A fresh and healthy drink that’s sweet with a tart ending! There’s nothing like homemade Mandarin Juice. This one takes 15-minutes and uses a blender! Vegan and Gluten-free.
This vegan juice uses only fresh mandarins and lemons to make an organic, healthy juice. It’s both sweet from the mandarins and has a nice pucker at the end due to the lemons. This juice recipe is one you’ll want to make over and over!
Eating clean for the past five years, my favorite recipes were those that use simple, fresh ingredients. I love making my own juices like this one. For other homemade juices try Simple Pineapple Ginger Juice, Orange Agua Fresca or Cucumber Agua Fresca.
My boyfriend and I love buying juices. We are juice maniacs! The problem is they’re always so expensive. I like to buy all of my own fruit, or use up leftover fruit laying around the house, and make my own juice. Most juice recipes are honestly better in a juicer, but some (like this one!) are actually better in a blender!
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Highlights of this Recipe
This recipe is:
- Simple
- Healthy
- Refreshing
- 2 Ingredients
What’s the Difference Between Mandarins, Tangerines and Clementines
So .. the Citrus Variety Collection of the University of California (aka one of the most important collections of citrus diversity in the world!) has over 167 different varieties of mandarins listed. Easy to see where the confusion begins!
Here’s a simple breakdown for the main types:
- Orange - Thick skin, second largest in size after grapefruits and has a more tart flavor.
- Mandarin - Mandarins are a type of orange. Mandarins are the parent umbrella covering tangerines, clementines and satsumas. Smaller and sweeter than oranges with a thinner, looser peel. This makes mandarins great for juices as they are naturally sweeter!
- Tangerines - a type of mandarin orange. Tangerines can be slightly more tart than other mandarins.
- Clementines - Clementines are super sweet and seedless. Typically known by brand names Cuties or Sweeties in the groceries. If you have a choice for mandarin juice, clementines would be better than tangerines.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Mandarins - Aim for classic mandarins or clementines. I would avoid tangerines as they might be too tart with the lemons.
- Lemons - To add a slight tart endnote to this mandarin juice, I add two lemons. These can be omitted.
- Water - To dilute the strong taste of this homemade juice, I add only 1 cup of water. You can customize this recipe based on your tastes and can dilute it more if you prefer a less strong mandarin flavor.
FUN FACT! Cuties or Sweeties are a type of clementine. Clementines fall under the mandarin family. Their peels are easier to remove and have a sweet taste making them the perfect citrus for this juice!
Mandarin Juice in the Blender
STEP ONE: Remove the peels of all mandarins and lemons. I like to cut off the ends (or butts) of each citrus fruit. Stand it upright on one flat end, and cut downward. Avoid cutting too much of the peel, or you’ll skip out on juice.
STEP TWO: Add all peeled citrus and water into the blender.
STEP THREE: Blend until smooth.
STEP FOUR: Strain the juice into a large mixing bowl or container. Make sure to press on pulp to release as much juice as possible.
STEP FIVE: Transfer to a pitcher and drink immediately or place in fridge.
Can I Use a Juicer?
You can use a juicer for this mandarin juice recipe, but I highly suggest against it. Why? Juicers do not fare well with juicing these tiny mandarins and a lot of the juice will be missed. If you have a specific citrus juicer then that is great, but otherwise stick with the blender for this one.
Tips & Tricks
- Remove the peels. Use a knife or your hands if you want!
- Strain well. If you aren’t a pulp person, strain completely and be patient. If you like pulp, scoop some after you’ve strained it.
- Press on the pulp. To ensure you get the most juice out of it as possible, press on the pulp using a large spoon. Keep pressing until no more juice comes out.
Storing Homemade Mandarin Juice
Fresh juice is best when consumed immediately or within a few hours. I prefer to let my juice get slightly cold in the fridge for 30-minutes before drinking.
If you need to store the juice for later, drink it within 72 hours, but most recommended in the first 24 hours.
Freezing Mandarin Juice
If you won’t finish the juice within the recommended 24-72 hours, you can freeze any leftovers. Freeze fresh juice in an ice cube maker. When frozen into cubes, remove from the ice cube mold and place in an airtight ziplock or freezer bag.
Frozen mandarin juice lasts 2-3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mandarin oranges are great for making juice like this recipe, because they are more sweet and easy to peel.
Yes! According to Healthline, one mandarin orange has 26% of Daily Value of Vitamin C!
No! All tangerines are mandarins, but not all mandarins are tangerines! Tangerines fall under the mandarin parent category but are more tart.
What to Use Mandarin Juice In
Don’t want to drink mandarin juice on its own?
- Try it as a substitute for orange juice in a Skinny Margarita or Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita.
- Use in a Gin Aperol Cocktail.
More Homemade Juices & Smoothies
📖 Recipe
Mandarin Juice
Equipment
- Blender or Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 13 Mandarins about 3 LBS
- 2 Lemons
- 1 Cup Water
Instructions
Remove the Citrus Peels
- Cut off the ends (or butts) of each citrus fruit. NOTE: If you are more comfortable peeling the peels of the citrus with your hands that is fine.
- Stand the fruit upright on one flat end, and cut downward. Avoid cutting too much of the peel, or you’ll skip out on juice.
- Cut downward around the entire citrus fruit until all peels are removed.
- Repeat until all citrus is peeled.
Make the Juice
- Add all peeled citrus into blender and add water.
- Blend until smooth.
- Strain juice into a large mixing bowl or container. Press on pulp to release as much juice as possible.
- For no-pulp juice, toss the pulp. For a little pulp, simply scoop in some of the pulp.
- Transfer to a pitcher and drink immediately or place in fridge for 30-minutes to cool.
- Juice is best within 24 hours and should be consumed within 72 hours. Store in the fridge.
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