This morning I looked in the refrigerator and noticed a bottle filled with dark brown juice staring at me, and remembered that every now and then we get this question from a customer:
"My juices have been in the refrigerator for a while, how can you tell if cold-pressed juices have gone bad?"
This is how you know your juice isn't fresh anymore...
Cold-pressed juice is bad when it starts to look brown. While it is normal for the juice to settle- meaning the darker color will separate to the bottom and lighter at the top- it is not normal for the top of the juice to be brown in color.
The top should be a lighter version of the color of the juice. In this case, with a green juice, it should be light green.
You can also tell that a juice has "turned" when the smell is off or vinegar-like, or when the juice is carbonated and the bottle has expanded and looks over-stuffed. In any of those cases (including when the color changes) the juice(s) should be thrown in the garbage.
What causes fresh juice to go bad?
- The juice is left at room temperature for too long. Unpasteurized, cold-pressed juice should never be left at room temperature. It should remain in the freezer or refrigerator until you are ready to consume it.
- When the juice is old. It is best to consume these juices within 24 hours of thawing. Yes, I have seen juices last longer, but to be on the safe side, 24 hours is the maximum time they should be kept once in the refrigerator.
How long does cold-pressed juice last?
Companies pasteurize and process their cold-pressed juice so that it has a longer shelf life, but these heating and manufacturing processes significantly decrease the nutritional value. At Raw Generation, our juice is always cold-pressed and never pasteurized.
Our fresh juice is flash-frozen and shipped straight to you. Keep cold-pressed juices frozen until you’re ready to start drinking them. Thaw the bottles in your refrigerator (it may take 24-48 hours). Your cold pressed juice will stay fresh for 24 hours after it’s been fully thawed. We don’t recommend drinking your juice after 24 hours.
The good news is you can keep the rest stocked in your freezer, so you don’t have to worry about your juice going bad—simply thaw as you’re ready.
The solution: always drink fresh juice!
Fresh juice always looks bright and colorful, and doesn’t have any weird tastes or smells. To make sure you never have to worry about whether or not a juice is fresh, simply follow our thawing rule (and consume within 24 hours). Refer to our full cleansing guide for more information.____________
Any other questions about your juices please email us at support@rawgeneration.com.
