Preparation First: The Foundation of Good Juice

1. Wash and Scrub: Thoroughly wash all your citrus fruits, ginger, and turmeric under cool running water. Use a vegetable brush to gently scrub the peels, especially if they are not organic, to remove any dirt, wax, or pesticide residues.
2. Peel the Citrus: While some powerful juicers can handle citrus peel, it imparts a very bitter flavor from the white pith. For the best-tasting juice, it’s recommended to peel the oranges, grapefruit, and lemon. You can use a knife to slice off the top and bottom, then cut away the peel and pith in sections.
3. Prepare the Roots: Use the back of a spoon or a vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the ginger and turmeric roots. Be mindful that turmeric will stain your hands, cutting board, and countertops a bright yellow-orange, so you may want to wear gloves and protect your surfaces.
4. Chop for Your Machine: Cut the peeled citrus, ginger, and turmeric into pieces that are small enough to easily fit through the chute of your juicer or into your blender.

Method 1: Using a Centrifugal or Masticating Juicer (Recommended)

This method yields the smoothest, pulp-free juice.

1. Assemble Your Juicer: Set up your juicer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place a large glass or pitcher under the spout to catch the juice and a container to collect the pulp.
2. Juice in Alternating Order: Turn on the juicer. Start by feeding a few pieces of orange through the chute, followed by a piece of ginger, then grapefruit, then turmeric, then lemon. Alternating between the soft fruits and the hard roots helps the machine process everything more efficiently and ensures the flavors are well-mixed from the start.
3. Press it All: Continue feeding the remaining ingredients through the juicer until everything has been processed.
4. Final Stir: Once all the juice is collected, give it a good stir with a long spoon. If you’re using it, this is the time to stir in the pinch of black pepper.

Method 2: Making Citrus Juice with a Blender

If you don’t have a juicer, a high-speed blender works wonderfully.

1. Combine Ingredients: Place all the chopped oranges, grapefruit, lemon, ginger, and turmeric into the blender. Add 1/2 cup of filtered water to help the blades move and get things started.
2. Blend Until Smooth: Secure the lid and blend on high speed for 60-90 seconds, or until the mixture is completely smooth and liquid.
3. Strain the Juice: Place a fine-mesh sieve, a nut milk bag, or a few layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl or pitcher. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer.
4. Squeeze and Collect: Use the back of a spoon to press the pulp against the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. If using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, gather the ends and squeeze firmly until no more juice comes out.
5. Serve or Store: Discard the pulp (or see our tips for using it below!). Stir in the black pepper and your juice is ready.