How Long Does Fresh Juice Last In Mason Jar?

It is always ideal to drink your green juice immediately after making it. Knowing how long does fresh juice last in mason jar can help you enjoy your healthy living even when you’re very busy.

There’s really no straight answer to this because it depends on a number of factors. Generally speaking, your juice can remain fresh for up to 72 hours if the right conditions are met.

In this article, you will learn how to maximize your fresh juice’s shelf life. If you’re barely able to have time to indulge in creating juices or just want to be more efficient, you’ll find the information in the next sections invaluable.

How Long Does Fresh Juice Last in Mason Jar

First and foremost, why mason jars when you can certainly use milk bottles and other plastic containers too? The quick answer is that plastic bottles, even if they are sealed tight, encourage the oxidation process.

Oxidation is what makes fresh juice stale. It also kills off nutrients that your body is supposed to have.

A mason jar, on the other hand, keeps the freshness not only in juices but in other foods as well. Regardless of the designs, a mason jar should have the following attributes:

1. A lid with a rubber ring on the underside to create the vacuum seal
2. The jar itself should be made of glass

Mason jars are also very practical to use since they are reusable.

Now, some people would make you think that storing juice in this type of jars can keep it fresh for a week. It’s like creating a batch of juices on a Sunday that you will drink for the rest of the week. As great as it sounds, this is a big sham.

The lifetime of a juice is largely affected by the type of juicer used in creating it. A mason jar only helps to prolong what was already pre-determined.

The rule of thumb is that the juicer should be generating almost no heat at all (which means blenders are a big no-no). It should also have a feature that helps lessen oxidation while the juice is being extracted.

Hydraulic Press Juicers

This is the “King” of juicers when it comes to juice consistency, taste, and staying power. Extraction undergoes a two-stage process of grinding and pressing.

Juices made from this type of machine are thick and rich in flavor. Most especially, they can last for up to 3 days. When stored with a mason jar on the freezer, you should be able to increase it to last up to 5 days.

The Norwalk juicer is a very good example of this, but if you find it too expensive (which I do as well), Tribest Greenstar GSE-5300 offers an almost similar dual process at less than half the price.

Masticating Juicers

Masticating juicers masticate, or grinds, veggies to extract their juices. It’s a slow grinding process which produces virtually no heat at all. They are also called slow juicers but in reality, you don’t actually have to spend more than 5 minutes to have your juice done.

The juice created with this type of juicer can stay fresh for 1 day. While it won’t go stale immediately after 24 hours, there will be obvious degradation of flavor and nutrients. When placed in mason jars, they can last for up to 3 days.

Omega NC900HDC is one of the best slow juicers to date. It has a larger chute opening and can function as a baby food maker as well.

Centrifugal Juicers

Centrifugal juicers like the Breville JE98XL are built for fast juicing. Consequentially, its freshness of the juice deteriorates the fastest compared to the other 2 types above. As a matter of fact, the best way to enjoy the juice is to drink it as soon as it’s extracted.

Regardless, centrifugal juicers are still very popular because they create juices really fast. Placing the juice immediately on the mason jar will allow you to have your healthy juice at work within the day.

Even if you place a juice in a mason jar, if you’re going to leave it at room temperature, it’s not going to help with freshness. As I’ve mentioned earlier, heat and oxidation is the main cause of juices going stale easily. Mason jars help with preventing oxidation and your freezer will obviously eliminate the heat.

How To Freeze Juice in Mason Jars

Freezing juice in mason jars is best for people who do not have the time to be making juices every day. You have to be aware though, that not all mason jars will do. You have to use the ones that are built for freezing. A broken jar is certainly not what you want when you open your freezer.

Choose a mason jar that is freezer safe and has a plastic lid. While metal types of lid look more appealing, they are for one-time use only. If you can’t find a mason jar with a plastic lid, you can always purchase them separately. Just be sure that the lid has a rubber lining for a vacuum seal.

There are 2 problems commonly encountered with freezing juices. One is that the juice would separate upon defrosting. The second is that while the juice remains fresh, the taste is not exactly the same as those freshly-made.

The best method to prevent these issues from happening is by:

1. Transfer the freshly-made juice to the mason jar and place immediately place it in the freezer. While it can be tempting to do it in batches, letting the juice sit outside will initiate the separation process.
2. Defrost the juice by submerging it in water at room temperature for 30 minutes.

With this technique, you’ll be able to enjoy a chilled juice packed with nutrients that tastes so fresh.

Wrapping It Up

Whether it’s green or fruit juice, the best way to consume it is when it just came out of the juicer. However, not all of us have the luxury to experience this all the time. Knowing how long does fresh juice lasts in a mason jar can help you have a healthy lifestyle even when you’re pressed for time.