Can You Freeze Orange Juice?

Last updated on September 9th, 2022 at 10:10 am

I grew up being told that anything that I couldn’t finish eating could be frozen for another time. My mom would freeze everything she could! On those rare occasions that we had juice in the house I would always wonder if I needed to freeze the juice along with any food that we got that day. 

It was always either orange juice or apple juice we had. For the sake of this argument, we will go with orange juice. So, can you freeze orange juice?

Orange juice can be frozen but it will need to either be put into a new container (if in a normal jug) or some of it used to leave room for expansion. Most orange juice jugs that you buy from the store do not have any room for expansion so freezing them could cause the bottle to break. 

In those cases you will need to either pour out some of the juice or put it into a different container before freezing it. 

Let’s take a deeper look into what’s needed in order to freeze orange juice. First of all, is the orange juice concentrated where you need to add water? If it is a concentrated juice where you need to add water, you can definitely freeze that. It’s bought in an already frozen and freezer proof packaging so it can simply be put in the freezer as soon as it is brought home. 

When you are ready to use it, then you need to dump the concentrated juice into a pitcher or juice container and stir in the appropriate amount of water. Once completed, then you can serve and drink.

But what if your juice is already pre-made or even fresh? Can you freeze this type of orange juice? 

 Before freezing this type of juice it’s important to consider what type of container it is in. Is it in a freezer safe container with at least 2 inches of space from the juice and the top? As juice freezes, it will expand. That is why it needs at least 2 inches of space. 

Personally I prefer 3 inches just to be safe. It has frozen further than 2 inches for me in the past. This gives it the room to expand. Otherwise as it freezes, the frozen juice will literally pop the top off of your juice container or split out the sides. 

If you don’t have either of these options, you can always freeze the orange juice in ice cube trays. This will give you either popsicles if you add the popsicle sticks into the juice as it’s being frozen or you can add the frozen juice cubes into a cool glass of water for a fun twist. Either way, this makes for a delicious taste of orange juice in a different and unexpected experience.

Whichever way you decide to do this, it is possible to freeze orange juice as long as you do it safely and correctly. No one wants a mess to have to clean up so make sure you can determine if it’s concentrated or not, if it’s in a freezer safe container with enough space between the juice and the cover, or if you want to make juice cubes instead. 

Again, just make sure you do it correctly, and you can have frozen orange juice to enjoy!

How Do You Thaw Frozen Orange Juice?

Having frozen orange juice means you don’t have juice you can drink immediately when you want it. Instead you have to thaw it first. This can take time depending on your method of freezing. 

So how do you thaw orange juice? Is there a better way to thaw juice than other ways? What about the quickest way to thaw orange juice? As you can see there are multiple factors in thawing orange juice, so let’s go through each one and determine how to thaw orange juice.

Thawing orange juice in a refrigerator is always the safest option. However, it does take time so you will need to plan accordingly. The best option is to put the juice in the refrigerator overnight. 

Sometimes it does take longer, possibly 2 days, so again, try to plan according to your needs.

You can speed it up a bit by submerging the juice bottle in lukewarm water. What I will do is fill my kitchen sink with the warm water, and then place my frozen juice bottle inside the warm water. It still takes time, but nowhere near as long as thawing in the refrigerator. 

This method may take 2-4 hours depending on how big your juice container is.

Depending on how your frozen juice is packaged, you can possibly throw the frozen juice into fresh water and thaw it that way as well. This way it can be used immediately. But this way only works if it’s a small, frozen concentrated juice that needs water added.

These 3 ways are how you can thaw frozen juice. The refrigerator is always the best and safest, however depending on how your frozen juice is packaged, you can possibly use it right away. Or you can do the medium method and thaw the juice in lukewarm water. Whichever way you decide to do it, make sure you plan according to your needs. 

Does Freezing Juice Affect It?

If you freeze juice, does it change it? Does it change the taste? What about the quality? These are all questions that are legitimately something to think about when freezing juice. 

As always, there are different factors you need to think of when freezing juice. How is it being stored? Will the juice be changed when freezing it? So let’s answer your questions and put your mind to rest.

If your juice is stored properly, it will not affect the taste or the quality. You will want to check the container for cracks or openings, but as long as it is in a proper freezer safe container, then nothing should be changed with how it tastes or its quality.

Will the juice be changed when freezing it though? 

The consistency of the juice may change. This isn’t a bad thing, you just may need to shake it or stir it before drinking once it is thawed. Nothing to be concerned about, but just something you need to be aware of.

One benefit of frozen juice, specifically orange juice, is that the Vitamin C actually is higher if it is frozen! Vitamin C can be easily destroyed and ready to drink orange juice goes through a bigger process than frozen orange juice. So having frozen orange juice is better than ready to drink orange juice! 

Knowing that there are just a few things to think about when freezing juice may keep your brain too active. Having answers does give peace of mind. Knowledge is power, and knowing about juice and its properties while being frozen can give you more options for the future. 

Freezing orange juice does not affect the taste or quality as long as it is stored properly. However, you will want to check the juice container for cracks or spills once it is frozen. The juice may change its consistency, but it is easily fixed by shaking the juice in its container or by stirring it in a different pouring container. 

There is also a benefit to frozen orange juice specifically in that it increases its Vitamin C content! Cool stuff! As I said earlier, knowledge is power, and being able to make choices gives you power in how you live your life. Even in something as simple as juice being frozen.