16 Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company Flavors Ranked

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company is a women-owned brand of clean-label juices based in Florida. When first established in 1989, the company only produced orange and grapefruit juices. Since then, it has expanded to include a full roster of lemon, lime, vegetable, and holistic cold-pressed juices.

Minimal processing and ingredients, with a commitment to environmental sustainability, are what set this brand apart from other juice manufacturers. Each juice is pasteurized immediately at the safest, lowest temperature to reduce nutrient loss. These juices are made with as few ingredients as possible, all of which are "clean," meaning free from additives, preservatives, and GMOs. For this reason, each bottle doesn't stay fresh for long and is clearly marked with an expiration date. Lastly, these juices are packaged in BPA-free PET bottles that are 100% recyclable.

We had the chance to sample and rank a cross-section of Natalie's juices, representing its classic, vegetable, and holistic varieties, and assessed each based on aroma, texture, flavor, and uniqueness. Here's a ranking of them, from least to most favorite. Read on to see how each juice variety fared. You might be surprised by which ones we liked best.

Read more: 12 Vegetables And Fruits That Used To Look Very Different

Orange Beet Juice

At the bottom of our list of Natalie's juices was the Orange Beet Juice. This variety has only two ingredients — orange juice and beet purée. Each 8-ounce serving has 110 calories. According to Healthline, eating beets may contribute to blood pressure reduction and better physical performance due to improved oxygen intake, thanks to high levels of dietary nitrates.

The aroma of this juice is redolent of beets, and the texture is a bit thicker than some of the other juices, likely a result of the natural starchiness of this sweet root vegetable. Its flavor is relatively well balanced by the orange juice but still quite beet-forward. It reminds us of the liquid from a can of pickled beets, which we might use to braise red cabbage, and this juice could easily be incorporated into that recipe. As beet juices go, this was one of the better ones we've sampled, but the heavy beet flavor may be too overpowering and earthy for some.

Strawberry Lemonade

We were surprised that the Strawberry Lemonade landed second to last on our ranking, but we found this juice cloyingly sweet. The ingredients include water, lemon juice, strawberry purée, and 48 grams of pure cane sugar. This is exceedingly high, at 96% of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's recommended daily value in each 16-ounce serving.

When we opened this juice, the aroma was pleasantly lemony with a hint of strawberry. The moment we tasted it, the sweetness masked any other flavors present. The strawberry purée attempted to break through as the initial shock wore off, but we could not get past the syrupiness.

While the lemons and strawberries may confer some health benefits in terms of high levels of vitamin C and anthocyanins, which Healthline notes are potent anti-inflammatory antioxidants, these benefits are heavily hindered by the sheer amount of sugar in this blend. For this reason, we could not place it higher in our ranking.

Tomato Reishi Juice

Next on our list was the Tomato Reishi Juice. For the uninitiated, as WebMD explains, reishi is a mushroom that has long been used in Asian countries for its purported medicinal benefits, which may include increased immunity, stress reduction, and better sleep. This juice blend also has black pepper, Himalayan salt, and lemon. Because of the added salt, this beverage has a slightly higher sodium content at 260 milligrams per 10-ounce serving.

The aroma of this juice is distinctly that of freshly harvested tomatoes, with a distinctive texture because of the presence of the tomato seeds. Its flavor reminds us somewhat of a watered-down V8 juice with the extra kick of the black pepper, which we found just a bit overpowering. This juice would be great in a Bloody Mary or added to a homemade marinara to boost the flavor and nutrition.

Carrot Ginger Turmeric Juice

The Carrot Ginger Turmeric Juice is our next Natalie juice to rank toward the bottom, not because we didn't like it, but because it's distinct enough to have a more limited appeal. This blend contains the juices of carrots, apples, and lemons, as well as ginger and turmeric purées. Nutritionally, this blend may be a powerhouse. The vitamin A in carrots is integral to eye health, while Healthline indicates a myriad benefits associated with the active compound in turmeric, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

At first sniff, the ginger somewhat overpowers all the other aromas, but while the ginger is still quite potent in the overall flavor, the carrot confers some sweetness, tempering the spiciness. The aftertaste is where the turmeric flavor creeps in ever so subtly. The texture of this juice is also smoother than the carrot blends we have previously sampled, which is pleasant. While this is by far the best carrot juice we've had, we did think the sharp ginger flavors make it an acquired taste.

Natural Lemonade

Up next on our ranking was the Natural Lemonade. We want to preface this review by saying there is nothing wrong with this lemonade. It is tasty, just not all that exciting compared to some of the other juices we sampled.

