As cold-pressed juice becomes a household term, health enthusiasts and juice lovers keep on flocking to it because of the amazing health benefits it provides. A lot has also been talked about in terms of cold-pressed juice extraction, in which the fruits or vegetables are gently pressed between two hydraulic plates, thus extracting the juice without cutting, grinding or generating any amount of heat. The gentle pressing and lack of heat formation preserves the maximum nutritional value and even prevents the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients or enzymes.

As such, all the different types of cold-pressed juice contain many different benefits, but these are only good if they’re consumed in their natural state and as quickly as possible. Additionally, the process even prevents oxidation, helping it last longer than juice taken out using other methods, such as centrifugal juicing. With that in mind, let’s talk about how long cold-pressed juice can be preserved.

For starters, the preservation period of cold-pressed juice depends on a number of factors, such as:

1. The juice’s quality
2. The preservation technique (if any)
3. The temperature at which the juice is preserved
4. The type and cleanliness of equipment used for juice extraction

Cold-pressed juice available in the market is also different in a number of ways:

1. The quality of fruits and vegetables used for juice extraction
2. The preservation technique (if any)
3. The concentration of different ingredients in the juice
4. The cleanliness and temperature maintained throughout the juice extraction process
5. Due to these factors, cold-pressed juice from different brands possesses different shelf-lives. You also have cold-pressed juice making companies claiming their juices are fresh and suitable for consumption for up to 30 to 45 days. This is accomplished with different processing techniques we are about to cover, but as I said earlier, the freshest the juice, the better it is for you.

HPP: High-hydrostatic Pressure Processing

As the name suggests, high pressure is applied to the final sealed product for about 3 to 5 minutes in order to deactivate microorganisms and pathogens in the container. This process is effective in increasing the shelf-life of juice for up to 45 days as long as it’s refrigerated. Unfortunately, though the process can increase the juice’s shelf-life, its natural taste and nutrition are altered in the process.

Ultraviolet (UV-C) Treatment

In this scenario, the packed juice gets exposed to ultraviolet light through low-pressure mercury lamps operated at a specific temperature and wavelength. This technique is comparatively safe, as absolutely no chemicals are used in the process.

Heat Pasteurization Process

In the heat pasteurization process, the juice is heated at a high temperature in order to kill pathogens and living enzymes, increasing its shelf life. Unfortunately, the process doesn’t stop at doing that; like HPP, it also messes with the juice’s natural taste and nutrition.

Putting all these techniques together, we can gather that the juice you buy from stores is not actually fresh, but rather it was fresh when it was processed days or weeks before. Some of the natural qualities of the juice are gone, but in the process, they do extend its shelf-life for a couple of weeks.

Fresh, Preservative Free Cold-Pressed Juice

The optimum choice, though, is a bottle of freshly made cold-pressed juice that is completely unprocessed and preservative free, and that’s consumed within the prescribed period of time:

1. Cold-pressed juicing is an efficient technique that extends the shelf-life of freshly made juice when compared to juice taken out with the centrifugal technique.
2. Unlike centrifugal juice, cold-pressed juice can be consumed with a fresh taste and its nutrition intact for up to 8 hours (if refrigerated) after pressing.
3. Other than that, cold-pressed juice can be preserved for up to 3 days with proper refrigeration, as the oxidation process is slowed down by this technique.
4. As far as juice is concerned, the freshly made cold-pressed juice is the best juice to consume. Not only is it nutritionally dense, but it’s also very tasty because all the juice and taste is extracted from the fruit.

As we wrap up, it’s safe to say that cold-pressing is the closest way to consume a whole fruit without actually eating it, but with all the qualities nature has to offer and without any extra processing or preservatives.

There are many varieties of cold-pressed juice available in the market that all claim to be fresh, but the reality is that all have gone through some type of preservation technique to increase their shelf-life. A freshly made cold-pressed juice that is free from preservatives and the preservation process, on the other hand, comes out on top as the tastiest and most nutritionally dense. Just remember that you shouldn’t store it for more than 3 days, as its quality will start to degrade. Enjoy!