If you can’t finish your juice at once, you can store it to use later. But if y ou do this, how long does fresh juice last in a mason jar?
How Long Does Fresh Juice Last In a Mason Jar?
So, how does a mason jar help to keep juice fresh? Why should you use them when you have plastic containers instead?
The short answer is that plastic container, even if you have sealed them tightly, still promote oxidation. Fresh juice becomes stale due to oxidation.
Meanwhile, a mason jar preserves the freshness of juices in two ways:
How long will juice last from a juicer? The juicer generates minimal heat. It should include a feature to prevent oxidation during the extraction process.
Hydraulic juicers
If you use this type of juicer, your juice can last up to three days. When kept in a glass jar in the freezer, it can remain fresh for up to five days.
This model is the King in this sector when it comes to staying power, juice flavor, and quality. The extraction process has two stages: grinding and then pressing.
The juices produced by this machine are thick and flavorful. They can also keep their flavor for three days.
Masticating juicers
The juice made by this juicer has a one-day shelf life. The nutrients and flavor will have degraded significantly, although it won’t turn moldy right away after 24 hours.
You may extend the life of your drink by pouring it into mason jars, which can keep it fresh for up to three days.
Masticating machines grind or masticate fruits to extract the juice. It’s a gradual grinding process that releases almost no heat.
Some people call these machines slow juicers, although you don’t have to wait more than five minutes for your beverage to be ready.
Centrifugal juicers
By pouring the drink in the glass jar straight away, you’ll be able to drink your nutritious beverage within one day.
Fast juicing is the goal of centrifugal juicers. As a result, its quality deteriorates the quickest compared to the other two types.
Yet, centrifugal juicers remain popular due to their rapid production of juices.
Putting the beverage in a glass jar and leaving it at room temperature won’t improve the freshness.
How To Freeze Juice In Mason Jars?
Fresh juice can last about 24 hours in the fridge, but what about the freezer? .
You may store your drinks in the freezer for up to six months if you put them in the freezer right after extracting it.
However, bear in mind that it may lose some nutrients during this storage period. The sooner you can drink it, the better.
Three months is the best time limit for keeping juices in the freezer. It will help you to get the full nutrients from the drink. You’ll need to let it thaw before drinking.
Regarding freezing juices, there are two typical problems. One is that it will separate when defrosted.
The second is that, although the drink is still fresh, it does not have the same flavor as freshly extracted juice.
The most effective way to avoid these problems is to:
- Before Freezing: Pour the freshly extracted juice into a glass jar, seal and put it in the freezer right away. Allowing the pulp to rest outside for a few hours will start the separating phase.
- After Freezing: Immerse the jar in room temperature water for half an hour to defrost it.
You can learn more tips for freezing food and drinks in mason jars right here.
How Can You Tell If Fruit Juice Is Bad?
Before drinking your juice, you should check for any signs of it going bad. If you see any of these signs, your juice is not safe to drink.
Smell
You can tell right away that it smells fresh. Don’t drink it if it smells rancid, rotting, or vinegary when you pour it into a cup.
Color
Juice is well-known for its vibrant color. It’s definitely spoiled if it suddenly turns pale or darker than it should be or changes color in any way.
Mold
If you keep the drink for too long, it may grow green or white mold on the top. Throw it out for sure.
