Does Juice Spoil?
Juice can go bad if it is not stored properly or if it has been opened for a long period of time. Most juices have a best-by date on their label that can give you an idea of how long they will remain fresh, but this date is only a guideline and does not necessarily mean that the juice will go bad on that exact date.
Unlike fresh apple juice, which must be consumed within one week after it is opened, bottled apple juice may last for up to three months in a refrigerator. Generally, the non-refrigerated bottled apple juice sold at supermarkets lasts longer when stored correctly. By doing the pasteurization, your apple juice will keep for up to 6 months at room temperature when not opened, and for up to 10 days in the refrigerator once opened. Once you have opened the juice, be sure to keep it refrigerated to keep it fresh, then it will last 7-10 days.
If you do not keep your juice refrigerated, particularly in hot weather, it will spoil in just a couple of hours. Remember, refrigerating fresh juice keeps it cooler and decreases the speed with which it can spoil. Fresh lemon juice will get exposed to air, which breeds germs more quickly; the best choice is refrigerating to keep it fresh.
If you plan on keeping fresh lemons in a freezer, you can place fresh lemon juice into ice-trays, and freeze them. If your lemon juice bottle is open now, make sure to seal tightly after using it, and refrigerate. In case, you are planning on making fresh lemon juice at home, be sure to keep it in the right container or bottle and store in refrigerator for maximum shelf-life. Lime juice does indeed spoil, but the shelf life of lime juice will vary depending on if you are making fresh juice at home or buying from the store.
Once you open the bottle, can, or carton, the contents will spoil rather rapidly, even if you keep your juice stored correctly (meaning sealed up and refrigerated). Once the bottle of juice is opened, it comes into contact with air, and oxidation occurs, leading to spoilage. The lemon juice only keeps the apple surfaces from turning brown, but all parts of the apple are exposed to oxygen after they are turned into juice.
Fresh vegetable juices, which are not blended with fruit juices, on the other hand, are more likely to become contaminated after they have expired, making them unsafe to drink. Fresh orange juice goes bad a lot quicker, with a chance of making you sick, while store-bought, pasteurized orange juices are shelf-stable. Fresh, store-bought orange juice, when kept refrigerated, lasts for 1 -2 weeks before going bad, since it is made without preservatives.
Refrigerated store-bought orange juice, refrigerated store-bought orange juice that has not been opened, will keep one to two weeks past its printed Best-By Date when stored refrigerated. If the orange juice has expired past its best-by date, but is still unopened and stored well, it is probably OK to consume. If it is a commercially canned or bottled orange juice (stored shelf-stable, not refrigerated) that is not opened, it is OK for one year, possibly one and a half years, and sometimes longer, provided that you keep it somewhere cool, such as your pantry. If it is a fresh-squeezed juice, it is fine for several days, provided you keep it refrigerated.
If stored properly, juices will maintain their optimal quality for eight to 12 months, though you can still consume them once this period has passed. While vegetable juice is most prone to deterioration near expiration, if combined with fruit juice, it can be stored longer. This means fresh fruit juice can in most cases be consumed past its expiration date with no risks. Orange juice sold refrigerated typically has a “use by” date, and you should not store it much longer than those few days listed on the package.
That is why stores choose to sell orange juice in bottles, cans, or whatever type of package will guarantee it has a longer shelf life, provided it is kept cold. For instance, at grocery stores, often the apple, grape, and cranberry juices are all available in bottles, sitting on shelves, unrefrigerated. If you buy the orange juice from the shelf (not the refrigerated section), that means that it is loaded with preservatives and has been pasteurized, and therefore is safe to keep in your pantry until opened. If you get your juice from an unrefrigerated shelf, you can store it at home in a similar state, in a cool, dry area.
Orange Juice, Pre-Packaged, Unrefrigerated — Can Last Up To One Year Unopened, If Stored Cool, Dark Place. Be sure to throw out any orange juice you have left unopened in your fridge too long, because certain food pathogens can live in your fridge without changing its flavor, look, or smell. As you saw above, while apple juice does indeed spoil, you should not throw out the gallon of apple juice that is nearly past its allowed shelf life. Eight ounces of orange juice, served from an just opened jug, provides one days worth of vitamin C. Even stored in a cooler, however, orange juice loses its nutrition power by the day.
Your best bet to enjoy delicious orange juice is to purchase bottles you know you will consume in just a few days, so that you get not just the full flavor benefits, but all of the nutrients that go along with them.
What happens if you drink expired juice?
juice that has not been opened has a shelf-life of 12 months from the date of opening. However, it can spoil once the liquid has been opened, regardless of whether it has been refrigerated or not. When juice is spoiled, it has an off-odour and taste and drinking it will give your children stomachaches as well as diarrhoea because it has an off-odour and flavour. Besides sour juice, improperly pasteurized juice can also cause your kids to become ill if it is not handled correctly.
How do you know if juice goes bad?
It is recommended to sniff the juice if you are unsure whether the color change is unusual, and if the liquid smells rancid, it is time to throw it away. Lastly, tasting the juice before making any final decisions is available. The fluid that has an off or rancid taste indicates that it has gone bad and needs to be thrown out.
Does juice spoil if not refrigerated?
According to the FDA, fresh food items like fresh orange or apple juice can expired at room temperature for more than two hours. They can even expire after one hour at high temperature of 90 degrees or above especially fresh apple juice. It is not a good practice to let these juices for too long because it allows harmful bacteria like salmonella to grow.