Juice Storage

Oftentimes, people using juicers to do so in order to enjoy fresh juice immediately, as soon as it comes from the juicer.

But what about storing juice?

How long can you keep fresh juice?

There may be times when you want or need to store your juice. Freshly made juice is best, and the ideal scenario is to consume it immediately, but that isn’t always possible. You might want to prepare juice in the evening to save time in the morning before work, and you can store juice in the refrigerator for 24 hours with little trouble.

What about juicing a week in advance? Even if you get a good deal of a batch of produce at the farmer’s market and want to make it into juice to drink over the next several days, you should consume that juice within no more than 48 hours to 72 hours.

Can fresh juice be frozen?

When fresh juice is frozen, it can last from three to six months, though nutrients will begin to degrade over time. The longer the juice is frozen, the more vitamins and minerals it will lose. However, the juice retains more nutrients than you might guess. One study showed that frozen orange juice lost around 20 percent of its vitamin C over 24 month. So if you can’t enjoy your fresh juice right away, you can freeze it for a few months and still get most if not all of the health benefits.

Even if the nutrients are intact, though, the taste of juice can change over time in the freezer. Some juices perform better than others – lemon juice, orange juice, and other citruses retain their taste better than some.

Keep in mind that when you fill the container for freezing, you will need to leave a little bit of space at the top, because the juice will expand as it freezes. If you’ve used glass bottles to freeze your juice, also make sure you shake it up before drinking.

You should drink the juice as soon as possible following defrosting.

What happens to juice over time?

  • Oxidation
  • Nutrient Degradation
  • Bacterial Growth

Which juices last longest?

Factors like acidity level in fruits and vegetables partly determines how long juice can be stored. For example, strawberries can withstand freezing temperatures with little to no nutrient loss. Juice with a low pH and a high acidity can be stored the longest.

Which juices degrade fastest?

Inversely, low acidity juice (carrot juice and other vegetables) will not do as well in storage, though they should still be viable for 24 to 48 hours after juicing if stored properly.

Juice from Slower Juicers Lasts Longer

The type of juicer you choose can have as much of an effect on the life of your juice as the juice container. A centrifugal juicer can extract liquid faster than a masticating juicer, but it also produces heat, which accelerates the oxidation process.

A masticating juicer, also known as a cold press juicer, extracts juice much more slowly than centrifugal juicers, but that means no exposure to heat and therefor less oxidation. That means storing your juice longer. If you plan to frequently make a large batch of juice and store it for use throughout the week, a cold press juicer or press-style juicer might be a worthwhile purchase.

Keeping you juice away from heat as much as possible will help keep your juice fresh longer.

How To Store Your Juice

If you’ve decided to store your fresh juice to drink a little later, there are a few tips that will help you to preserve the nutritional content and taste as much as possible. Here are some some tricks to make sure your juice storage is successful.

Choosing a Storage Container

You have a few storage container options for fresh juice.

Mason Jars, Glass Bottles, and Glass Containers

A glass container of any kind is a fine choice for storing juice in the refrigerator, provided the container is clean and able to be sealed. Once you fill the container, avoid opening it again until you’re ready to drink the juice.

Plastic Containers

Plastic jars and bottles work as well as glass for storing juice. In fact, there’s little difference aside from personal preference.

Airtight and Vacuum Sealed Containers

Remember, whether you use a glass container or a plastic one, leave room for expansion when freezing!

Natural Preservatives

Some natural ingredients will extend the shelf life of your juice – though you still shouldn’t keep it beyond the recommended period. The most commonly used are honey and citric acid.

Honey

Adding honey can impede quality loss, microbial development, and pigment loss when added to juice. Honey has the added advantage of being sweet, natural, and full of nutrients of its own.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is simply lemon or lime juice. It can mitigate the oxidation process of other fruits and vegetables, including juice. It also decreases the pH level, which slows the activation of browning enzymes.

In Conclusion

Juice storage isn’t always the ideal situation, but if done conscientiously, you can store juice without losing much in the way of taste or nutrients. Just make sure you don’t store juice in the refrigerator for any more than 72 hours.

Fresh juice is best, but if it’s a choice between throwing your juice away or storing it, storing it is the better option!

Happy juicing!