I have discovered that 1 can of frozen orange juice can make a whole gallon of if I add a cup of sugar and dilute it with a gallon of water! It’s the cheapest thing I could find for my four growing boys to drink.
Juice That Goes On And On
From The Hillbilly Housewife: Freezer Cooking Made Simple
Are you still eating out, ordering pizza or stopping at the Drive-Thru window on your way home to get dinner? Let me show you how simple it is to put delicious, homecooked meals on the dinner table in less time than it takes you to order takeout. It's healthier and a lot less expensive and best of all, it won't take much time at all to prepare these homemade freezer meals.
Order your copy of Freezer Cooking Made Simple Today!
Are you still eating out, ordering pizza or stopping at the Drive-Thru window on your way home to get dinner? Let me show you how simple it is to put delicious, homecooked meals on the dinner table in less time than it takes you to order takeout. It's healthier and a lot less expensive and best of all, it won't take much time at all to prepare these homemade freezer meals. Order your copy of Freezer Cooking Made Simple Today!
I grew up drinking this in the summer as orange-aid. I think my om used 2/3-3/4 cup sugar.
If you also add 1 teaspoon of citric acid it tastes much better and more like the real thing.
I just made the drink with the citric acid added and it is GREAT!! My son loves it and so do I(I’ve never been a fan of orange juice).
What a wonderful idea. Thank you for sharing. I will be trying this soon. And thanks for the citric acid tip Fiona.
This is a pretty good idea, however, since the body doesn’t recognise white sugar as a food you’re better off using something like raw honey or real maple syrup. It isn’t as cheap as white sugar, but much better for those growing bodies. Another idea is to make a “tea” of boiled water and rose hips to add in some healthy natural vitamin C and use that for the gallon of water. In fact it would be a good way to get the children to drink herbal teas for health!
As to Stacy’s tips:
1. I’m pretty sure the body doesn’t recognize simple-sugar sourced calories in beverages regardless of its refined-ness (or so the story goes–recent studies cast doubt on even that conclusion, for example (http://www.beverageinstitute.org/about_us/beverages_satiety.shtml)
2. If we’re talking about a cheap beverage, adding honey or real maple syrup would drive up the cost significantly. These are not cheap.
I buy 100% cranberry juice and mix 50/50 with water. No complaints in my house.
Staci: I agree with what you said.
FrugalOne: The money you are saving now can definitely go towards cancer treatment later, as white sugar can cause cancer. So using maple sugar now may be more expensive, but will save you much in the long run. (http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html)
Why can’t they drink plain water? It’s better for them, is less calories( not so overweight), helps the body to function normally, plus many, many other benefits. Basically it sounds like they’re drinking colored sugar water. I had 4 girls and that’s what we all drank-water. It saves money, not having to buy juice. If we have juice, it’s a special treat.
I think it’s a bad idea for kids to think beverages have to have flavor. My kids never get juice. They drink water or milk. I’ve known adults who grew up with KoolAid as kids who are totally addicted to sweet tea or colas. Bad habits to get into.
While I don’t believe that sugar will CAUSE cancer, I do believe that it can fuel cancer cells. If you are an otherwise healthy individual, I really (and this is personal opinion) think that having a sugary drink every now and then is OK. I wouldn’t drink something like that every day. I would worry about insulin levels and causing diabetes or obesity in my children. Unfortunately, my husband has been diagnosed with Diabetes this year, so our diet has drastically changed.
Thanks for the recipe. I have 7 kids, 6 who are still young. I have been wanting something to help stretch the juice out a bit. I tried diluting and they don’t care for it. Most do drink water also, and I have recently switched to organic sugar. I usually limit them one glass of juice a day. Although I think I’ll cut down on the sugar some. It should work for other juices also, such as apple. I don’t know if I can find organic concentrated juice, so I will try the regular organic juices. Thanks a bunch!
I don’t believe that sugar causes cancer or that if children are given flavored drinks as children that they will be addicted to drinks as adults. I grew up with koolaid and juice in the house and drink water most of the time. We never had weight issues and make good nutrition decisions. You shouldn’t overdo sugar but it’s all about moderation and education. These are a lot of one-sided propaganda filled statements written above in my opinion. There is nothing wrong with giving your children juice OR koolaid in moderation. Not to mention this recipe dilutes it with 1 gallon of water instead of 2 quarts. The amount of sugar in drinks that use 1 cup of sugar per gallon is much less than soda.
