Orange juice is like liquid sunshine, and Americans quaff 1.6 billion gallons, on average, every year. To weed out the, er, lemons, the GHRI tested 12 different orange juices—some with pulp, some without. See which ones our testers chose as their main squeeze.
Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company Gourmet Pasteurized Orange Juice
First Place: Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company Gourmet Pasteurized Orange Juice ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) trounced the competition with its "fresh-squeezed" taste and "just the right amount of pulp." It's no wonder one participant wrote that it "tastes like a real orange": This brand contains nothing but 100 percent Florida orange juice — squeezed, then pasteurized and shipped (not frozen or stored). (oijc.com) 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Florida's Natural Premium Home Squeezed Orange Juice Runner-Up: Florida's Natural Premium Home Squeezed Orange Juice ($3 for 64 fl. oz.) impressed with its "classic," "pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavor." However, a couple of tasters noted a slight bitterness. 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Noble Organic Juice While some taste testers found Noble Organic Juice ($4.29 for 32 fl. oz.) too sweet, most enjoyed its "floral" finish and smooth body. (noblejuice.com) (noblejuice.com) 120 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Simply Orange Several participants found Simply Orange ($3.79 for 59 fl. oz.) too thin and "a little metallic" tasting, but agreed on its pleasant balance of sweet and tart. 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Tropicana Pure Premium Some Pulp Taste testers deemed the pulp level ideal in Tropicana Pure Premium Some Pulp ($3.49 for 64 fl. oz.), but many disliked its slight acidity. One tester said it "tastes like it was made from concentrate." 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp Although most participants commented on the "bitter aftertaste" of Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp ($3.49 for 64 fl. oz.), most enjoyed its level of sweetness and found it "pretty tasty." 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Florida's Natural No Pulp Almost all tasters agreed on the bitterness of Florida's Natural No Pulp ($3 for 64 fl. oz.), but many loved its texture and found it "a little more natural than the others." 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Organic Valley Pulp Free Orange Juice Although some tasters found Organic Valley Pulp Free Orange Juice ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) reminiscent of "airline OJ," many found it "tangy" and fresh. 120 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Odwalla Orange Juice A few volunteers thought Odwalla Orange Juice ($3.29 for 15.2 fl. oz.) had an artificial flavor, while they all agreed that it tasted "sweet and sugary." 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Organic Valley Orange Juice with Pulp Although many liked the amount of pulp in this juice, several participants agreed that Organic Valley Orange Juice with Pulp ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) "tastes more like a tangerine" than an orange and was a bit too tart. 120 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Minute Maid Original Just about every taster commented on the bitterness and "strange aftertaste" of Minute Maid Original ($3.29 for 64 fl. oz.); however, some enjoyed the "smooth texture." 110 calories per 8 oz. serving |
Minute Maid Pulp Free The majority of our volunteers found Minute Maid Pulp Free ($3.29 for 64 fl. oz.) sweet, but too thin with a "slight plastic" flavor. 110 calories per 8 oz. serving
More from Good Housekeeping: Coolest New Kitchen Gear For 2012 Haircuts That Take Off 10 Years
|
