Can You Juice Frozen Fruit?

Fruits are one of the best ways to get multiple nutrients all in one convenient and delicious package. However, they can also go bad if not used in time. For this very reason, a lot of people opt to freeze their fruits and then consume them when they wish to.

Given the average fast-paced lifestyle, not everyone can find the time to slice up fruits and consume them on a regular basis. Instead, they find it easier to juice it up and take it on the go!

In fact, this is even a better option, as it enables easy absorption of the essential nutrients and vitamins to give your health a boost.

So, can you juice frozen fruit? Yes, you certainly can juice frozen fruit if you know how to do so properly. However, you will have to thaw the fruit first and run the juice through a strainer after you’ve extracted it.

There are certain prerequisites to keep in mind while juicing the fruit to get the most out of it. If any of this is skipped, the purpose of juicing and consuming fruits could be lost. 

We’ve compiled this step-by-step guide to make that easier for you. So, read on!

Is It Possible To Juice Frozen Fruit?

Yes, it is possible to juice frozen fruit. But, you need to thaw the fruits before juicing them. The juice inside the fruit is, of course, frozen solid. You can try to squeeze a frozen lemon all you like, but nothing’s coming out of it.

You’ll need to place the frozen fruit under running water to bring it to room temperature, in order to preserve the moisture content. If you don’t do this, the fruit may get a little too dry.

While it might be possible to freeze fruits, juice them, and then consume them, it is important to figure out whether it is really the best option. It is a general notion that fresh fruits are healthier than frozen ones. 

But, is that really the case? Most health experts say otherwise. They believe that while it is preferred that you consume fruits fresh, freezing them is the best way to preserve all their wonderful nutrients for when you need them most!

If you want to freeze the fruits, you can either pick commercially frozen fruits or buy fresh fruits and freeze them at home.

Commercially frozen fruits are harvested when they’re the ripest. This is also when they’re the most nutritious. They’re then washed, cut, and frozen. 

Home freezing, on the other hand, is usually done to increase the shelf-life of fruits. However, there are a few things to keep in mind during the process in order to do it right. 

How To Juice Frozen Fruit

You can juice frozen fruit but it’s important to follow some steps to keep the nutrients intact. If not, the whole purpose of this may get lost and reduced to nothing but liquid calories! 

Follow this step-by-step guide carefully to make the most out of your frozen fruits.

1. Place Fruit Under Running Water – This is an important step that’ll help a great deal, but only if you have frozen fruit that is pre-sliced or cubed. (If you have frozen whole fruits, you can skip this step entirely.) Place the frozen fruit under running water, preferably in a clean sink, for around 20 minutes. This will ensure that the moisture is preserved in the further steps. Without this, when the fruit mush is thawed, it gets very dry and fibrous. To set it right, you’ll need to add sugar and additional water, which would end up diluting the juice’s nutritional value.
2. Thaw the Frozen Fruit – This step is the most important one. Frozen fruits can often become too solid, making it hard for the juicer to do its job. In the process, some juicer blades can even break. To ensure that this isn’t the case, it is necessary to thaw the frozen fruits. When the fruit gets thawed, it’ll be easy to notice, as their cell walls start to degenerate. This will ensure that the fruit gets mushy, which would help with efficient juicing.
3. Juice Them Up – Once the fruit mush has cooled down, put it in the juicer, and juice it up. Ensure that the mush has cooled down, though. If not, this could cause damage to your blender, while becoming unhealthy to consume.
4. Strain the Juice – Once your juicer has done its job, run the juice through a strainer to enhance its texture. This will get the fiber and other solid remnants out of the way, so you can enjoy your juice!

Additional Tips For Juicing Frozen Fruit

Given below are some additional tips that you can use to juice frozen fruit: 

1. Use The Right Juicer

While trying to decide the most suitable juicer for the fruit of your choice, it is important to get familiar with their work. In the case of fruits, you get to choose between a centrifugal and a masticating juicer.

A centrifugal juicer, when turned on, spins at a high frequency, and the teeth pull the fruit and extract the juice. This is a quicker way of juicing fruits, but it leaves behind a lot of juice in the mash. 

On the other hand, the masticating juicer masticates the fruit as it passes. It then squeezes the rind to extract the juice. This grinder uses a slower process but works more efficiently.

So, if you don’t wish to spend much time juicing and would even consume the pulp, you should go for a centrifugal juicer. If you have some time on your hands but we recommend going for a masticating juicer.

2. Pair The Right Fruits For A Juice

Even though most fruit combos are harmless, there are some that can neutralize nutritional values. There are some others that can have an impact on the taste aspect, too. So, it is important to know which combinations work right.

Modern juicing has a lot of combinations for the right mood too. For instance, you can mix the juice of frozen grapes with citrus or other berries (strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry).

You can also go for cucumber, mint, and frozen honeydew melon as they make for an excellent refreshment drink during the summer!

3. Cut Into Pieces Before Juicing

For more efficient juice extraction, you can try cutting the fruits before you juice them. This will also help with the addition of nutrition to the juice, as smaller pieces would mean less remnants

4. Don’t Peel The Fruits

Peeling the fruits would mean losing all that nutrition! In most fruits, the peel acts as the storehouse of nutrition. 

Since the nutrition aspect is the main reason to drink fruit juice for a lot of people, it’s wise to not compromise on the nutrients in the peel!

5. Check For Freezer Burns

Though highly unlikely, the frozen fruits could have experienced some freezer burns. 

If they do have freezer burn, it’s best to not juice them up. Freezer burns are due to exposure to oxygen. This means that the frozen foods have partially oxidized when taken out. 

Tips To Store Juiced Frozen Fruit

We have compiled some tips to help you store juiced frozen fruit for enhancing its taste and increasing longevity! 

1. Choose The Right Container

Based on your needs, you need to choose the right container, and ensure that it is freezer-safe. 

You can choose between an ice cube tray, a mason jar, and a glass container. Make sure that these are airtight, so as to prevent oxidation and air bubbles. This step would also enhance its longevity.

2. Fill To The Brim

When filling your container, fill it to the brim to decrease external exposure. This would slow down the aging process. Also, don’t worry about overflowing, since it is a well-known fact that liquids contract upon cooling!

3. Add Some Citrus

Adding a citrus residue (grapefruit, lime, or lemon) can. This would help in keeping your frozen fruit juice fresh. 

However, keep in mind that this would add a citrusy smell and taste to the juice. If you don’t mind that, this is a good tip to follow!

4. Defrost Before Use

We recommend defrosting any food before use, so as to remain machine-friendly. 

The best way to do this is to thaw it in the refrigerator. However, this could take quite a while. You can even dip the frozen juice (with its container) in lukewarm water to speed up the process!

How Long Can Juiced Frozen Fruit Last?

Freezing any food item to store it helps it last around 5 times its original shelf life. So, fruits can last over a fortnight if stored frozen.

Moreover, juiced fruits should last you up to 72 hours. If frozen, they too can last up to a week, or even two, depending on the fruits.

This is very cost-effective and handy. This is also a much healthier option than store-bought juices that contain multiple preservatives and far too much sugar.

This way, you can stock up on fruits, juice them up when you find time, and drink them whenever you like!

Final Thoughts

Juicing frozen fruit is worth the extra effort without any doubt. It can save you a lot of money while letting you get the right nutrients at the same time. You can even drink the juice on the go, without wasting any time.

So, we hope this guide helps you juice your frozen fruit and enjoy a tasty drink. 

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