Can You Freeze Orange Juice? [Tested & Detailed Guide]

Orange Juice is extracted from the orange tree, and it is made by reaming or squeezing oranges.

This juice comes in an array of options, including tangerine, blood orange, clementine, navel oranges, and Valencia orange.

There is also variation in the oranges used because certain varieties include varying amounts of juice vesicles.

Here, these vesicles possess the juice, and they are either removed or left in during the manufacturing procedure.

The juiciness of a vesicle will depend on multiple factors like the season, species, or variety.

The commercial type of orange juice tends to possess a long shelf-life.

It is made by pasteurizing and removing the oxygen from the juice.

Brazil is the top producer of oranges, and it is followed by China.

Both the countries produced over 15.62 and 7.3 million metric tons, respectively, in 2019/2020.

You can even recreate tasty orange juice recipes like the “Banana Orange Juice,” “Orange Fizz”, or the “Good Morning Sunburst”.

Can you freeze orange juice? The answer to that question is an absolute yes.

If you have a lot of leftovers from a party, then you can choose to freeze them.

You can also freeze it whenever you make large organic quantities of it at home for later use.

Does Freezing Affect Orange Juice?

Freezing your orange juice won’t really cause a change in its quality or taste.

Even if there is, then the effects will be minor, and you won’t notice it at all.

Another good thing would be how the nutrients in the orange juice won’t get affected by freezing at all.

You may not know this, but freezing also tends to reduce the oxidation of air in Vitamin C present in your orange juice.

So, when you defrost and drink it, you can expect it to still retain its original taste and quality for the most part.

But when you do proceed to drink it, make sure to do some stirring first.

But you also have to understand that the situation will vary in two scenarios, i.e., packaged orange juice and homemade orange juice.

We would advise you to be extra cautious with the homemade one while freezing.

Also, it would be best to freeze them at 0⁰F for preserving their original quality.

How To Freeze Orange Juice?

Here are the methods for freezing your orange juice:

1 – The Plastic Container Method.

• Start portioning your juice by proceeding to pour it into numerous small containers, which measures around a cup. Yes, it is possible to use bigger containers if you require them, though.
• The juice will expand once it starts freezing. So, you need to leave space up to an inch right between the lid and juice. Your container will start to crack if there is no space.
• Now you need to tightly close the container’s lid. If you are unsure about the lid’s tightness, then you can start wrapping some layers of the food wrap for ensuring that there are no chances of leakage.
• Lastly, you need to label your container by using a marker. You need to write down the freezing date and the content, especially if you have tons of stuff inside the freezer.

2 – The Ice Cube Tray Method.

This method is quite effortless, especially because they are small and can easily thaw out when required.

Plus, you can also use the frozen orange juice ice cubes in your drinks, especially with alcohol like Vodka and Gin.

It will thin down the concentration and also make it tasty.

• Begin pouring the orange juice into your preferred ice cube tray.
• Now, you need to transfer the ice cube tray inside your freezer.
• Let your orange juice ice cubes freeze.
• Remove the frozen ice cubes and proceed in putting the tray inside the zip-top bag. But you can also take out all the frozen ice cubes from the tray and put them in a plastic bag or an airtight container.
• Lastly, you need to label the container or bag using a marker. Put down the date and its content.

If you are planning to freeze your store-bought orange juice, then you can expect it to last for over 8-12 months.

But it’s a little different for the homemade organic juice because its shelf-life is shorter than the packaged one.

The reason for this outcome is the lack of preservatives in it.

So, you can expect your homemade orange juice to last over 4-5 months inside the freezer.

But you can expect both the packaged and homemade orange juice to last a little longer than the given timeline present above.

Also, with proper care and management, they can even last around a year or more.

How To Thaw Frozen Orange Juice?

There are three methods for defrosting your orange juice:

1st Method – Here, you can transfer your orange juice from your freezer to the fridge.

Let your juice rest and allow it to thaw out for over 12 hours.

The duration for defrosting your frozen orange juice will depend on the orange juice amount.

2nd Method – Here, you can thaw using water at room temperature.

Proceed in submerging the bag or container containing the orange juice in the water-filled bowl.

It is also possible to use warm water.

3rd Method – With this method, you should take out your frozen orange juice from the freezer.

Proceed to place it on your kitchen counter and allow it to defrost.

Caution.

• Do not defrost your frozen orange juice by using a microwave.
• Place your frozen orange juice on a plate while you place it on the counter. It will help in collecting the water from condensation.

Conclusion

Orange Juice is a popular part of breakfast in almost every household, especially the western countries.

It stands out amongst other juices because of its sweet taste and tangy kick.

According to statistics, it is the most popular juice with a production of 1.6 billion metric tons.

This juice also comes with a high concentration of Vitamin C. However, you do need to be mindful and aware of the sugar content in the juice.

If you have large quantities of orange juice left, then start freezing them to maintain their longevity.

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