Give me some of that Arizona/California/Florida orange juice

I picked and ate or drank juice from oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes from the trees in Verlie and Joe's back yard in Arizona. I had eaten wonderful oranges Jaz's mom had gotten at the store in California. I had had hand-squeezed orange juice from trees behind Ken and Judi Peep's in Arizona (two stops in Arizona). And finally, I had had excellent honey tangerines and oranges picked up at a roadside stand in Florida.

I buy the Simply Orange juice here at home in Alaska, which is the best on the retail market, but wanted better. Can you blame me after what I had experienced during the past month I'd spent Outside in states where these fruits grow, and where I could pick them to my heart's content?

Do you wonder why I had purchased a small hand juicer and decided to buy oranges when I got home so I could have that wonderful, fresh, hand-squeezed taste here? Of course not.

When I unpacked my little plastic juicer, I was excited and the minute I could, I found my way to the grocery store. I found some tangerines and oranges that looked great, and brought home several of each kind, thinking that the taste of each would complement the other.

They're beautiful oranges and tangerines, with the rich color you'd expect.

I lovingly rolled one of each on the countertop as Big Peep (Ken) had told me that it makes them easier to juice. They felt heavy to the touch, a sure sign of lots of juice. Then, I cut each of them in half, and juiced. It's kind of mindless work, but allows for a feeling of accomplishment, and I had quite a bit of juice in my juicer to show for my work. I ate some of the pulp that was left, but it wasn't the wonderful taste I had had most recently, and that was my first indication that my juicy oranges would not yield a tasty juice.

The juice went into my Bubba Gump glass, and looked pretty, although perhaps a bit on the not-so-deep-orange color I'd seen down south.  I tasted it. Well, not too bad, but it definitely was not the taste I'd had the month before. That taste had been full-bodied, with a sweetness and a tang that made your mouth water just to look at it in the glass. What to do? I put the glass in the refrigerator. Maybe it would taste better later, chilled.

Looks beautiful.  Once again, looks are deceiving. 

I tried it … chilled it's good, although not very sweet and rather thin-tasting. It's not the standard I'd gotten used to. I'd gotten spoiled.  Back to Simply Orange, the best around here.