I appreciate ANY tips to help keep my family going and stretching my dollar
It is hard to do and be all. So although something may not be the healthiest or most organic…we do what we can – when we can! I appreciate the rest for what it is…in this case a low cost punch.
Keep ‘em coming
If you little ones still find it a little diluted, try adding a packet of koolaid.
1 can frozen juice concentrate
1 cup sugar
1 packet of koolaid
It works with grape juice as well.
This is a good tip! Thanks!
As to the cancer and sugar issues. I must say that koolade did not make me want sugary drinks. My mom only let my brother and I have water and milk. We were allowed to have koolade but that stuff is just sugar water and it was nasty. I craved Juice as a kid and wished I could have had some. When we started going to church functions like youth group as teenagers we went nuts with all the sugary drinks available to us. Cause we were never allowed it and therefore were not taught how to drink stuff like soda in moderation. I grew a stomach and at 23 finally gave up caffeine in soda which was horrible cause I had so bad of headaches it was unbelievable. My attitude reflected that of a person giving up smoking.
I am now trying to give up Soda all together and am drinking country time lemonade. I am trying to slowly force myself to go back to drinking water and Milk. While losing weight and giving up food that is bad for me. It is hard! Today I start a workout plan to lose 50 lbs by Christmas.
So, did anyone want to share any RECIPES for drinks? There’s a time and place for health issues, this is a place for food and drink recipes that save money. If you have questions about health and such call your trusted family doctor for advice.
If your goal is saving money then cut out the juice altogether. There isn’t really a healthy way to drink juice, better to save your money by drinking water and buy whole fruits.
I don’t know what ridiculousness is being talked about sugar, but the China study is deeply flawed from a scientific perspective, and people try to apply it incorrectly all over the place.
The fact is that sugary drinks don’t fill you up, but they add calories and cause your body to increase insulin production. elevated levels of insulin with only simple sugars makes your blood sugar drop, which makes you crave carbohydrates… leading to wanting more sugar. (Diet pop does the same thing, by fooling your body into thinking its getting sugar.)
My son only recently started drinking juice and he’s nearly 4. I water down the grape, apple and other stronger flavors of juice 50-50 or more. We all drink mostly water but sometimes water is boring. Doing things cheap doesn’t have to mean being bored by it.
Why can’t people just be thankful for things that have been given to them, when someone has taken the time to share it. If you disagree, go somewhere else. Stop complaining.
Thank you HBHW for your hard work in sharing your frugal ideas with us
sugar will always cause debates and facts and all that…………ho hum…I came here lookin for recipes and ways to save money… if I wanted health info, I would go to my doc or go to medical sites…. anyway, I will be trying this recipe
) I also add lemon juice to water with artificial sweetner. I cant afford Stevia.. I know the molecule of splenda and sweet n low are horridly close to nasty stuff.. and I have had cancer but I am also just above poverty lvl and have kids who want to taste some tasty stuff…. they dont like to eat apples so drinking it is a better alternative. Fresh fruits are eaten tho. saying drop the juice and drink water is like saying drop the apple and eat dirt.
I’m with Nadine on this. I love this site because it helps me economize. I appreciate others’ concern for my general welfare and that of my family, but if I have a health concern, I’ll research that elsewhere.
Apple juice: Frozen concentrate can be stretched a little by adding another cup or so of water. Also, for a refreshing change, reconstitute with cold sparkling soda (water). Serve immediately.
I am with Nadine and Kimberly!!!
For more flavour you could add some mint leaves or some grated orange rind or seeds from a granadilla to the mix-like a punch mix-works well at family functions too!
I switched to water, tea, coffee.
I quite serving juice in my house, and trying to get husband to quit soda due to pre-diabetes. He’s on diet soda, but I want him off it all as even that leads to higher diabetes rates.
We found a filtered water pitcher at the thriftshop, along with new filters. We keep the jug in the fridge so the water is more pleasant.
I also buy bulk teas & coffees in the health food section.
Fruit: we still eat that, or get it frozen, canned, and make fruit salads with fresh & canned mixed.
