Orange Squash | Orange Drink

First begin making the sugar syrup.

Dissolve the sugar in water in a large saucepan or pot.

Add lemon juice and stir. Let the sugar solution come to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes till the sugar solution thickens a bit.

You don't need any thread consistency.

Just a slightly thick and sticky flowing sugar solution.

Remove from the pan and let the solution become warm.

Filter the sugar solution to remove the impurities.

Let the sugar solution cool at room temperature.

Crush saffron threads and add them to the warm sugar solution. This is an optional step.

While the sugar solution is cooling, you sterilize the bottles and start making the orange juice.

In a large pot, bring enough water to a boil so that your canning jar or bottle gets completely immersed in it.

Place the glass jar in it and its lid separately in the hot water.

Continue to boil for further 8 to 10 minutes.

With the help of canning tongs or regular clean tongs, remove the jar and the lid and keep aside.

Next, peel and chop the oranges. Remove the seeds.

In a blender, add ⅓ or ½ portion of the oranges or as much as the capacity of your blender is. Blend till the oranges have been crushed finely.

Then strain the orange juice through a juice strainer.

Press the pulp with a spoon so that all the juice is strained away.

Add the strained orange juice to the sugar syrup and stir to mix well.

We need to add the orange juice immediately, so that it does not become bitter.

Now work again juicing the oranges in batches and then adding them to the sugar syrup.

You can also use an electric juicer to juice the oranges.

Take 2 to 3 tablespoons of the orange squash in a cup or bowl.

Stir in the potassium metabisulphite very well so that it is completely dissolved in the water.

Add this preservative solution to the orange squash. Stir again and mix very well.

Pour the orange squash in the sterilized jars or bottles.

Close tightly with its lid and let is stay for some hours, about 3 to 4 hours outside at room temperature.

Later refrigerate the orange squash jars or bottles.

Let the orange squash sit for some days (about 3 to 4 days or a week) in the fridge and then you serve. The flavors improve after some days.

Shake the jar or bottle before you use the orange squash.

For one serving, stir ¼ to ⅓ part of the orange squash with ¾ or ⅔ parts of cold water or regular water.

Add ice cubes if required and you can garnish with mint leaves or lemon slices.

Serve the Orange Drink immediately.