For my parallel tasting, I tried 3 types of Orange Juice- Evolution Organic Orange Juice, Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, and Whole Foods Organic Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. To my surprise, there was actually quite a bit of variation between the three. Among them, Evolution’s juice was by far the most sour, and most citrusy. It also was my least favorite, and tasted the least fresh of the three. It had minimal pulp as well, which keep the taste lingering for a moment after each sip. Trader Joe’s orange juice was the most sweet of the three and almost felt like a SunnyD-esque fruit drink to me. It had no pulp and was significantly more fresh-tasting than evolution’s juice, though something it didn’t feel natural. Instead, it tasted more like a desert drink. Whole Foods’ Organic Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice was my favorite of the three. It scored the highest on taste and freshness. Whole foods’ O.J. also had a medium amount of pulp which made the juice’s consistency very similar to how it would be if I had juiced the orange myself. I’d also say that the clear bottle and minimal labelling gave off the impression that the juice had just been squeezed and didn’t go through any packaging process. For that reason, I was likely predisposed to think that it would be more fresh. However, it certainly felt like it was. Overall, I’d rate the Whole Foods Organic Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice an 8.5/10, Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice a 7/10, and Evolution Organic Orange Juice a 6/10.
