Can You Freeze Cucumber Juice?
This summer, we had an abundance of cucumbers in the garden. We made pickles, cucumber salads and cucumber juice. But now that we are entering winter, I’m longing for the taste of summer. Frozen cucumber juice is a great way to get the taste of summer even on a snowy day!
As a general rule cucumber juice can be frozen like other fruit juices. It should be frozen while very fresh in a freezer safe container such as freezer bags, ice cube trays or freezer safe food storage containers. The juice will last 6-12 months in the freezer.
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The Best Ways to Freeze Cucumber Juice?
Cucumber juice, like almost any juice, can be frozen and enjoyed later. There are a few different methods people use to freeze juice. All the methods get the job done, so it is really a matter of what you have on hand and how you plan to use the juice once thawed. The more juice you freeze in a container, the more you have to use when thawed.
Ice Cube Trays
Freezing cucumber juice in ice cube trays is my personal favorite method. Freezing juice in ice trays is simple and allows you to use just the amount of juice needed. If you want to add some cucumber juice to a glass of ice water, you can simply pop two ice cubes out in a snap. I personally like using silicone ice cube trays with lids, in either the regular size or a larger size. I always seem to spill or not stack ice cube trays properly in the freezer, as silly as it seems, I really like the lids!
Freezer Bags
Freezer bags are another option for freezing cucumber juice. This method works if you know you’ll be thawing the entire batch to make something like cucumber lemonade – see my post here on that. When freezing juice in a freezer bag, make sure to get as much air as you can out of the bag. You might want to use a freezer bag holder to help you more easily fill the bag with the juice. Once the bag is filled, lay the bag flat in the freezer.
Food Storage Containers
Freezer safe food storage containers are another option. Most households have some kind of freezer safe containers on hand. Like freezer bags, these may hold larger amounts. So you’ll have to have a plan for what to do with the juice.
How Long Does Frozen Juice Last?
After you’ve got your cucumber juice frozen, how long will it last? Many sources agree it is around 6 months, while others say between 8-12. Ultimately, I think it depends on a few factors what makes sense for you. Did you get an air tight seal? Why are you freezing the juice? For a taste of summer? Or to maximize the amount of nutrients you’re getting out of the juice? If you’re looking to for the benefits of the nutrients in the juice, then you may not want to even wait six months (see below). If you’re looking for a taste of summer in a snowy January, then going 8 months might be fine for you as long as the juice has been well frozen with no freezer burn.
Does Juice Lose Nutrients When Frozen?
Cucumber juice, like all fruit juice, will likely lose vitamins the longer it is stored. There have been studies done on orange juice showing that fruit juice does lose nutrients the longer it is stored. No studies have been done on freezing cucumber juice (from what I can tell), but I think it is a fair assumption the same is probably true of cucumber juice. In the study, over 24 months, the orange juice lost 24% of the vitamin C it had when initially frozen. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (about 95% per Wikipedia), but do contain Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Magnesium and more.
How to Make Cucumber Juice from Fresh Cucumbers?
Making cucumber juice to freeze is actually quite simple. See some tips below on how I personally have made cucumber juice.
- (Optional) Get yourself a cute helper, who actually provides no help! (see below)
- Wash your cucumbers
- Cut out any bad spots and consider if you need to peel your cucumbers
- When making cucumber juice with cucumbers from my garden I do not peel them
- When using store bought cucumbers, I do peel them. Store bought cucumbers often feel waxy to me, and I don’t want to drink that!
- If the cucumbers are large, consider slicing in half lengthwise to scoop out some seeds
- Cut the prepped cucumbers into large chunks and add to a food processor with 1-2 cups of water as needed to help puree the juice
- Strain the juice through a mesh strainer
- Enjoy or freeze!
How to Use Frozen Cucumber Juice?
Now that you’ve filled your freezer with cucumber juice what are some great ways to use it?
- Probably the most straight forward use, throw a few ice cubes in with your water or lemonade for a refreshing taste of summer.
- Considering making some lemonade, and maybe spiking it? See this post on one of our go to summer cocktails when the cucumbers are in abundance. If using frozen juice, I would either thaw or put it in my blender to make a slushy frozen lemonade.
- Check out this watermelon cucumber juice recipe from acouplecooks.com. While I have not tried this recipe (yet) I’m sure the tastes of cucumber and watermelon would be great!
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Wrap Up
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