I love this idea! My children drink water throughout the day and juice is a nice treat with meals, we will be trying this!
Thank you for the wonderful website and the great ideas!!
This site was a lot better before the naysayers showed up. Give it a rest already. I thank HBHW for her efforts and enjoy her recipes. If you don’t like the site content you are free to go elsewhere. If you don’t like the recipes don’t use them.
Thank you, Alison, for your support and loyalty. Of course, I welcome all debate, even from those who don’t agree with something posted here. What would a debate be without the naysayers.
But, I do love the kind words and wonderful support you’ve given me, Alison. As always, I look forward to hearing more from you.
Water is even cheaper to drink and much much healthier. My boys drink water, with the occasional small cup of milk.
When citrus fruits are in season and at their cheapest you can put slices of lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines or whatever citrus you like in a pitcher of cold water, either with or without your sweetener of choice. In the off season you can use True Lemon or True Lime powder instead of fresh fruit. It tastes just like the real thing, because it is all naturally flavored. You can find it at the grocery store, usually in the same area as sweetners. Also tea is a cheap beverage, and can be flavored with fresh fruit, or a small amount of juice.
I have made kool-ade with 1/2 cup sugar, added an extra can of water to our juice, I use a filtered water pitcher (from a thrift store), and at times have even watered down whole milk (an emergency). Nobody noticed.
My mom even used jello as a drink by adding extra water and a kool -ade packet.
Whatever you are giving your kids to drink….. if you add it to a glass of ice they are more likely to drink it even if it is dilute a bit.
If someone wants their kids to just drink water, then they shouldn’t be lookin’ up beverage recipes. ANYWAY! (sorry, some of those comments were just unbelievable!)
I used this juice when my company had a vacation and I was providing breakfast. Let me just say, it works wonders! Stretched my dollar, which I know pretty much everyone could use in these times. Thank you so much for your whole website!
My daughter, like myself, likes variety. We have made many drinks/tonics together, and some have HEALTH BENEFITS (for all the healthy people) and they are CHEAP-O!! First: Cucumber water. Sliced cuked in ice water. Easy-peasy. And super refreshing on a hot day! Second: Celery tea and tonic: boil 1 cup of water, add 2 TBSPs of celery seeds. Remove from heat, allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds by straining and saving liquid through a coffee filter. (Be patient.) Discard seeds and filter. Add one cup of white sugar to the celery “tea” and place back on medium heat, stirring slowly until all the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Remove from heat. This liquid portion is your base. Once it is cooled, place it in a mason type air tight jar and it can be refrigerated for a month or 2. When you want a drink??? What would you like?? Hot tea? Place a tsp of base in a mug, add boiling water and stir. Cold tea? Add 2 tsps to cool water and stir, and add ice. A tonic/soda? 2-3 tsps to seltzer water with some ice and stir. Got a headache? Try a tablespoon of just the base. Its hard to swallow, but if you choke it down, the headache will be good as gone. As for the stretching juice, I buy store brand, and shop At Save-A-Lot. Use lots of coupons and dilute with water. My daughter is 3, and she knows to add water to her juice. There is almost always a BOGO sale at the same time that a $1 coupon comes out for Welch’s or Mott’s, so that triples the buying power, if you dilute, it sextuples it!
I think I liked this site better when there were no comments.
So don’t read them if you don’t like them.
I find the extra ideas great.
We’ve been stretching the budget with herbal teas. They have some that are fruit flavored (raspberry, strawberry, etc.) To sweeten them we use stevia liquid. I get it at the health food store. The stuff they sell at the grocery stores is expensive. You are paying for the packaging and that it’s owned by Coke or Pepsi. It comes in a small bottle and you use a very tiny amount. 1 drop is enough to sweeten a large glass of tea. I add 1 teaspoon to the half gallon container of tea
Thank you SO much for this idea. The strong juices like grape can be hard for me to drink, and they are SO expensive at 3 bucks for a half galon! Knowing I can take a bottle of juice and a pitcher, and double or triple it while saving my stomache from heartburn is such a relief!
