Hey guys!
Checking in with a VERY quick question of the week. A few nights ago, I said a few words about my weekend prep routine. I mentioned that I do a lot of juicing on weekends, so some of you asked, “is it OK to juice over the night before you intend to drink?”
Let me clarify: when I said that I spend a lot of time juicing over the weekend, I meant that I spend more time juicing relative to the week, when I’ll often purchase juice on the way to the office at a juice bar (an expense I don’t love, but given that I don’t drink alcohol or coffee, one that I’ve managed to justify). But no, it’s not smart to juice the night before, at least not if you use a conventional home juicer. The enzymes in the juice won’t stay active for more than thirty minutes or so.
If you have a Norwalk juicer, juice will keep at cool temperatures for 1-3 days. Otherwise, if you want to preserve your juice, freeze it in a mason jar or other glass container as soon as you make it. (Avoid exposing fresh juice to direct sunlight for more than a moment, too.) This is a great tip to keep in mind when you travel! I often put frozen mason jars of juice in my suitcase and check my luggage. For any flight that’s relatively quick, this is perfect: the moment I land, I can reclaim my bag and chug my juice. Yum.
Of course, juice isn’t just about enzymes; it’s also about taste. So if you’re juicing simply because you like the taste, it’s fine to juice the night before — once in a while. But you’ll be missing out on lots of pure nutrition if you do that frequently.
I wish it were possible to make juice well in advance! But remember: the freshness of vegetable juice is what makes it so awesome and so great for you. Well worth the effort, if you ask me!
xo
I'm a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, a former book editor, and a post-baccalaureate pre-med student at Georgetown University. I'm passionate about helping people to discover and enjoy plant based foods in a simple and healthy way. My name is pronounced like "Jenna."
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Very informative post (as usual)!! Thanks Gena!
I always wondered this too because it is a bit time consuming to try to make juice every morning…thanks for the explanation!
I juice a crapload of greens once a week and freeze them in ice cube trays to pop into smoothies. Maybe I lose a few enzymes, but cleaning that juicer is a bitch.
Sigh. This is why I dont juice. I do it for the enzymes and health bennies first, taste secondary. Of course I still get some benefit in advance, it’s not like Im drinking battery acid or something if I juice 12 hrs ahead of time, but you’re right, not ideal. And then that pesky juicer cleanup. You’ve heard my moanin and groanin on this one before so I’ll spare you but thx for the info
Hey,
Just wondering if you know of any online stores (that have a good rep.) where I can buy raw food(cacao powder, lucuma and maca).
It’s funny that I read this just as I’m about to head into the kitchen to make a batch of green juice. I end up making green juice several times a day, because I know it won’t sit well in the fridge. I make it for me at breakfast, for my dad at lunch, and for Cody, when he comes home from work in the evening. It means a lot of time at my juicer but it is worth it! Thanks, Gena!
Thanks for answering my question, Gena!
I love to make carrot juice to put in my chia puddings and banana soft-serve (it makes everything taste like carrot cake!).
I started juicing a few weeks ago and have slowly but surely gotten out of the habit due to the amount of time it takes. I don’t have access to a juice bar, sadly. How long can you keep the fresh juice in the freezer?
Christie,
I’m not sure — I usually drink within a week!
gena
Gena,
Do you think it would be okay to put frozen juice in my luggage if my trip is 5 hours long?
Hey Julia,
I think it should be OK! Most luggage compartments are kept really cold.
Gena
thanks so much! I’ll be sure to pack frozen juice when I leave on
Wednesday!
Hmm, I drink juice usually after exercise.. I want it fresh so I usually prepare it right after my workout.
Hmm.. what a familiar discussion!
Thanks for thing, inquiring minds wanted to know (glad you told us your thoughts at Candle too).
yeah, I learned the hard way about the keep time of juice… made some one day and drank it the following day. Tasted somewhat suspect and didn’t feel too good after… lesson learned
Gena – I would assume this goes for smoothies too? I’ve had a couple readers ask me that before, but never knew for sure. Thanks
But why do vegetables keep fresh in the fridge for a few days and keep all nutrients, but not in veggies in juiced form?
Good advice! And also worth pointing out (for people who are too lazy to do it in the morning) that the more you do it (aka practice) the quicker the process becomes. Especially if you wash and prep the fruit & veg the night before. I’ve got it down to a well-oiled process. This morning I made my juice and washed the juicer in 7 minutes flat. It can be done.
But if you believe that the enzymes won’t stay active for more than thirty minutes in a juice, then they also would not stay active in any prepped (if cut) food. No?
Great post and answers a lot of questions for me. I have to be at work so early that I haven’t mastered juicing and cleaning the juicer before rushing out the door yet, so I’ve only been juicing on evenings and weekends.
When I was juicing everyday on my cleanse, I found the washing-the-juicer task to be a huge pain in the mornings before work. I kept wishing there was a way to juice in advance. I like the freezing idea…I wish I could afford to make green juice everyday. Sigh.
Very interesting, I never thought of freezing it, and I already freeze a lot of stuff. It’s nice for when you don’t have time to juice.
Is the Norwalk a masticating juicer? Do masticating juicers keep the enzymes in the juice for longer? Thanks!
Great tip with the mason jars/freezing! I’m always looking for ways to keep healthy when I travel, it can be really difficult, especially when you’re staying somewhere without a kitchen.
I’m confused. If the enzymes in juice only stay active for 30 minutes, how does juice feasting work? Don’t most people just make a day’s worth of juice in the morning during a juice feast, or is the best way to just make your juice fresh every “meal”?
I suppose one could just make a day’s worth of juice in the morning and put it in the freezer, as you mentioned.
i’ve tried freezing liquids in mason jars before, and the jars always (always always) crack. lid off, lid on, no difference. i don’t know what the trick is but for my money the ice cube tray trick is probably the best option listed.
“Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like, and let the food fight it out inside.” Mark Twain
If I take several frozen juices (in mason jars) on a 2 hr trip, would it be ok to refreeze them once I get to my destination? They would probably thaw out some. So just wondering if it’s bad to refreeze.