Frozen fruit juices

Freezing is a great way to store fresh fruit juice or smoothie when you want to avoid heat treatment and the use of preservatives. Cooking temperature kills microorganisms that lead to deterioration of juice, but at the same time it destroys thermo-sensitive nutritional components, such as vitamin C. Cooking also causes vaporization of juice aromas, so that boiled juice has a slightly different flavor than fresh juice.

 

Pears and fresh pear juice

 

For the preparation of fruit juice that will be kept frozen you have to use fully ripe, healthy, well-washed and cleaned fruit, drained of excess water.
The fruit should be thoroughly examined to remove any impurities and each piece of fruit or part that is damaged or affected by decay. A press or blender, containers to collect the juice and plastic bottles should be washed well and dried.

Pears     Cutting pears


If juicy fruit types are used, such as grapes or cherries, it is not necessary to add any water. If, on the other hand, you prepare a fruit type that is not too juicy, such as pears or apples, then it is advisable to add a little water in order to grind fruit more easily to dilute the fruit puree enough to pour it into a bottle.
The easiest way to make fruit juice is to squeeze fruit with a juicer or to whip it with a stick blender.

Pears prepared for juice making     Blending of pears


When everything is ready, you need to work fast because fresh fruit juice oxidizes rapidly, which results in changes in color and taste. In addition, raw fruit juice is very susceptible to develop bacteria and yeasts that lead to its deterioration. Consequently, the juice should be poured into bottles and freezed immediately after squeezing.   

Making pear juice     Juicing fresh fruits


Plastic bottles are suitable for freezing juice, not glass bottles. Since water/juice expands as it freezes, this will inevitably cause glass to break. Plastic bottles should be filled up to 90% of their volume, then pressed gently to squeeze out the air, and finally closed tightly. This will allow the bottles not to break due to the effect of expansion during freezing.
It is best to use bottles of such a capacity that the juice can be consumed within one day after thawing. If it is not consumed, it can be kept in the refrigerator for one more day, after which its taste begins to change.

Fresh pear juice in plastic bottle     Pear smoothie in glass


Juice is thawed at room temperature, without any additional heating. When thawing, you should slightly loosen the lid. Put the frozen bottle in the sink or in a container as it will “sweat” or drip off on its outside due to drops of condensed water.


After thawing, the juices prepared as described should be kept in the refrigerator and served cold. There is no need to add any sugar or water, but you can add lemon juice to the taste. A particularly interesting drink of great taste is obtained when you add ⅓ to ½ of a drink mixer like diluted elderflower or black locust flower cordial.