| Orange Juice |
Nothing compares to a fresh squeezed orange juice first thing in the morning! Mouth watering, delicious and bursting with flavor. It gets your body going. The most important thing here, is to get good Valencia oranges. Unfortunately, the commercial oranges in the grocery stores are not much good. They look great on the outside; shiny (waxed) and clean but are often hard, pale inside and more sour than sweet. If you are lucky enough to find a farmer's market, the locally grown stuff is the best. They may be dull, spotted and dirty on the outside but they are softer, rich orange inside and sweet.
Valencia oranges in California are available February through October, with peak supplies in May, June and July. The commercial harvest season in Florida runs from March to June. Frozen concentrates or Navels can be used in off season. Due to a naturally occurring chemical in Navel oranges called limonin, orange juice made from Navel oranges is best served right away. Navel orange juice will turn bitter in just a few hours, even if refrigerated!
Three oranges make a full glass. A good electric juicer is really handy and makes it a snap to make as many glasses as you need.
Notes:
1 cup of raw orange juice provides 124 mg of vitamin C (207% of RDA) and 27 mg of Calcium (3% of RDA).
Nutrition Details
Most experts recommend getting vitamin C from a diet high in fruits and vegetables rather than taking supplements. Fresh-squeezed orange juice or a fresh-frozen concentrate is a better pick than ready-to-drink orange juice. The fresh juice contains more active vitamin C. Drink fresh-frozen orange juice within one week after reconstituting it for the most benefit. If you prefer ready-to-drink orange juice, buy it 3 to 4 weeks before the expiration date, and drink it within one week of opening.
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