Can You Freeze Vegetable Juice? + Tips and Tricks

Can you freeze vegetable juice? If you have a ton of produce that’s about to go bad a great way to utilize it is to juice it. Chances are you’ll have more juice than you can drink in one sitting. Do you have to throw it away? The answer is no! You can freeze it instead.

In this post we are going to go over the best ways to freeze vegetable juice, which containers to use, how long it will last and more.

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Table of Contents

• Can you Freeze Vegetable Juice?
• What is the Best Type of Container to Freeze Vegetable Juice
• How to Store Juice in the Freezer
• Does Freezing Vegetable Juice Destroy Nutrients?
• How do you Preserve Fresh Homemade Juice?
• What Juice Can Be Frozen?
• How Long Can you Freeze Vegetable Juice?
• Do Any Kinds of Vegetable Juice Not Freeze Well?
• How Long Can You Freeze Vegetable Juice
• Can Homemade Juice Be Frozen?
• How Long Does Juice Last In A Mason Jar?
• When is the Best Time to Drink Juice?
• Homemade Juice Recipes to Try

Can you Freeze Vegetable Juice?

Absolutely, you can freeze vegetable juice! It’s a great way to preserve the juice and ensure that it lasts longer. Freezing vegetable juice can be a convenient option if you don’t have time to make fresh juice every day or if you want to stock up on your favorite juice.

While most vegetable juices freeze well, there are a few exceptions to keep in mind. Vegetables with high water content like cucumbers, lettuce, and celery may become mushy or separate when thawed. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale contain enzymes that can cause the juice to spoil or become bitter when frozen.

To freeze vegetable juice, simply pour it into a freezer-safe container, leaving some space at the top for expansion. Label the container with the date of freezing, and store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy the juice, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and give it a good shake or stir before drinking.

Overall, freezing vegetable juice can be a great option to make sure you always have some on hand. Just be sure to keep the limitations in mind and consume it within a reasonable time frame for the best quality and taste.

What is the Best Type of Container to Freeze Vegetable Juice

The best kind of container to freeze vegetable juice in is in plastic containers with a tight seal. You can also freeze them in glass but the glass could break if you drop the bottle. Also if you over fill a glass container the glass could break.

Remember that liquids expand when they freeze so it’s important to only fill a container with liquid one inch from the top.

I like freezing juice in the 32 ounce plastic quart containers. That way I can poke a hole in the top of the lid and stick a straw in. You can always put a piece of plastic over the lid if you want to reuse the container lid.

Can I freeze juice in plastic bottles?

Yes you can freeze juice in plastic bottles. Freezing juice in plastic is safer than freezing it in glass. If the juice has a lot of lemon in it it may be best to freeze it in a silicone or glass container.

Lemon juice will cause plastic to break down and release chemicals into your juice. Although if you freeze the juice right away the lemon won’t have enough time to break down the container. Just make sure to pour the juice out of the plastic container when it thaws out.

Can you freeze fresh juice in mason jars?

Yes you can freeze fresh juice in mason jars. Mason jars are great because the acids in the juice wont react with the plastic leaching chemicals into the juice.

You could also freeze fresh juice in BPA free plastic mason jars for the best and safest result.

How to Store Juice in the Freezer

The best way to store juice in the freezer is to put it in plastic containers that are the exact size of the portion you consume in one sitting. This is because you cannot re-freeze the juice. Make sure to only fill the container one inch from the top to allow for expansion.

Place the juices with the lid facing up on a flat surface. Don’t place them on their side or on top of other items in the freezer. This is the best way to store juice in the freezer to avoid rolling, containers breaking and leftovers.

Does Freezing Vegetable Juice Destroy Nutrients?

No freezing vegetable juice does not destroy the nutrients in the juice. The two factors that destroy nutrients in fresh vegetable juice are oxidization and heat.

When food is exposed to oxygen, it triggers a chemical chain reaction known as oxidation. Juice is obtained by extracting the liquid from produce by slicing open the cell wall.

