How many oranges to make a cup of juice? (3 variables)

In this brief guide, we will answer the question ‘How many oranges to make a cup of juice?’. We will discuss the factors that impact the number of oranges needed to make a cup of orange juice, including the variety and size. 

 There are, on average, three medium-sized oranges in a cup of juice. 

 

How many oranges to make a cup of juice?

Certain factors go into making the perfect cup of orange juice. There is no fixed answer to the question, as you can add as many oranges to your cup of juice as you like. On average, you may need to add two to four oranges to make a cup of juice. 

How many oranges do you actually need to make a cup of orange juice?

Depending on your preference, you could even down the sour and acidic flavor or embrace the sweet and juicy. 

Size and quality of the oranges

People use different varieties and sizes of oranges to make their perfect cup of orange juice.

If you have small oranges, you will need more than three oranges. However, if you are using acidic and richly flavored oranges, three will suffice.

In some cases, size does not matter because a small fruit could have a higher acidic and juicy profile.

Conversely, some oranges may deceive you by their size. They may look big and juicy but turn out to be bland.

 It could be dry from the inside with low water content. In such a case, you can expect to have a lesser than expected yield of juice.

In an instance of large and ripe Valencia oranges, 2 will make a perfect 4 oz glass of juice. Two to four oranges yield about 8 fluid ounces.

In another instance, you have 4 medium-sized oranges, where the weight of each orange is approximately 98 grams. Here, when you use a good, efficient juicer for extraction, you will collect 240 ml of juice. An average US-sized cup holds about 240 ml. 

 If your big or medium orange has high water content, it does not imply that you can reduce the number of oranges to make your juice.

 An orange with a lot of juice does not mean that it will taste good as well. Sometimes, it has a higher water content with little soluble solids. That means it will be less sweet and tart and taste like water with a hint of orange flavor.

Other FAQs about Oranges which you may be interested in.

Can you get sick from eating old oranges?

How long does it take for oranges to grow?

How many cups of orange juice would I prefer?

You can adjust the concentration according to your liking. 

If you want the juice to be more dilute, you can add water to it. Or you could either add two oranges instead of three to your juice.

You can add more oranges instead of three if you prefer. If your oranges are less sweet and with a higher water content with respect to the flavor, you can make them more concentrated to maintain a standard cup of juice.

The more concentrated the juice, the better it is. Besides providing you with a more authentic orange juice, you are getting more nutrition from the oranges. Oranges are a good source of vitamin C, folate, potassium, and calcium.

Vitamin C is essential for a strong immune system, gum health, and even to let wounds heal. 

Potassium is an essential micronutrient that the body needs to maintain normal blood pressure and protects the heart from diseases.

However, oranges are sometimes too sour and concentrated for you to handle, then you may prefer to add 2 oranges instead. Conversely, you could use 3 or more oranges and dilute them with water. You could even add a little salt and sugar to tone down the sourness instead.

Some people can not handle tartness in their orange juice because of sensitive teeth or even preference. If you are one of those, you can water down your juice as much as you like. Even if you reduce the vitamin content, your orange juice makes for a refreshing beverage and meets your hydration goals.

Why should you squeeze your own orange juice?

For many reasons, you may choose to squeeze your orange juice. If it does not save you money instead of the store-bought juice, it certainly has a higher nutritional value. The packaged juices may taste good and require less effort but are deprived of true nutritional value. Freshly-squeezed orange juice is more than twice as healthy and tastes better as well.

Freshly squeezed juice is easy to make, just squeeze out the juice and add some water. You can use an electric or a manual juicer, if you own neither, your arms will do just fine. Also, If you like you can add some sugar and salt to enhance the flavor.

In this brief guide, we answered the question ‘How many oranges to make a cup of juice?’. We discussed the factors that impact the number of oranges needed to make a cup of orange juice, including the variety and size.

Citations

https://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-to-juicing-fruit-how-much-fruit-goes-into-a-cup-223448

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/orange-juice-benefits#:~:text=Orange%20juice%20is%20also%20rich,disease%20and%20stroke%20(5).