Most juicing-enthusiasts wonder if it is possible to freeze the juice. According to experts, you can freeze the juice that you prepare from a juicer. You should, however, know that it may taste a bit different from freshly prepared juice. The concentration of nutrients is also low when you freeze juice from a juicer. Learn more below!
What happens when you freeze juice from a juicer?
Since frozen juice from a juicer is consumable, you can make a large quantity of fresh juice and store it to consume it gradually. This what most busy people do. The nutritional value of frozen juice is not the same as freshly-prepared juice. Every time you peel vegetables and fruits, they can quickly lose most essential nutrients when they come into contact with external elements such as the sun.
Nutrients in fruits can dissipate in a few seconds. It is, therefore, better to consume freshly prepared juice from a juicer than frozen juice. When you store freshly-prepared juice in a freezer, it loses its vitamins. This is juice is, however, better than taking pasteurized juices.
What can affect the shelf life of frozen juice?
Before freezing the juice you make through your juicer, you should understand all the factors affecting its shelf life. Different factors can affect how well juice can retain nutrients once you freeze it. Some of them include the following.
Type of juicer
You have to consider the type of juicer you use in your home to prepare juice before freezing it. While some people use centrifugal juicers, others use masticating juicers. If you don’t like wasting a lot of time preparing juice, you probably have a centrifugal juicer. Even though this juicer can prepare juice in less than five minutes, it produces oxidation during extraction. If you have invested in this juicer, you should know that the juices you make from it have a low shelf life. Once you freeze such juice, you have to consume it within a few days.
On the other hand, juices made from masticating juicers have a longer shelf life. Though this type of juicer extracts juices slowly, it does not produce oxidation. Once you make juice from a masticating juicer, you can store it in a freezer and even consume it after a few months.
Fruits and vegetables
If you prefer extracting juices from fresh fruits and vegetables, you should know that such juices will have a short shelf life. Juices from frozen products, on the other hand, have a longer shelf life. Fresh vegetables and fruits go through various stages before they get to your home.
Once they are harvested from a farm, they are transported to the market. During these stages, the fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to environmental elements such as moisture and sunlight. They lose some nutritional contents before you utilize them to prepare homemade juices.
Using frozen products to prepare juices can help you enjoy more nutritional value. Such products are frozen as soon as they get harvested. They can therefore preserve more nutrients than fresh vegetables and fruits. They also have a longer shelf life.
How to store juice in a freezer
Once you have prepared a large amount of juice through the juicer, you need to think about the best way to store it in the freezer. You can either use glass jars or plastic containers. Choose containers made from BPA-free materials to enhance safety. When you transfer the juice from your juicer into the containers, you should leave some space at the top part.
Leaving space of about half an inch is important since frozen juice slightly expands. If you fill-up the container to the brim and don’t leave any space, it can burst after some time. This can give you a hard time as you try to clean the frozen juice in your freezer. Apart from using plastic containers and glass jars, some people also pour the juice into an ice cube tray and freeze it.
This is interesting since you will be taking ice pops of juice. Such frozen juice cubes can be quite refreshing, especially on a hot day. Feel free to add the cubes into other fresh juices that you have prepared for a more cooling effect. If you want to freeze the juice in a freezer, you should give it enough time to defrost. Juice that does not completely thaw can have some bits of watery juice and ice. This does not taste good.
The advantages of freezing juice from a juicer | The disadvantages of freezing juice from the juicer |
|---|---|
It saves you time | It loses its nutritional value |
This can prevent you from wasting juice | The taste may change |
You can freeze the juice in fun ways, such as making juice cubes. | If you use a centrifugal juicer, the juice may not have a long shelf life. |
You can consume it at a future date. |
Conclusion
Freezing juice from a juicer is a viable option that you can use when you don’t want to prepare juices every day. You should, however, remember that nutrition is lost in the process. The taste of the juice will slightly change once it is frozen. If you want to get the most nutritional value from juices, take them when they are freshly prepared. Happy juicing!
FAQs
How long can fresh juice last when you don’t freeze it?
This depends on the juicer you use. If you used a centrifugal juicer, you should consume it within 24 hours. Juice extracted from a masticating juicer can last for three days when it is not frozen.
Can I take orange juice without eating food?
This is not advisable since consuming orange juice on an empty stomach can overwhelm the digestive system and affect the good bacteria in the stomach.
