May 4 is National Orange Juice Day!

May 4 is National Orange Juice Day! 🍊🍊🍊Orange juice was enjoyed seasonally as early as 1600s. For most of its history however, it was a rare luxury, freshly squeezed when oranges were in season.

Orange trees were first brought to Florida in the mid-1500s, likely by Ponce de Leon, where they flourished in the state’s mild temperatures. 🌴🐊🌴

With advances in technology in the 1910s and ‘20s, farmers in Florida began canning their juice and sending it across the country. Despite these advances, orange juice didn’t quite catch on until frozen concentrate was developed for the U.S. military during World War II with hopes of preventing scurvy.

Did you know? Over 90% of U.S. orange juice is made with Florida oranges.

Oranges and lemons, Antonio Mensaque y Alvarado, 1862

-Written by Anna Zemaitaitis, Communications and Design Officer