How long do juice concentrates last?
Juice concentrates keep up to 2 years in the freezer. Times are USDA FoodKeeper quality guidelines from the point of purchase unless noted.
No guideline
No guideline
2 years
best quality within
How juice concentrates compare with other food purchased frozen
USDA FoodKeeper gives juice concentrates one time: 2 years in the freezer, and no figure for the other places. A blank usually means the food is not stored that way, not that the data is missing. The foods USDA lists next to juice concentrates in food purchased frozen show the range for the group:
| Food | Pantry | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen potato products | no guideline | Not recommended | 12 months |
| Frozen pretzels | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | 9 months |
| Fruits | no guideline | no guideline | 10 to 18 months |
| Ice cream | no guideline | no guideline | 6 months |
| Ice pops | no guideline | no guideline | 9 months |
| Kugel(first of 2 kinds) | no guideline | no guideline | 1 year |
| Lobster tails | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | 8 months |
| Pancakes, waffles | no guideline | Not recommended | 3 months |
| Pizza | no guideline | 3 to 4 days | 12 months |
| Polenta(first of 2 kinds) | Use by the package date | no guideline | Not recommended |
About food purchased frozen. Food that was frozen at the store stays safe indefinitely at 0 F (-18 C), but quality drops the longer it sits, especially with freezer burn. Once thawed, these foods behave like fresh or refrigerated food and should not be refrozen without cooking first. All food purchased frozen.
How to tell juice concentrates have gone bad
General signs for food purchased frozen, the group USDA lists juice concentrates under.
- Greyish-brown, dry patches on the surface (freezer burn)
- Heavy frost or ice crystals built up inside the package
- Package that feels soft or has clearly thawed and refrozen
- Off smell as soon as the food starts to thaw
- Freezer odour that has soaked into the food itself
More on food purchased frozen. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep the freezer at 0 F (-18 C) or colder, and push older items to the front so they get used first. Wrap or repackage anything with damaged packaging to limit air exposure. Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter, and cook or use thawed food within a day or two.
More in food purchased frozen
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). Times assume a fridge at 40 F (4 C) and a freezer at 0 F (-18 C). How we decode the data.