Can You Freeze Cranberry Juice?

How To Freeze Cranberry Juice

Freezing cranberry juice is super easy to do. You can either freeze it in large portions to defrost and drink or cook with at later date.

You can also freeze it in ice cubes so you can pop an ice cube or two into your drink to add some refreshing flavour to your water. This ice cube method works brilliantly for anyone who loves to make healthy juices and smoothies.

You can pop a couple of ice cubes in and blend with the rest of your ingredients for some added nutrition and flavour.

These are the two methods:

How to Freeze Large Portions of Cranberry Juice

1. Portion Out
   Grab your leftover cranberry juice and some liquid safe freezer bags or containers. Make sure whatever you use is safe to put in the freezer and won’t spill. Containers should have a lid. Pour your cranberry juice into the containers or bags that you choose. One container per portion. This ensures that you can defrost and use just the amount you need at a later date.
2. Seal Securely
   Seal the bags or containers tightly. If you want to doubly sure you don’t end up with a mess in the freezer then you can double bag or pop an extra bag around the freezer-safe containers.
3. Freeze
   Label the cranberry juice bags or containers with the date and name and pop them into the freezer. It really is that simple!

How to Freeze Cranberry Juice Ice Cubes

1. Portion into Ice Cube Trays
   Grab yourself some ice cube trays. If you want slightly larger portions then you could use muffin or cupcake trays but you need to make sure that if you do this then the containers are freezer safe. Pour cranberry juice into each section of the ice cube tray.
2. Flash Freeze
   Put the trays into the freezer. Make sure you keep them flat until the cranberry juice has frozen.
3. Bag Up
   After a few hours, you can take the ice cube trays out of the freezer and transfer the cubes from the tray into a freezer bag. If you have chosen something larger than an ice cube tray then this may take slightly longer.
4. Final Freeze
   Label the bag with the date and contents and pop it bag into the freezer. Now, whenever you need a cranberry juice ice cub or two you can grab them out of the freezer and then reseal the bag again to keep the rest of the cranberry juice fresh.

3 Tips for Freezing Cranberry Juice

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing cranberry juice to have the best results:

• Leave Room for Expansion – All liquids expand when frozen so regardless of the container you’re using make sure you leave some room for a little expansion in all cases. 
• Make Cranberry Ice Lollies – You can easily make cranberry ice lollies by pouring cranberry juice into a lolly mould. 
• Mix With Other Flavours – Don’t be afraid of mixing up the flavours, especially if you’re making lollies or ice cubes. Try mixing cranberry with some fresh mint leaves or a splash of vanilla syrup to give you a whole new flavour to try. 

How Long Can You Freeze Cranberry Juice?

One of the best things about freezing cranberry juice is just how long it can be frozen. You can freeze the cranberry juice using either method for around 8 months.

You should be able to push this to twelve months if you need to safely but just bear in mind the longer you keep anything in the freezer the more chance for taste and quality deterioration there is.

You Can Freeze Cranberry Juice for Around 8 Months

How Do You Defrost Cranberry Juice?

The great thing about cranberry juice is that in many situations you won’t even need to defrost it! For juices and smoothies, you can just grab out the amount of cranberry juice you need and put it straight into the blender!

If you do want to defrost the juice then the best method to do so is in the fridge. This allows it to defrost thoroughly. All you need to do is grab the cranberry juice out of the freezer, put it into a bowl and pop it into the fridge for a few hours.

Can You Refreeze Cranberry Juice?

We wouldn’t recommend that you refreeze cranberry juice. There is a chance that there will be a deterioration in taste, texture and quality the more times you freeze it and it isn’t worth the risk.

If you are unsure that your cranberry juice is still safe or not then it’s best to not take the risk and throw it away.

Does Cranberry Juice Freeze Well?

Cranberry juice does freeze fairly well. If you are planning on drinking it then you may notice there is a change in flavour but if you plan on popping it into juices and smoothies with other ingredients then you shouldn’t notice any difference at all.

In fact, it can add some extra creamy texture to the juice or smoothies.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing cranberry juice or cranberries in general, then these may help:

Can You Freeze Cranberries?

You can freeze cranberries in much the same way as any other berries. First, flash freeze on a baking tray so that they don’t freeze in a clump. Once frozen solid, pop into a thick freezer bag to store for the longer term.

After 30 minutes, you can give the bag a little shake to ensure none have stuck together.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Sauce?

You can freeze cranberry sauce fairly easily. Just pack it into a small airtight container, place a layer of clingfilm over the top to protect it from the air and then seal it up. That’s all there is to it.