Vitamin C is my favorite vitamin - it's the yummiest!

I have so many things I want to write about and no time! Wahh.

First - I want to go on a rant about orange juice. The boxed crap that so many buy because, clearly, they've never had fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juice.

Those cartons you buy? The oranges are months old. Citrus is a pretty fragile fruit and in order to keep supply going year-round (what other veggie or fruit do you know is available year-round like oj?), its stock supplied in huge tanks. Tanks where all the oxygen is sucked out - which makes it almost impossible to rot (yay) but makes it lose all of its flavor (boo).

Flavorless orange liquid? Yuck! But don't fret - fragrance companies, the ones that make those phthalate and endocrine disruptors so many people freely and excitedly splash all over themselves (but I digress...), have made NEW flavors and smells to make your orange liquid fun again. Wee! Each company has their own copyrighted "scent" or flavor so don't scoff at your mother-in-law for her Florida's Natural brand loyalty - it probably DOES "taste better" than Walmart's... PLUS they have those neat commercials that show how it's almost like reaching into the grove and picking your own oranges. Duh!

© cavewomanmom

Let me skip to the deliciousness we make almost daily - although you CAN buy it in some stores, here in Texas we have HEB and Central Market that sell many varieties fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juices - fresh OJ. You can hand-squeeze it on a citrus juicer, which are under 10$ at Target or you can throw whole, peeled oranges into your vitamix. I don't know how it would work in a regular blender seeing as how thick and pulpy it is in my vitamix - I prefer the citrus juicer. It's good for my forearms and a good grip workout haha but really, I prefer the sweetness of just the juice. I know, I know - I'm missing out on all of the fiber and getting all of the blood-spiking sugars but I'm also getting vitamins and steering clear of Coca-Cola. One day at a time, remember?

Try it out. See if you don't notice that the taste, smell and COLOR is different. OJ isn't that bland color you see at IHOP - it's much more vivid and vibrant. It's a color that is always welcome at my breakfast table. It's kind of like comparing real maple syrup and pancake syrup (aka corn syrup) - once you go towards the light and have the real deal, however more expensive or time-consuming it may be, you can't go back! Oh and I've found that Valencia oranges make for the best juice with the least amount of oranges. Navel were such a bust, no matter where I bought them or what their ripeness was!

© cavewomanmom

(Disclaimer: it is not recommended that those with weakened immune systems such as the elderly, or for instance, my 10-month-old son drink unpasteurized juices. Fresh juice, consumed within hours after squeezing is fine, but it isn't recommended to squeeze a large batch and give to grandma or your toddler throughout the week. Since the fruit hasn't been heated, killing off nutrients AND any bacteria sources, bacteria can grow over time. Wash your fruit well before juicing/squeezing and consume shortly after.)

-cwm