What we loved from the get-go was that we could see bits of lemon floating around in the bottle, which made it feel like freshly squeezed juice. Its aroma was also that of freshly squeezed lemons, with perhaps just a hint of the rind thrown in for extra lemon essence.

The flavor is lovely, if not just a bit watery, which is surprising since this lemonade contains a lot of sugar. There are 51 grams of added sugar in every 16-ounce container, 102% of the recommended daily value. Again, this sugar content may seriously hinder any potential health benefits from high levels of vitamin C and phytonutrients in this juice.

Blood Orange Elderberry Juice

The Blood Orange Elderberry Juice is one of the more unusual blends from the holistic line of Natalie's. Each 10-ounce serving includes blood orange juice, elderberry juice concentrate, turmeric and ginger purées, and black pepper extract. This blend is called "Resilient," which accurately reflects its purported nutritional benefits, including high vitamin C content and anti-inflammatory compounds conferred by the turmeric and the elderberry which, as Health mentions, has been used for hundreds of years by numerous cultures to treat myriad medical ailments.

The aroma is distinctly blood orange-forward. This is perhaps a bit misleading, as when you dive in and drink it, the flavor is quite spicy thanks to the added black pepper extract and the ginger. It's also very turmeric-heavy, a flavor that can be somewhat overpowering. That said, it's a complex, nuanced beverage with enough potential health benefits to make it a drink we'd be eager to add to our wellness regimen.

Pineapple Kale Zinc Juice

Of all the juices we sampled from Natalie's, the Pineapple Kale Zinc Juice puzzled us and intrigued us the most. At first glance, the name of it seemed potentially unappealing. Throw in the color, and we might even say we were alarmed. Each 8-ounce serving contains pineapple purée, cucumber, celery, lime, kale, and spinach juices. These are paired with cilantro purée, calcium hydroxide, vitamin D3, jalapeño extract, and zinc gluconate.

The best way to describe the smell of this beverage is "green" and "healthy." This is one of the juices that separated a lot and needed shaking before drinking to fully the ingredients back together. This would suggest an off-putting texture, but we found this juice smooth, not gritty or pasty the way other green juices can be. The flavor was shockingly delicious. The pineapple purée provides ample sweetness without added sugar to balance out any bitterness from the greens. We were impressed and a bit mind-boggled at how they accomplished this.

Tangerine Juice

The Tangerine Juice also shocked us a bit. With nothing else but tangerines and zero added sugar, we were surprised at how sweet this tasted. Even so, it was not our favorite among the citrus flavors, landing it where it did on our ranking. Each 8-ounce serving has only 110 calories and high levels of vitamins A and C, which are purported to help boost immune function and increase iron absorption. The aroma of this juice is more subtle than some of the other citrus varieties. It has a nice smooth texture that was just slightly viscous.

We did notice a bit of a lingering aftertaste that was part bitter and perhaps nutty, for lack of a better word, which is perplexing. We can only attribute these to the fact that tangerines can be pithy.

Grapefruit Juice

If you love grapefruits, you will love this juice. It tastes like pure fruit because that's exactly what it is. As there's no added sugar in this drink, it's tart and slightly bitter. Each 8-ounce serving has 100 calories and is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and potassium which, as Healthline notes, make it a potentially powerful immunity booster, also helpful to reduce blood pressure, and great for glowing skin.

Unfortunately, many people cannot consume grapefruit because it's contraindicated with several medications. We also know it can be an acquired taste because it's so tart. For those reasons, we ranked it toward the middle of our list, even though it was one of our favorite flavors. Try this juice with some bubbly for a fabulous grapefruit-inspired mimosa.

Organic Orange Juice

Natalie's began in 1989 by squeezing fresh local oranges from Florida. It has made a name for itself on the superiority of this juice, which is fabulous. Each 8-ounce serving contains 110 calories, zero added sugar, and is loaded with vitamin C and folate, making it great for immunity and maintaining healthy cells in your body, per the Mayo Clinic.

Drinking this juice is like eating a whole orange. The only sweetness comes from the fruit, and its aroma is that of a freshly peeled orange. Our only minor complaint, which is more of a preference, is that there's no pulp. We enjoy our orange juice with pulp. It gives it a nice texture and perpetuates the illusion of being freshly squeezed. Of course, not everyone likes their orange juice chewy, so we do understand the choice not to include any pulp. The only reason we didn't rank this juice higher is because we loved some of the other blends.

Blood Orange Juice

How do we love Natalie's Blood Orange Juice? Let us count the ways. Each 8-ounce serving of pure, freshly squeezed Sicilian blood orange juice has 130 calories and is rife with vitamin C, folate, and anthocyanins which, according to Healthline, can act as antioxidants, minimizing inflammation and boosting heart health.