However, this process exposes the inside of the cells to air, leading to chemical changes in the juice’s color and odor, as well as the degradation of some of its nutritional value.

The nutritional value of juice can also be affected by heat. Temperatures above 118 degrees Fahrenheit can deactivate live enzymes.

This is why raw food enthusiasts argue that cooking food diminishes its natural enzymes, making it less nutritious and harder to digest.

Mechanical juicers produce heat during the juicing process, and the more heat produced, the quicker the juice will lose its enzymatic activity. Additionally, juice kept at room temperature will spoil more rapidly than juice stored in the refrigerator.

So as soon as the juice is frozen it will be preserved with what ever nutrient content it had at the time of freezing.

Air in the freezer also leads to nutrient death while the juice is freezing. Unfortunately you cannot really limit the amount of air a juice is exposed to in the freezer because you have to leave space at the top of the container for expansion.

How do you Preserve Fresh Homemade Juice?

The best way to preserve fresh homemade juice is to make it cold. The colder it is the longer it will last. So juice will last for up to 3 months in the freezer and for up to 48 hours in the fridge. You cannot can fresh juice unless you have a method of pasteurizing it at home.

The juice has enzymes in it that get more activated by heat and oxygen. The best way to preserve juice is to inactivate these enzymes as fast as possible. Freezing the juice will inactivate the enzymes.

What Juice Can Be Frozen?

Any type of vegetable juice can be frozen. However while juice from any type of fruit or vegetable can be successfully frozen. Spoiled juice should not be frozen. It’s best to freeze juice that’s been made within two hours.

If you freeze juice that has been sitting out for more than two hours or in the fridge for more than 10 hours most of the nutrients are already dead. It simply does not pay to freeze this kind of juice.

How Long Can you Freeze Vegetable Juice?

You can successfully freeze vegetable juice for 3 months in a properly sealed container. If the juice is exposed to air then freezer burn will set in and the juice will no longer be safe to consume.

Do Any Kinds of Vegetable Juice Not Freeze Well?

You can freeze any kind of vegetable juice safely. Keep in mind that certain vegetables have high water content, which can cause the juice to separate or become mushy when thawed. Vegetables that are known to have this issue include cucumbers, lettuce, and celery and apple.

This doesn’t mean that vegetable juice made from these vegetables cannot be frozen. All you have to do is mix the juice after it’s been frozen and it tastes almost exactly the same.

I don’t like vegetable juice after it separates because it tastes more watery. But this doesn’t mean that the juice is any less nutrient dense.

How Long Can You Freeze Vegetable Juice

You can freeze juice for up to 4 months!

Can Homemade Juice Be Frozen?

Yes of course you can freeze homemade juice. In fact, this is the best type of juice to freeze. Homemade juice isn’t pasteurized so it won’t last for long outside of the fridge. That’s why it’s a great idea to freeze any homemade juice you can’t consume right away.

How Long Does Juice Last In A Mason Jar?

In my personal experience fresh juice will last for up to two days in a mason jar if you keep it in the refrigerator. Under less than ideal conditions juice will only last 24 hours like if you use a plastic container, thermal container or milk bottle.

There are many types of mason jars you can buy these days. All storage containers should be glass. The best option have a lid with a rubber seal on the bottom that creates a vacuum seal when the jar is closed.

Even with the best type of mason jar, after two days the juice will start to lose its nutritional value due to two factors, heat and oxidation.

When is the Best Time to Drink Juice?

There’s no magical time of day to drink juice. You won’t get any more benefit from drinking it at 6AM then you will from taking a swig at 9AM. The best time to drink juice is on an empty stomach. Which depends on your schedule and eating habits. Now let me explain why.

For the best benefit juice should be the first thing consumed in the morning aside from water, coffee or tea. So for most people that is in the morning.

Do you practice intermittent fasting? Then drink juice 30 minutes before your first meal. Or when you start to get hungry. The time will depend on your body’s hunger cycle.

Homemade Juice Recipes to Try