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

Getting fresh carrot juice isn't difficult. It is enough to have on hand a juicer or blender with a special function, as well as a few kilograms of carrots.

The drink is useful for its vitamin and mineral composition, but only if stored properly. The expiration date will differ depending on the ambient temperature.

Read about how much freshly squeezed carrot juice is stored in the article.

How long does it stay fresh after juicing?

Fresh fresh carrot spoils very quickly... If you leave it in the fresh air, then after 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 it will still remain beneficial to health. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Storage rules

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

In fridge

In the refrigerator, fresh juice can stand up to 2 days. So that it does not deteriorate ahead of time, proceed as follows:

1. Peel the carrots, rinse and pass them through a juicer.
2. Filter the drink through 3 layers of cheesecloth to remove excess pulp.
3. Wash the glass jar. You can use baking soda to kill bacteria. 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.

Containers must not be left open. Direct contact with oxygen will quickly spoil the drink.

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 I freeze?

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

Step-by-step algorithm of actions:

1. Peel and rinse the carrots and put them through a juicer.
2. If there is a lot of pulp in the final product, it must be removed by filtering the drink through a sieve.
3. Pour the juice into plastic bottles. After filling, they are slightly compressed to release air. Close the container with a lid.
4. Put the juice into the freezer. If it works at full strength, then it will freeze after 3 hours.

Freeze the drink in its pure form; it is not necessary to add preservatives or other chemicals to it.

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

The main advantage of freezing is the extension of the shelf life of the product up to 6 months.... In the freezer, he 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 a little 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 a time.

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

Exposure to direct sunlight makes the situation worse. Its main value lies in the fact that it contains vitamin A and carotene. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, they quickly collapse. Therefore, the juice should stand in the dark.

Oxygen is detrimental to vitamin C, which oxidizes upon contact with it... If the drink is not planned to be drunk immediately, then the container with it must be covered with a lid.

The main advantage of aging the 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 down to + 1 ... + 2 degrees. In such conditions, the fermentation processes slow down. Be sure to protect the drink from oxygen and direct sunlight.
2. Freeze it.
3. To 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 of carrots;
• 100 g sugar;
• 2 g citric acid;
• 0.2 l of water.

Instructions:

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

To keep the juice fresh for several hours, and there is no way to put it in the refrigerator, the drink must be poured into a plastic bottle and immersed in cold water.

How to prepare carrot juice for the winter, the video will tell you:

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 most out of your drink, you need to use fresh vegetables. The best time for juicing is September and October, as it is in the fall that the harvest takes place.
2. The drink will not ferment in the refrigerator if squeezed from healthy root vegetables. Rotten and diseased carrots are not suitable for this purpose.
3. You need to freeze the juice in such volumes that can be consumed at a time. You cannot put it in the freezer for the second time.
4. The best fresh fruit is obtained from bright orange fruits. It indicates a large amount of carotene.
5. Carrot juice is combined with other freshly pressed drinks. It can be beetroot, pumpkin, orange, apple and even cucumber fresh.
6. If the concentration of the drink is too high, it can be diluted with boiled water. In order not to destroy vitamins, it must be pre-cooled.

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 deteriorates very quickly - within half an hour... Therefore, if there is no way to cool it, you need to cook a portion that can be consumed at a time.