Orange Julius - made simply and dairy-free

October 3, 3:26 PMNewark Food ExaminerDave Hershorin

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Original Orange Julius in New York City, circa 1970s

A unique flavor you can re-create at home

For anyone over 40, many-a-childhood memory is based within the flavors of an Orange Julius. I’m 42, and I can distinctly remember walking around the Tri-State Mall with the famed concoction in hand, traipsing by the arcade’s cacophony of pinball and air hockey as the condensation dripped down my wrist.

I feel old. But my recollections pale chronologically to the heritage that Julius Freed has delivered with his unique American flavor.

In 1926, this banker, mechanthical engineer (invented an inflatable shrimp trap) and amateur pigeon racer opened an orange juice stand in Los Angeles and enjoyed only modest sales (about $20 a day).

But in 1928 or ’29 (disputed findings), Bill Hamlin (Freed’s realtor) came up with a formula that lessened the acidic edge of Freed’s plain orange juice. A sales explosion (to over $100 a day) ensued and attracted patrons out the door…and that’s when someone supposedly shouted from the back of the line, “Give me an Orange, Julius!”  

Modern-day Orange Julius stand, coupled with sister Dairy Queen

The rest is history.

The 1960’s may have been the drink’s heyday – Orange Julius was the official drink of the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, and both Tonight Show host Johnny Carson (1965) and Astronaut Alan Shepard (1966) were given a lifetime pass to any Orange Julius store in America.

Today, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway couples Orange Julius and Dairy Queen together, and the product line has expanded/progressed into Premium Fruit Smoothies to compete in today’s marketplace. But you can still get an “original”, especially in the chain’s icon-crazed outlets throughout the Far East (like in Hong Kong and Singapore, to name a few).

What many cannot forget is the totally unique flavor of that Orange Julius drink. Possibly the original mass-produced smoothie, it boasts all of the zing oranges deliver while also bringing a cool, creamy edge to the taste proceedings. For anyone who has (accidentally) tried pouring orange juice on their cereal and milk, mixing these flavors is no small achievement. The only other flavor that faintly compares is an Orange Creamsicle from a Good Humor truck, but comparing the two is an injustice since each is genuine in its own way and stands alone in the commercial world of crazy flavor creations.

Well, here is a juice recipe that closely mimics an Orange Julius and its genuine result.

With flu season arriving, making this will afford more than just some stroll down memory lane. High in Vitamins A & C, enjoying this homemade version will give you the preventative strength to thwart any germs that may target your family’s good health.

Frothy and homemade, this Orange Julius is super healthy

Ingredients

1 cantaloupe
1 pineapple
10 oranges
5 organic carrots (optional)
1 egg or banana (optional)

Make sure all of your ingredients are refrigerated for at least 6 hours prior to cutting them. If they are warm, cut them and then place them into a freezer for about an hour prior to juicing.

Simply cut the fruit into pieces just small enough to fit into your juicer (click here for a recommendation for the best juicer).

Depending upon your juicer, try to leave as much of the rinds as possible on the cantaloupe and pineapple (discard the pokey leaves on the top and the core’s bottom). For the oranges, peel and remove as much pith as possible. I like to use a knife for peeling, which will take away both peel and pith with one action/effort.

When you make the juice, rotate the three fruits when inserting them. This will afford the maximum amount of juice from your (and the juicer’s) efforts.

Adding carrots will alter the Orange Julius direction somewhat. I add them and drink this recipe two days a week, since I’m after health more than nostalgia.

Whenever juicing a root vegetable, be sure that it is organic. With ones that aren’t organically grown, you’ll really taste any pesticides – they add a bitter edge to both carrot and sweet potato juices. Fortunately, organic carrots are usually close to the same price as the conventionally grown types.

The tradition of adding an egg (which, for health reasons, was changed to a banana) happens after the fruit has been juiced. In this recipe, just use a blender or food processor to add either an egg or banana once the juicing is done. Both/either elevate the creamy textures to a whole other level.