The best oranges are generally ugly, lumpy & dirty looking. But if you have a good eye you know that they just need a good wash. Know the difference between dirty ripe & dirty rotten. When in doubt, cut a few open & check before you pay for them. Ask questions, don't assume, don't be shy. Most vendors will appreciate the interest & reward a few kind words.
Locally grown, organic, tree ripened, Valencia Oranges produce large amounts of rich, sweet orange juice. None of that bitter, pale yellow crap labeled "fresh". We live in California! Oranges thrive in our backyards. Only an idiot would live in California & buy orange juice from Florida. Comical.
Press directly into glass to preserve optimal flavor & integrity. Drink it or store. Don't let it sit out.
Store in air tight glass container, with minimal air exposure. Keep pressing until your glass it full to the very top! No reason to shake it until it is time to drink it, let it separate. Oxidation will not only decrease the nutritional value, it will taint your delicious juice with bitterness. If it is not consumed within 24 hours, I no longer consider it fresh. Some would say it has to be enjoyed on the spot to earn the FRESH title. To each their own.
An amazing little old lady, located in the Thousand Oaks Mall Farmers Market, sold us a full box for $16. At a glance they look like dirty, lumpy leftovers...a quick rinse & a slice will reveal that they are only lumpy because they can barely contain the sweet juice within...half a brain will conclude that the only reason they are dirty looking is because there is no reason for the sweet little old lady to wash her amazing oranges for us, she has nothing to hide. She did all the work collecting, filling & hauling the gigantic boxes, of her amazing oranges. If we don't recognize the gift that people like her are laying at our feet, at an absolute minimal cost, then our children will be deprived of healthy food, once grown with passion & integrity. These good people will cease to exist & we will be left with bland corporate modeled food for profit. It will only taste as good as it has to for you to buy it. Not always bad, just average or synthesized. It will look clean, bright & shiny because that is cheaper for them to fake & they bank on the ignorance of a sucker.
Ever wonder why "fresh squeezed" orange juice from the grocery store is more yellow than orange?
Why a gallon of bland OJ cost more than a gallon of gasoline?
How come they have to fortify everything with nutrients for it to be "healthy"?
Does it make sense to waste fuel, time & human resources shipping Florida's Orange Juice to be sold across the entire North American continent to California?
So it doesn't taste better to buy it from the store, it's more expensive to buy it from the store, much of it has traveled vast distances & many brands add water.
Technology is meant to compliment our intelligence, not replace it.
Educate yourself. Know where your food comes from, how it is processed & the true cost of production.