If you've ever eaten a blood orange, you'll know that the part that makes them most appealing is their bright reddish hue. Additionally, these oranges are often somewhat juicier and sweeter than their paler-colored cousins. This part comes through nicely in the taste of this juice, which is beautifully balanced with just enough acidity to offset the inherent sweetness.

Of course, we were also enamored with the fact that the pulp was left in this juice. That was the icing on the proverbial cake. We gave this juice an enthusiastic A grade, ranking it below others because we tended to favor the more exotic flavor combinations.

Orange Pineapple Juice

Our palates are biased toward the more tropical influences of fruits like pineapple, as is reflected in our top-ranked Natlaie's juices. In fifth place was the Orange Pineapple Juice. This variety has 110 calories with zero added sugar, and each 8-ounce serving contains simply orange juice and pineapple purée. This combination packs a punch with vitamins A, C, and manganese. Healthline points out that manganese has been linked with reducing inflammation, managing blood sugar, and maintaining strong and healthy bones.

This juice has the perfect balance of tanginess and natural sweetness with just a hint of that quintessential pucker you get from pineapples. Its texture is smooth and not overly thick. If we happened to be feeling cheeky, we could see turning this into a super kicked-up Piña Colada with some coconut rum. This is another juice that scored a solid A grade with us.

Tangerine Pineapple Aloe Juice

Next on our list was the exotic Tangerine Pineapple Aloe Juice, which was quite intriguing. This beverage comes in a 16-ounce container and has 210 calories per serving with zero added sugars. In addition to the orange and tangerine juices, pineapple purée, aloe gel, and sweet basil extract round out the ingredients list. In addition to the vitamin C conferred by the citrus, Healthline notes several potential health benefits with consuming aloe. These include anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, blood sugar regulation, improved digestion, and healthier-looking skin and teeth.

The aroma and flavor of this beverage are just what you might expect. It's slightly sweet and tart with the added unctuousness of the aloe gel. The sneaky addition of the basil extract pushed this beverage over the edge. We were blindsided by this added hint of almost minty brightness, which took this beverage from good to out of this world.

Guava Lemonade

Considering that the other lemonade flavors from Natalie's landed toward the bottom of our rankings, you may be surprised to see the Guava Lemonade land in the top three. This lemonade, made with water, pure cane sugar, lemon juice, and guava purée, is distinct from the others because, despite its sugar content, its sweetness isn't cloying.

Each 8-ounce serving has 36% juice, slightly higher than the other lemonades, which somewhat tempers the added sugar. Additionally, guava fruit can be more or less sweet depending on the varietal. While most have a flavor reminiscent of a cross between strawberries and pears, they can sometimes include a tart lemony element. The guava aroma is quite pervasive in this lemonade, and its unique juiciness beautifully counterbalances the acidity of the citrus. This sophisticated coral-hued lemonade is as beautiful to look at as it is to drink. We give it a sold A+ grade.

Orange Mango Juice

The Orange Mango variety came in second on our ranking of Natalie's juices. This tropical delight is made from orange juice and mango purée with no added sugar. Each 8-ounce serving has 120 calories. Mangos are also abundant in vitamin C, A, and fiber, making them potentially great for bone health and boosting immunity, per Healthline.

We've said it before and will continue saying it, we are suckers for mango anything, so this juice hit us right in our happy place. From the aroma to the flavor, mango is the star, with orange juice contributing just enough acidity to temper the sweetness and help give this beverage a smooth, creamy texture. While this juice is fabulous without anything added, we recommend trying it in a cocktail like a daiquiri, mimosa, or margarita for something unique. We give this juice an A++ grade.

Blood Orange Ashwagandha Juice

And the winner of the best in juice is the Blood Orange Ashwagandha. This would not have been our choice if you had asked us to predict which would land on top. Another of Natalie's holistic juice varieties, it's a combination of blood orange juice, strawberry purée, and Ashwagandha KSM-66. It has no added sugar and is 150 calories for a 10-ounce serving.

According to Healthline, Ashwagandha is an herb native to Southeast Asia. It has long been one of the most important herbs in Ayurveda for its myriad health benefits, many of which relate to improved mood, better sleep, greater concentration, increased energy, and anxiety reduction. The KSM-66 mentioned on the ingredient list of this juice refers to a full-spectrum extract of this herb, made specifically from the plant's all-important roots, which are particularly prized in traditional medicine. This might explain the "aura" moniker for this drink.

The aroma, texture, and flavor of this juice are fantastic, with the sweet strawberry tempered by the acidic blood orange. These are juxtaposed with the Ashwagandha, which tends to be somewhat bitter and earthy. The complexity of this beverage is what makes it top-notch.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.