When the weather outside is frightful, I know how to make it delightful! How? With delicious fresh citrus juice recipes! In the heart of the citrus season, there is an abundance of varieties at some really great prices. It’s the perfect time to take advantage of this delicious windfall and start making juices that feature fresh citrus.Â
Below are some of my favorite citrus juice recipes to help you get started. Wait, you mean there’s more than just simple OJ? You bet there is, and I’m here to show you!
1. A Walk Through Italy
Makes 48 oz
- 6 Apples
- 3 Blood Oranges
- 1 Celeriac Root
- 1 Fennel Bulb
This tasty juice recipe is a virtual tour of quintessential Italian produce. We start on the island of Sicily, where over 50 percent of Italy’s blood oranges are grown. This variety of orange has a deep red flesh that yields an absolutely gorgeous sweet-tart juice.
Then trek north where fennel grows wild throughout the nation, with its bright aroma and flavor of anise. Ending in Northern Italy where celeriac is a staple and apples are grown, so many that Italy is only second to Poland in the tons of apples grown throughout Europe. This is a fun juice to enjoy while imagining a sunny walk along the dusty dirt roads of rural Italy.
2. Not Your Grandma’s Cranberry Sauce
Makes 32 oz
- 4 Oranges
- 12 oz bag Cranberries
- 4 c Red Grapes
As soon as cranberries hit the shelves I start making this juice. This little berry is a harbinger of the holidays for many of us and I love its tart addition to any juice recipe. Mix them with oranges and sweeten the batch with red grapes, and it’s like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one!
3. Greens & Grapefruits
Makes 24 oz
- 3 Grapefruit
- 3 Oranges
- 3 c Spinach
You can have a lot of fun trying out different greens with this juice. Also, feel free to mix up the ratio of grapefruit to oranges, depending on how sweet you want it. For more tart juice, stick solely with grapefruit. Our favorite is Ruby Red, but you can use either a red or white variety.
For the greens, spice things up with a bit of arugula or a few mustard greens. A little goes a long way, so start out with a leaf or two. Some of us just can’t get enough cilantro, so like to throw some in this recipe as well. Mint would be delicious, too. Experiment and see what combinations you like best.
4. Hawaiian Holiday
Makes 48 oz
- 1 Pineapple
- 4 Cara Cara Oranges
- 2 Apples
- 1 Lemon
Who doesn’t dream of warm, tropical weather in the heart of wintertime? We certainly do…well, being in Florida we actually LIVE in warm, tropical weather so can attest to how AWESOME it is wearing shorts in mid-December! But we digress…
This juice will transport you to a sunny beach in Hawaii, or any tropical destination of your choice, with its tasty blend of pineapples and Cara Cara oranges. We then up the sweetness with some apples and balance out the acidity with a lemon, and voila! Tropical juice paradise!
5. Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Makes 32 oz
- 4 Ruby Red Grapefruit
- 4 Apples
- Dash of Cinnamon
Take the breakfast table sophistication of a beautiful ruby red grapefruit half, sprinkled with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar that’s been lightly toasted to form a sweet aromatic crust, and turn it into an equally delightful juice. Its simple elegance will surely brighten up the darkest of mornings!
Let fresh citrus be a reason to love the winter season! Old man winter won’t get you down once you’ve tried these smile-inducing, super-tasty juices for yourself. Taking care of your body and spirit has never been so easy! To learn more about all the incredible varieties of citrus available, take a look at my Walking in a Winter Citrus Wonderland article.
Tell us your favorite recipe from the list above, or one of your own. We’d love to hear all about it!