No matter what the weather is outside, you can enjoy a wonderfully refreshing drink made from tangerine juice that is a sweet take on the classic mall favorite—an Orange Julius, but I love tangerine Julius even more.
An Orange Julius is a frozen blend of orange juice, milk, vanilla, sugar, and ice. Invented in California in the 1920s by a Julius Freed who ran a fruit stand. Being bothered by the acid in his oranges, he added milk and sugar to make it easier on his stomach and a new taste sensation was created. People would ask for his special orange drink and thus the name “Orange Julius”. The drink was often sold at fairs and became a fixture in malls across America and was even the official drink of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In 1987 Dairy Queen purchased the brand and it is available on their menu.
While many copycat recipes rely on orange juice concentrate as the base for their drinks, I use tangerine juice, which is a game-changer in our house. Several companies sell tangerine juice (not from concentrate) in the cold juice aisle and it is worth seeking out. You can make this smooth and slushy drink from orange juice as well.
Tangerines versus Oranges
While both tangerines and oranges are citrus fruits, they are vastly different in size, smell, taste, and peel-ability. Tangerines are smaller than oranges and less acidic. The peel of the tangerine is easy to remove. Named for a port in Morocco that first exported the fruit to Europe, the tangerine is considered to have been created in Asia over 3,000 years ago.
They go by mandarins, clementines, and satsumas. Kids know them as cuties as they are easily packed in lunch boxes as snacks. Store them (and all citrus) not enclosed in plastic on the counter for a week.
Print
Tangerine Julius
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: beverage
- Method: fresh
- Cuisine: American
Description
A flavorful twist on the classic frozen drink. Frozen tangerine juice whipped with a splash of milk is a refreshing cooler any time of day.
Ingredients
- 4 cups tangerine juice
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1–1/2 cups ice cubes
- Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the tangerine juice, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla and pulse to combine.
- Add the ice and blend until smooth and thick.
- Transfer to serving glasses and top with whipped cream to garnish.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can boost the citrus flavor by freezing the tangerine juice in ice cube trays overnight and reducing the ice to 1/2 cup. This makes the drink much sweeter.
Leave a Reply