Go Straight to the Source for Pure Juice Drinks : Health: Supermarket produce departments provide the best way of obtaining beverages without additives and added sugar.

From the information on the front of the bottle, one could be led to believe that the juice was “pure.� When we poured the cool, rosy-colored liquid into a glass and sipped, we enjoyed the taste, but we started to doubt. Finally, after spinning the bottle around to the back to check the ingredients, the truth became clear. The first ingredient in the “country raspberry� blend was grape juice.

Shelf after supermarket shelf of juice products offer shoppers a myriad of blends, from orange-pineapple to “mountain cherry� (also blended with grape juice), and many of them are quite good. There are also high-quality citrus juices that offer no-sweetener-added, straight-from-the-fruit flavor at premium prices. But there’s another source for “pure� fruit nectar or, if you desire, real-fruit, juice-blend beverages. It’s at the other end of the store . . . in the produce department.

Taking your juice from the fruit requires a few tools, the simplest being a sharp knife and an old-fashioned glass juicer, the funkiest being a diner-style press or juicer, the fastest being an electric juicer or food processor with a juicer attachment. Some blenders can also be used to make juices; check the instructions that came with your brand because the strings in some fruit could tangle in the blade. Blenders are especially good for mixing already-squeezed juices with chopped ice and other ingredients.

Unlike commercially produced juices, homemade juices present a few storage problems. The freshness is fleeting, so in many cases, it’s best to squeeze only enough to serve at once, even if you plan to keep the juice in the refrigerator.

For example, juice from Valencia oranges will retain its flavor and most of its Vitamin C if covered and refrigerated, says B.J. Doerfling, a food consultant and former test kitchen manager for Southern California-based Sunkist Growers Inc. Navel oranges, considered “eating oranges,� can also be squeezed for juice, but the juice tends to become bitter if allowed to sit for prolonged periods, even in the refrigerator. Squeeze it by the glass, Doerfling says.

Knowing how much fruit to buy is another challenge: A single orange may be eaten for a satisfying treat, but it won’t produce much liquid.

SHOPPING

Many varieties of fruit are available year-round, thanks to importing and improved growing techniques. But weather and shipping conditions can affect the size and quality of the fruit. Doerfling says this summer’s Valencias may be small in size due to drought, but they should still be good for juicing. Choose good-quality fruit to get good-quality juice.

Buy enough fruit for juice needs. It takes two to four medium-size oranges to produce about one cup of juice; one medium-size grapefruit to make about two-thirds of a cup of juice; six medium-size lemons to make about one cup of juice and, for cooking purposes, “the juice of one lemon� is generally considered to be about three tablespoons.

PREPARING

First, rinse the fruit.

To get the most out of the citrus you buy, says Doerfling, use it when it is at room temperature. Before squeezing it, roll it on the kitchen counter with the palm of your hand, and press down slightly. “It softens the juice sacs and makes it easier to juice,� she says.

Cut citrus in half crosswise and ream out the juice on a hand-held juicer or press, or with an electric juicer.

STORING

Cover and refrigerate citrus juice if you can’t use it right away. Exposure to light hastens the deterioration of Vitamin C, so don’t leave citrus juice sitting out, Doerfling says.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice and Valencia orange juice can be frozen for up to four months (Navel orange juice may become bitter).

Large amounts of orange juice will separate, so after thawing, shake or stir juice before serving.