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Does Cranberry Juice Go Bad? How Long Does Cranberry Juice Last?

Do you know how much nutritious cranberry juice is? If don’t know, let see what the expert says.

According to Healthline-cranberry juice is packed with vitamin C, E, K1, B6, and various types of antioxidants which mainly aid in checking unitary tract infection, liver problem, and stomach upset, and improving heart health and digestive system.

Many people like to drink either freshly squeezed or store-bought cranberry juice. At times, they ask- does cranberry juice go bad? How long does cranberry juice last? And does cranberry juice need to be refrigerated?

Well, today are going to explain everything you need to know about shelf life, refrigeration, and many more about cranberry juice.

Does cranberry juice go bad?

Yes, cranberry juice goes bad after a certain time whether it’s freshly squeezed by a juicer or store-bought shelf-stable juice. Freshly squeezed cranberry juice can go bad if you leave it at room temperature for longer periods or overnight.

According to USDA– if your room temperature is in the range of 40°F-140°F or (4. 4° C-60°C), then you should consume any food or juice within 2 hours. Because, in these temperatures, harmful bacteria growth called pathogens may double in number every 20 minutes and spoils the juice gradually.

On the other hand, store-bought shelf-stable cranberry juice can also go bad as soon as opened once to drink and after passing its expiration date. According to FDA– Most store-bought juices in the USA are heat-treated or pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. You may find untreated cranberry juices on the market which are made using a non-heat process.

The juice shelf-life of non-treated cranberry juice is lesser than treated or pasteurized juice. You should consider buying pasteurized cranberry juice over unpasteurized cranberry juice. In case, you buy untreated or unpasteurized juice, you should check two things

– Whether the juice bottle or carton is refrigerated or not

– Whether it attaches a warning message on the label of the juice bottle which is as follow-

WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with a weakened immune system.

NOTE: If you don’t find these two things on the untreated juice bottle, please don’t buy the juice as it may cause food-borne illness because of the growth of pathogens in cranberry juice.


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Does cranberry juice need to be refrigerated?

Yes, you need to refrigerate cranberry juice as soon as you can to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria which are responsible for spoiling the juice.

When you make juice from cranberry with a juicer and leave it out of the fridge for longer periods, it may spoil within 2 hours if the room temperature is more than 40°F and may spoil within 1 hour if the temperature is over 90°F.

Generally, most of the refrigerator temperature is below 40°F. But, the Ideal refrigerator temperature is between 35°F -38°F. Use a thermometer to observe the refrigerator’s temperature from time to time and check whether the temperature is below 40°F and above 32°F.

Remember, if you refrigerate the juice below 32°F, your juice will be frozen gradually. Use refrigeration method while consuming your cranberry juice within short periods or without icy texture meaning pure juice.

Cranberry juice may go bad in the fridge if you preserve it most extended periods. You should not refrigerate unopened store-bought shelf-stable cranberry juice.

Once you open the bottle of store-bought juice, you need to refrigerate it after every use. If you buy untreated store-bought cranberry juice, you should always keep it in a fridge.

How long does cranberry juice last?

How long cranberry juice lasts depends on how you preserve it. You may leave the freshly extracted cranberry juice out of the refrigerator for longer periods.

But, it’s not recommended to leave out freshly squeezed cranberries juice for more than 2 hours at room temperature. If you want to store fresh cranberry juice in a refrigerator, keep the juice for up to 7-10 days after opening.

In the case of shelf-stable store-bought juice, the manufacturers tag best by date or expiration date on bottle or carton. Juice manufacturing Companies often use preservatives and pasteurizing methods to increase juice shelf life or longevity at room temperature.

Generally, manufacturers set the best by date for unopened cranberry juice for up to 8-12 months at room temperature. After opening, you can keep it a few hours at room temperature but in the refrigerator, it can last for up to 7-14 days.

Can you freeze cranberry juice?

Sure, you can freeze cranberry juice for increasing juice shelf life or consume it after more extended periods. Generally, the freezing point of cranberry juice is 0°F or -17°C and below. At this point, the juice gets solid or frozen. If you want to use the cranberry juice from the freezer, you have to thaw it first.

You can preserve freshly squeeze cranberry juice in a freezer for up to 8-12 months. Before extracting the cranberries juice at home in a juicer, clean and wash the cranberries well, throw the damaged berries away.

Once finish juicing, store the juice in a well-sanitized airtight jar or container. Airtight Mason jar could be the best choice. Pour the juice leaving an inch space from the lid or top because when the juice starts getting frozen, it expands a bit.

Otherwise, the jar could burst suddenly. Make sure to seal the jar tight before freezing for more extended periods. However, you can also freeze store-bought cranberry for up to 8-12 months whether the bottle is unopened or opened.

How to tell if cranberry juice is bad or expired?

Cranberry juice is a perishable drink and can expire within certain periods. But, How to tell if cranberry juice is spoiled or expired? Well, there have some clear signs, which tell you the juice has already gone bad-

  • Store-bought cranberry juice has an expiration date or best by date which means you get the best quality juice in these periods. Once the expiration date has passed, you can still drink the juice. But, check the other signs of spoiled juice before drinking expired store-bought juice. if you see any sign present, discard it to drink.

  • Look at the juice closely if you see any mold-like fungus on the juice. It has already gone bad. Throw it away instantly.

  • Smells the juice if you get off-odor or sharp sour or acidic smell like vinegar. It probably starts getting fermented and spoiling gradually. Don’t drink it.

  • Sometimes, you would see some small bubbles are floating on juice. It’s an indication that the juice is being fermented. Try to avoid drinking it promptly.

  • If you see the bottle is bulging or expanding in shape. It’s a sign of fermentation. Because, when cranberry juice is fermented, it creates some gas in the bottle. As a result, the bottle or carton is bent or changed in shape.

  • Taste the juice. If you get an off-taste or bitter taste, it could be expired.

  • The natural color of cranberry juice is bright red. If you see any radical color change, it is an indication of bad cranberry juice.

What happens if you drink expired cranberry juice?

Health enthusiasts often ask-Is expired cranberry juice safe to drink? Well, according to FDA– drinking bad cranberry juice can cause some food-borne illnesses like stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, body ache, and headache, etc. Some could be severe and some could be chronic. They also add the sickness can occur between 20 minutes to 6 weeks after drinking expired juice. If you drink spoiled cranberry juice and get sick, call the local health department or call your doctor as soon as possible.

    

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