We have been muddling our way through winter without fresh fruit. Our pantry consists of frozen strawberries grown back in May, canned peaches & pears that were preserved in late August, a variety of homemade jam, and apple & pear sauce preserved in September.

On the special occasion that we buy fresh fruit from the store, the kids usually look at me with sad eyes and say “it’s not as good as Sweet Berries.” (That’s the berry farm next door that we are so spoiled by.) I usually nod & agree, and then it gets put back in the fridge to eventually go bad.

But the peak harvest for oranges & pomegranates are December-January and they are oh so sweet. We look forward to this special treat we only enjoy in the Winter. It tastes like Christmas to me.

Fresh pomegranates & homemade orange juice for breakfast.

The left over orange peels are jarred and covered with half vinegar and water to be used for cleaning solution later this year.

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

If doing by hand, I highly recommend using the largest, juiciest oranges you can find.

Cut all oranges in half and squeeze out all juice using a hand juicer.

If doing by automatic juicer, then I highly recommend using cuties. They are much easier to peel and usually have less seeds.

Peel all oranges and place them into a juicer.

Save waste for compost or chickens or pigs.