Freshly Squeezed O.J.-Taste Test Experiment

The majority of children I know LOVE juice.  One day when the children and I were talking about what food grew on trees, the topic of orange trees came up.  The kids wondered how orange juice was made so we decided to make our own orange juice. I love being able to  facilitate hands-on learning with young children.  This is the type of learning where exciting discoveries are made.

We decided to do a blind taste test to see if we could taste the difference between freshly squeezed orange juice and packaged orange juice. First we bought some Florida oranges and then chose a packaged bottle of orange juice as well.

I cut up the oranges and the children helped me squeeze the slices over a bowl. Using a manual juicer would have made the process easier but we didn’t have one, so we made do.

We strained the juice to take out the seeds and pulp and poured it into small glasses. I also poured a glass of packaged juice for everyone.  The kids closed their eyes and took a sip of each juice from each glass.

It was so much fun listening to the words they used to describe the different tastes of each juice.  They all commented on the difference in temperature of the two juices which was something I never thought about.

This would be a great activity for a unit on the five senses or a nutrition unit. We learned a great deal and the children gained an experience they really enjoyed.

What taste tests have your children enjoyed conducting?