Lagniappe:
“a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase” (such as a 13th doughnut on purchase of a dozen), or more broadly, “something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure.”
I’m starting a new blog feature. Sometimes there’s a little something I want to share with you – a book I just read, a movie I enjoyed, a recipe I want to try or something I’m doing in my own home. Just a tiny little note…not really worthy of a full-fledged blog post, but merely a little something extra…lagniappe, so to speak.
Today I want to share my love of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
I love a glass of orange juice with my breakfast each morning. It’s a tasty way to get a nice dose of vitamin C which is very important, especially during cold and flu season.
Until recently I purchased frozen concentrated orange juice. It was fine but once in awhile I’d have a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice at a fancy hotel brunch and be reminded how much better it tastes.
I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner that I could have that little bit of luxury at home every day. Then a few weeks ago I was out of orange juice but had a bag of fresh oranges in the refrigerator. Everyone seemed to have a cold and I was doing my level best to avoid catching anything. So I pulled out an orange and using my lemon/lime squeezer, I made myself a glass of orange juice.
Let me correct that. I don’t really think you can call less than an inch of juice a “glass”. That’s when I realized that the quantities we are used to consuming are excessive. It would take several oranges to fill a glass and yet who would sit and eat 6 oranges at once?
Every morning I juice one or maybe two oranges. I also switched from the lemon/lime juicer to the vintage orange juicer I’ve had for ages. It works better, especially if the oranges are large, and it makes less mess. The lemon juicer tends to spray juice beyond the glass so I would set the glass in the sink to contain the overspray. It works but I prefer the vintage juicer.
After I squeeze an orange or two I either put the orange peels down the garbage disposal which gives it a nice citrus fragrance or I put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little cinnamon and cloves. I then simmer it gently on the stove. I love the way it makes my kitchen smell!
This post may contain affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more here.
There are all sorts of juicers/squeezers available. I have this one which is great for lemons and limes, and is okay for small oranges:
If you prefer your juice minus the pulp but still want a simple design:
You can get fancy:
Or REALLY fancy!
I happen to have a citrus juicer attachment for my Bosch mixer but can’t recall the last time I used it. I may dig it out next Christmas when the kids are here for breakfast. We always have homemade waffles and mimosas. Squeezing enough oranges for all of us would be a lot easier with this:
But when it’s just me I’m going to stick with my old-fashioned juicer. Sometimes simple is best.
Leave a Reply