Ok, re beverages- free water is really the superior choice in terms of economy and health- BUT! for those of us who really prefer flavor- herbal teas are very expensive, at least my Celestial Seasonings brand is. So here are a couple of ideas for drinks- 1/2 to 1 c. apple cider vinegar and 1/2 to 1 c. honey with a gallon of water- makes a healthful drink some kids really like. Honey is so not cheap, though! And I will make herbal tea and add 2/3 c. natural, not organic, sugar to the gallon along with a tablespoon of salt to make a healthful version of gatorade- again not cheap but cheaper than the ‘rea’l thing. But my latest flavored beverage deal is these- either and orange or a lemon cut in half squeezed into a gallong of water- maybe with sugar or agave nectar- not alot, to take the edge off the tartness. Or something I read about- slices of cucumber and ginger root in a gallon of water and allowed to flavor the chilled water through the day . Sounds great! And better for me than diet soda- or my favorite- kombucha (kaching!) tea!
I thought I was the only person on the planet that drank honey and vinegar…. I work at a grocery store and I always have a bottle of water with honey/vinegar sitting at the check stand. It quenches thirst better, has a bit of flavor, and I even got my husband to stop drinking anything else ( he has always refused plain water). An added benefit is that you’ll never get the local flu or cold going around. As you can imagine, I get exposed to a lot of germs checking groceries and since I started with the Apple Cider Vinegar and honey, I haven’t been sick once… 2 flu seasons now…. All the women I work with get sick 3 or 4 times a year but I haven’t. I started this when I got walking pneumonia one year. It worked better than the totally ineffective anti-biotics they had me on and my heart burn & digestive problems disappeared, my energy increased, my skin is great, and my muscles and joints don’t ache anymore.
Growing up, my Mom always kept apple cider vinegar on hand. We drank it in water and even took it by the tablespoonful on occasion. She swore that it kept our systems fighting off germs and working smoothly. My Grandmother swore that eating a bit of honey every day kept you healthy. So between my Mom and my Grandma I guess they came up with your magic recipe!
I’m enjoying a glass right after I post this reply. Thanks for sharing!
This is an ANCIENT drink called Sekanjebin… basically sugar-vinegar syrup that you add to water…
been around since Ancient Greeks. You are in good company!
Thank you for this recipe! I never thought about doing that! Ignore all the neg complaints! someone somewhere always has to complain but thats the world for ya
We drink “juicy water” at our house. We pour just a tad of a particular juice in a glass (grapefruit, mixed berry, strawberry lemonade, etc) Then we fill the glass up with ice and water. IT’s refreshing! Water with a taste of sweetness. No added sugar, just a lightly flavored water. Our kids love it too! It gets me to drink more water in the day cause I like it better. otherwise I would be dehydrated all day, avoiding plain water.
Thanks for the tip! One thing we do that everyone in the house loves is in the summer we buy lots of fruits (our favorites are strawberries, limes, lemons and oranges) we cut them up and freeze them. All year long we add them to plain water. It the kids like to mix the lemons and the strawberries. If you want a bit of sweetness we also like to mix strawberries or any berry with a smidge of sugar let sit over night, pour in ice cube trays. Tada flavors ice cubes to add to water. Or for the kids to just eat!
My sister taught me this one make up one package of lemonade (koolaid) we normally use 1/2-2/3 of a cup of sugar instead of what it calls for. place some frozen raspberries or strawberries (picked and frozen from the year before) about 5-6 in the bottom of a chilled mug use a special glass like a wine glass if you have one to make it in extra special treat mash the berry’s abit. Put ice in the mug we like lots though crushed or small cubes is best. Fill with lemonade stir so the berries are all mixed througout lemonade. Let sit for a few minutes then sit and enjoy. It it is very delicious and much cheaper than any strawberry or raspberry lemonade your going to buy in a resturant. I know my sisters kids always thought it was a special thing to have. It is supposed to be tart!
It’s safe to say you cant please everyone. Now with that said I do love this website, its been a lifesaver for our family at times and along with the recipes I appreciate all the tips and ideas shared through the comments also, so a Big Thank You goes out to all the Ladies and Gentlemen who’ve taken the time to share them with all of us
God Bless
I find that even I drink more water when I keep a pitcher in the fridge. It tates better after it “settles” and everything tastes better chilled! Freeze some whole berries in ice cubes and the kids will drink water all day long to get the “treat” out of the cubes.