Where is the best place and how long can freshly squeezed carrot juice be stored?

Getting fresh carrot juice is easy. It is enough to have a juicer or blender with a special function on hand, as well as several kilograms of carrots.

The drink is useful for its vitamin and mineral composition, but only if stored correctly. Depending on the ambient temperature, its shelf life will differ.

Read the article about how long freshly squeezed carrot juice can be stored.

How long does it stay fresh after juicing?

Fresh carrots spoil very quickly. If you leave it in the fresh air, then within 30 minutes it will become unusable. Therefore, small portions should be drunk immediately after preparation.

Carrot juice can be frozen. At the same time, it will lose about 10% of its nutritional properties, but will still remain healthy. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Storage rules

You can store carrot juice in the refrigerator, freezer or at room temperature. Each method has its own characteristics, as well as advantages and disadvantages that need to be taken into account.

In a refrigerator

Fresh juice can last up to 2 days in the refrigerator. To prevent it from deteriorating ahead of time, proceed as follows:

1. Peel the carrots, wash them and pass them through a juicer.
2. Strain the drink through 3 layers of gauze to remove excess pulp.
3. Wash the glass jar. To kill bacteria, you can use baking soda. Additionally, scald the jar with boiling water.
4. Pour the juice into a clean container.
5. Close the jar with a nylon lid and put it in the refrigerator.

Do not leave the container open. In direct contact with oxygen, the drink will quickly deteriorate.

You can extend the shelf life of juice by 1-2 days using preservatives - citric acid and sugar.. However, such a drink cannot be considered 100% natural.

The acid can be replaced with lemon juice, which will additionally enrich the product with vitamin C.

Can it be frozen?

If the juice is to be frozen, for its preparation you need to choose those vegetables that have reached the peak of ripeness. They start pouring it without delay.

Step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1. Peel and rinse the carrots and pass them through a juicer.
2. If the final product contains a lot of pulp, it must be removed by straining the drink through a sieve.
3. Pour the juice into plastic bottles. Once filled, squeeze them slightly to release the air. Close the container with a lid.
4. Place the juice in the freezer. If it works at full capacity, it will freeze within 3 hours.

The drink is frozen in its pure form; there is no need to add preservatives or other chemicals to it.

It is better to defrost the juice gradually. The bottle is taken out of the freezer and placed in the refrigerator. It will completely thaw in 12 hours. If you need to speed up this process, then leave the container in the fresh air.

The main advantage of freezing is the extension of the shelf life of the product to 6 months.. In the freezer, it loses no more than 10% of vitamins and minerals.

However, it will not be possible to prepare large volumes in this way, since the bottles take up a lot of useful space in the chamber.

You can pour the drink into a glass container, but there should be some free space in it, since after freezing the molecules tend to expand.

At room temperature

At room temperature, the drink does not last long, maximum 30-40 minutes.. Therefore, you need to prepare it with the expectation that the entire volume will be drunk at one time.

Without a refrigerator, only sterilized juice can be stored, but with this processing method, some of the beneficial substances will be lost.

Exposing the drink to direct sunlight makes the situation worse. Its main value is that it contains vitamin A and carotene. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation they are quickly destroyed. Therefore, the juice should stand in the dark.

Oxygen is detrimental to vitamin C, which oxidizes upon contact with it.. If you plan to drink the drink not immediately, then cover the container with a lid.

The main advantage of aging juice at room temperature is the preservation of all nutritional properties, and the main disadvantage is the short shelf life.

How to extend the shelf life?

To extend the shelf life of carrot juice, you can resort to 3 main methods:

1. Cool it to +1...+2 degrees. Under such conditions, fermentation processes slow down. Be sure to protect the drink from oxygen and direct sunlight.
2. Freeze it.
3. Resort to conservation. In this case, the drink can be stored at room temperature or in the cellar.

To preserve freshly squeezed carrot juice, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 kg carrots;
• 100 g sugar;
• 2 g citric acid;
• 0.2 liters of water.

• Peel the carrots, rinse them from dirt and sand;
• pass the products through a juicer;
• pour the drink into a clean container and let it sit for 15 minutes;
• strain through cheesecloth, dilute with warm boiled water;
• bring the juice to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes;
• add sugar and citric acid;
• pour into clean glass jars, cover with metal lids;
• sterilize for 20 minutes, roll up the jars.

So that the juice remains fresh for several hours, and there is no way to put it in the refrigerator, The drink should be poured into a plastic bottle and placed in cold water.

This video will show you how to prepare carrot juice for the winter:

Helpful information

To keep carrot juice as long as possible and not spoil, The following information should be taken into account:

1. To get the maximum benefit from the drink, you need to use fresh vegetables. The best time to make juice is September and October, since the harvest is carried out in the fall.
2. The drink will not ferment in the refrigerator if you squeeze it from healthy root vegetables. Rotten and diseased carrots are not suitable for this purpose.
3. You need to freeze juice in such volumes as can be consumed at one time. You cannot put it in the freezer a second time.
4. The best fresh juice comes from bright orange fruits. It indicates a large amount of carotene.
5. Carrot juice goes well with other freshly squeezed drinks. It can be beetroot, pumpkin, orange, apple and even cucumber juice.
6. If the concentration of the drink is too high, it can be diluted with boiled water. In order not to destroy the vitamins, it must be cooled first.

You will find a lot of useful information about storing carrots in this section.

Conclusion

You can store carrot juice both in the refrigerator and in the freezer. The lower the ambient temperature, the longer the drink stays fresh.

In the open air, fresh juice spoils very quickly - within half an hour.. Therefore, if it is not possible to cool it, you need to prepare a portion that can be consumed at one time.