"Does freezing juice kill enzymes?" I wanted to answer this question to clear up some confusion/concerns about why we freeze our juices. Occasionally, we get customers contacting us because they were unaware that we freeze our raw juices and ask us questions like, 'Isn't it supposed to be fresh?' or 'Can you freeze cold pressed juice without destroying the nutrients?'.
Here's the deal.
Why We Freeze Our Cold Pressed Juices
Since we don't use any preservatives or heating techniques, the shelf life of fresh juice is roughly 3 days if kept in the refrigerator. Occasionally they will last longer, but we can accurately say that all of our raw cold-pressed juices will be fresh for 3 days.
That being said... 3 days is not enough time for us to make the raw juice, get it to you, and still give you enough time to drink it before it goes bad.
The options are:
Pasteurization or Gentle Pasteurization
Both methods apply varying high heat temperatures for different lengths of time, and in the process destroy most vitamin content, all enzyme activity, and negatively effect the flavor. Colors, flavors, and artificial vitamins are put back into the liquid that was once juice. This includes any juice that is sold in grocery or convenience stores (orange juice, apple juice, tropical juices, etc). If you're pondering pasteurized vs unpasteurized juice, ask yourself if you prefer real juice or juice from concentrate.
High-Pressure Processing (HPP)
Applies extreme pressure that indirectly raises the temperature and destroys varying degrees of enzyme activity in the juice. This includes all juice cleanse companies that are selling in grocery stores like Whole Foods. Even if the label says they are "raw" they are not, because truly raw juice simply does not have enough of a shelf life to be able to sit in a refrigerator for a month. HPP kills potential pathogens, but it also kills phytonutrients, enzymes, and vitamins. Juice companies continue to propagate the myth that HPP is the same as raw and is a way to prolong shelf life so that companies can distribute their product to retailers and make more money.
Freezing
Freezing is the only option that doesn't destroy the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, or flavor of fresh juice. Raw cold-pressed juices once frozen must be kept in the freezer and can be stored for 6 months without degrading the flavor or nutrition. Frozen juice, once thawed, tastes as if it was just made and all of the nutrients and enzymes are intact.
All commercial juice is pasteurized, which is why it can sit on a shelf for months. NOT GOOD!
Some cold pressed juice delivery companies are using high-pressure processing (HPP) and still calling it raw. Technically it is not because HPP destroys enzyme activity.
How long do enzymes last after juicing?
Everything that I have found regarding freezing and enzyme activity says that freezing cold-pressed juice does not destroy enzymes. Here's a really simple summary of what happens...
"There are some things that destroy enzymes. Exposing them to very high levels of acidity and exposing them to heat, for instance, causes denaturation. When an enzyme is denatured, it loses its shape, rendering it nonfunctional. Freezing an enzyme has a different effect, however. Rather than denaturing the enzyme, freezing appears simply to slow the rate at which the enzyme operates. There is no permanent effect on enzyme function as a result of freezing, explain Dr. A. Meijer and colleagues in a 1977 article in 'Histochemistry and Cell Biology.'"
So YES, our raw cold-pressed juices are fresh even though they are frozen. We only use fruits and vegetables. We juice the produce in small batches, bottle it immediately, flash freeze it, and ship it frozen. Real, RAW juice delivery at its best.
THE RAW COLD-PRESSED JUICES YOU RECEIVE, ONCE THAWED, ARE AS GOOD AS IF THEY WERE MADE A FEW MINUTES AGO.
Freezing is the best option to get fresh raw juices from us to you without compromising its nutritional integrity and giving you the convenience of not having to consume all of the juices right away. This is why we prefer cold pressed juice delivery over fresh juice delivery, the convenience!