too much of peels can cause indigestion problems.
There is no harm in mixing the peels and seeds in the juice but removing them leads to sweeter juice.
Juicing Oranges FAQ
What can you do with oranges after juicing?
Obviously, after you’ve got a nice cup of juice ready to drink, you’re left with some leftover pulp. What should you do with it?
You can eat the pulp, you can use the rind for zest in cooking (especially good in some baked goods), you can make tea, marmalade, or soak the rinds in white vinegar to make a DIY household cleaner!
How many oranges does it take to make a glass of juice?
It’ll take 3-4 medium-large oranges to make you about 8 ounces of fresh juice.
Do I need to peel the oranges before juicing?
If you’re not using a specialty citrus juicer, yes, you should peel them before juicing. Save the peels for other uses (see above), and run just the pulp through your juicer.
Is it cost-effective to juice your own oranges?
Sometimes, but it is definitely not as cheap as buying concentrated orange juice from your grocery store’s freezer section.
The juice companies can make their juice with fruits that are a lot less pleasant to the eye — if the outside is blemished, most shoppers won’t buy it. But so long as a visual defect doesn’t affect the inside of the orange, it’s perfectly good for juicing.
If you can buy these blemished, less than perfect oranges for a discounted price, or if you can purchase oranges in a high enough volume to get a great price, you may be able to offset the costs enough to be cheaper than buying a bottle of orange juice at the store!
Is it better to eat an orange or juice an orange?
It’s actually a little better for you to just eat the orange. Since it takes 3+ oranges to make about 8 ounces of juice, you’re tripling the sugar intake versus just eating the orange, and you’re also not getting the benefits of the fiber and additional vitamins and minerals from the pulp.
One orange typically gives you about 90%+ of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C, which is excellent for keeping your immune system running smoothly and reducing your risk of stroke. An extra serving of citrus won’t hurt you, but as with all things, consuming in moderation is best. It IS possible to take in too much vitamin C over time.
Conclusion (Best Oranges For Juicing)
Now you know the best oranges for juicing it’s time to utilize and enjoy the benefits of orange juice.
Homemade juice is far great than commercial juices from restaurants.
You can try all the orange types and determine the most suitable for your juicing needs.
Valencia oranges are the best due to their juicy nature and availability in the market. I hope you start juicing oranges and lead a healthy lifestyle!
