The Absolute Best Way To Store Freshly Juiced Drinks To Preserve Flavor

Nothing is more revitalizing than freshly squeezed juice. With flavors so crisp, it's only natural that you'd want to bottle up that vibrant goodness for later. While it's true that nothing lasts forever — and when it comes to fresh juice, flavor is especially fleeting — there are ways to guarantee that just-juiced bevvies taste as great as they did when first pressed. Naturally, the most successful way to ensure a preserved flavor is by focusing on proper storage.

Once oranges, carrots, celery, or whatever else has been juiced, the first issue to tackle is choosing a suitable vessel to hold the liquid. Without a doubt, juices should always be stored in an airtight container to maximize shelf life. But not just any material will do; avoid plastics and instead opt for glass jars, bottles, or pitchers as the non-porous material won't leach chemicals or impact flavor. After the appropriate container has been filled and sealed, the next important piece of storage advice is where to keep the jarred juice.

As you may have guessed, fresh juices favor cooler environments. Shortly after produce is juiced and sealed the liquid is best kept in the fridge to help maintain its freshness and nutritive qualities. While this will significantly help preserve quality, unfortunately, this doesn't mean the juice will last forever.

If you were hoping to juice-prep for the week, we're sorry to break the news that freshly pressed juice is really best consumed almost immediately. In fact, after a very short window of just 24 hours, oxidation, browning, and separation — the first signs of reduced quality — start to occur. 

In addition to these visible changes, antioxidant levels also start to decrease, as well as the flavor itself. Unless juice undergoes pasteurization, its aromas and flavors quickly fade, then sour and spoil within a few days. Bacterial growth and/or fermentation will occur in juice within a matter of a few hours at room temperature, and even when stored in the fridge, cold-pressed juices shouldn't be consumed beyond 3 days.

Despite the fact that fresher is better when it comes to just-made juice, the only true way to extend its lifespan beyond mere hours or days is to freeze it. Just keep in mind that this isn't always the best option when it comes to mixed juice drinks.

Regardless of all these storage do's and dont's, with a great juice recipe it's probable that there won't even be leftover nectar to fuss over!