Cranberries are certainly one of the most popular of all berries when it comes to health benefits. I use cranberries to make jams, jellies, sauces, and juices. It’s prevalent these days to do a liquid cleanse, and it explains why cranberry juice gets a lot of attention.
But before you quench your thirst with the refreshing and healthy cranberry juice, please read through this article below to find out how long cranberry juice lasts.
HOW LONG DOES CRANBERRY JUICE LAST IN THE FRIDGE AND OUT OF THE FRIDGE?
Homemade cranberry juice is high in vitamins and contains no artificial preservatives. That means it will spoil sooner, and the shelf life of homemade juice will not exceed 24 hours. It’s better to store it in a cool dark place or the fridge.
A bottle or carton of cranberry juice that you buy at the store contains less natural vitamins and more artificial ones; it has added sugar and preservatives. It means that it will last longer than homemade juice.
Store-bought cranberry juice comes in 2 options – refrigerated and unrefrigerated. The refrigerated cranberry juice should always be kept in the fridge. You can use it by date printed on the label.
Once you’ve opened it, to extend life of cranberry juice pour it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge . This way, it will keep for about 2-3 weeks after opening.
Unrefrigerated cranberry juice can be kept unopened at room temperature in a cool dark place for the date printed on the label. The shelf life of opened cranberry juice is less than 24 hours. But if you want to extend the drink’s shelf life, just put a bottle of cranberry juice into the fridge.
One important thing worth mentioning is that you must also know about proper handling so that the juice won’t go bad faster. Like, do not drink straight from the bottle.
Once the bacteria from your mouth get into the liquid, they will cause juice spoilage, and your cranberry juice go bad much sooner than you’ve expected.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF CRANBERRY JUICE IS BAD?
Here are common signs of spoilage:
- it smells differently;
- the color of the juice has changed;
- a sour taste;
- a mold growth.
Do not drink it if you spot any of these signs! If you’re not sure whether your juice is okay to drink (maybe the symptoms are not that obvious), then taste the juice. If it tastes quite the same as before, then there’s no point in tossing it out.
May be cranberry juice tastes normal, but the liquid has been stored for quite some time, and you have doubts about that. In that case, follow your gut.
LONG-LIFE CRANBERRY JUICE
Though cranberry juice can last long due to its high acidity, it will also get spoiled like any other fruit juice. But if you store the cranberry juice properly, you can consume it for quite a perceptible time.
The shelf life of cranberry juice depends on various factors:
- origin; where the cranberry juice was produced (at home or in a factory);
- if the cranberry juice is refrigerated or unrefrigerated;
- a place to store the cranberry juice
It would be best if you stored cranberry juice properly like any other food and drink. It’s essential to know how to practice food safety.
Otherwise, it will spoil very soon. Here I’ll learn more in detail about the differences in storage between homemade and store-bought juices and dwell on how long cranberry juice can be stored in the fridge or out, opened or unopened.
BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF CRANBERRY JUICE
Cranberries are a great source of vitamins created by nature. Cranberries are the most useful of the wild berries due to their rich content of essential vitamins and minerals, such as:
- Vitamin A;
- Vitamin C;
- Vitamin B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6, B-9;
- Vitamin E;
- Vitamin K;
- Calcium;
- Iron;
- Magnesium;
- Phosphorus;
- Potassium;
- Sodium;
Cranberries are high in vitamin C like a garlic. Vitamin C is an excellent preventive tool that strengthens the immune system and organism’s protective function. The juice extracted from these berries is beneficial for various diseases. It has an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and tonic effect.
Cranberry juice has magical healing power. It’s effective against a cold, sore throat, flu, and bronchitis.
In addition, drinking cranberry juice improves digestion, metabolism, treats kidney and bladder problems.
It has been established by experimental means that cranberry juice reduces blood pressure, increases blood cholesterol levels, improves cardiovascular function, and prevents many infectious diseases. It also helps prevent tooth decay and supports good oral hygiene.
An additional benefit of cranberry juice is that it enhances physical and mental performance, slows down the aging process, tones up the whole organism, and improves overall health.
Traditional medicine in some parts of the world, even today, recommends using cranberry juice as it is an excellent remedy for coughs (add a little bit of honey to your juice for a better effect).
Practitioners of traditional medicine also add that cranberry juice is good for treating vascular spasms, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and obesity. Plus, cranberry juice has a bactericidal effect. It is used to treat purulent wounds, ulcers, abscesses, mastitis, and superficial skin burns.
Yes! A glass of cranberry juice is what you need to keep healthy.
CRANBERRY JUICE SIDE EFFECTS
Although cranberry juice can be quite useful, it may also cause some problems:
- increased acidity of gastric juice that can provoke erosions and lead to peptic ulcers;
- a significant reduction in blood pressure in hypotensive patients;
- individual intolerance (it’s common especially among children);
- kidney stones can grow larger in size and number (acids react with sodium and calcium, forming insoluble compounds).
So, cranberry juice is not recommended for people with hyperacidity, blood clotting problems, hypotensive people, and kidney stones. That means that you should always seek medical advice before curing yourself with cranberry juice.
RECIPES WITH CRANBERRY JUICE
As I promised earlier, I have selected three delicious recipes for you using cranberry juice as the main ingredient (plus a cocktail).
Cranberry sherbet
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cranberry juice (cold);
- 1 pkg raspberry gelatin dessert;
- 1 cup cranberry juice (hot);
- 1 cup evaporated skim milk.
How to do it:
- Pour cold cranberry juice into a saucepan and add gelatin.
- Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.
- Add to it 1 cup of milk and hot cranberry juice and give everything a good stir.
- Put it in the fridge and freeze it for 1-1.5 hours.
- Take it out of the refrigerator and pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in a blender.
- Again put it in the fridge and freeze it for 1-1.5 hours.
- Stir occasionally.
The sherbet is ready. Bon appetite!
Salad dressing
Ingredients:
- ½ cup cranberry juice;
- 2 tbsp salad oil;
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar;
- ½ tsp salt.
How to do it: add all the ingredients to a small cup, close the lid and shake until mixed well. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Bon appetite!
Cranberry pork chop marinade
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of juice(juice cranberry before);
- ¼ cup heated honey;
- 4-5 dashes hot sauce;
- 2 tbsp olive oil;
- 1 tbsp lime juice;
- 1 tbsp garlic powder;
- ½ cup soy sauce;
- 1 tbsp onion powder;
- 1 tbsp lemon juice;
- 1 tsp black pepper;
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
How to do it: add all the ingredients to a bowl and give everything a good mix. The marinade is ready. Use it to marinate the pork. Bon appetite!
Cocktail “Cosmopolitan”
Ingredients:
- 50 ml cranberry juice;
- 40 ml lemon vodka;
- 20 ml Cointreau;
- 10 ml lime juice.
How to do it: mix all the ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice and pour it into a glass. The cocktail is ready. Bon appetite!
SUMMARY
To keep the juice stay fresh longer, I’ve shared with you tips on how to store cranberry juice properly.
For cranberry juice lovers, I’ve also given some delicious recipes using cranberry juice. Enjoy your drink and if you can’t finish it in one go, practice proper storage to keep your cranberry juice fresh for longer.
