Do you love smoothies, but don’t have that much time available to make one every day? So, you’re probably asking yourself: “how long does a smoothie last in the fridge or freezer?”.
Undoubtedly, one of the ways we always have our meals ready is by making generous doses and then saving it in the freezer or refrigerator.
This way not only do we save precious time, as we always have something to eat (and it’s an excellent way to always get a healthy diet without wasting too much time in the kitchen).
In this article, you’ll find out how long a smoothie lasts in the fridge and freezer, as well as give you useful tips to make your smoothie last much longer.
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How long does a Smoothie last in the fridge and freezer?
You made a smoothie, and you want to store it in the fridge or freezer for later? How long will a smoothie keep in the refrigerator? Then look at this info we have collected for you!
| Room temperature | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
| Smoothie | Up to 24 hours | 1-2 days | 3 months |
A smoothie should be consumed immediately to take advantage of all the nutrients of the ingredients. However, a smoothie can keep up to 24 hours at room temperature if it is closed in an appropriate container.
In the fridge, the smoothie can keep for between 1 to 2 days (although, as we said, it is better to drink it as soon as you process it).
However, we should warn that the smoothie can keep fresh for more or less time, depending on the ingredients we use. Undoubtedly, the ingredients we use in the confection of our smoothie are crucial to ensure that it lasts longer.
For example, if you use orange juice as the main ingredient of your smoothie, it will last longer than normal as it has a low pH (which allows the drink to stay fresh longer).
In addition, orange is rich in vitamin C. This vitamin is antioxidant and therefore prevents oxidation, so your smoothie stays fresh longer.
In addition to the advantages of vitamin C to preserve your drink, it also plays a key role in your body and health. This vitamin helps your immune system get stronger by preventing viruses and helping your body fight external “threats.”
While orange and lemon juice (also rich in vitamin C) help preserve your smoothie, yogurt or milk are ingredients that cause the smoothie to spoil faster (in less than 2 days, even if stored in the fridge).
It is also possible to freeze the smoothies, as they keep well for 3 months.
Why do smoothies spoil?
The main reason smoothies get spoiled is because the ingredients oxidize. The same goes for other drinks, such as fresh fruit juice. This is because the ingredients are fresh and not cooked. Therefore, fresh ingredients are more likely to get spoiled.
Undoubtedly, both smoothies and fresh fruit juices are excellent for our health. However, they can’t keep fresh too much time.
Our advice is to try to drink your smoothie or fruit juice right after you have processed the ingredients. If you want to drink it later, we advise you to always store it in the fridge or freezer.
How do you know if a smoothie has gone bad?
If you made a smoothie and you don’t know if it’s still fine to drink, just analyze the color, consistency, and smell. If the color of your smoothie has changed (if it’s darker), then it’s because it’s spoiled. As well, if you experience a nauseating smell, don’t drink the smoothie, as it’s a sign that the smoothie isn’t fresh.
If you want to save your smoothie, or your fruit juice, to drink later, then you need to know some tips we have now to give you, as they are useful for making your drinks last longer.
Prevent Oxidation to store or save a Smoothie for later
First, we must say that the secret to knowing whether a smoothie is still good to drink is using our nose and our eyes. Does the smoothie look good and smell good? So, it’s not spoiled. If it smells bad and has a dark brown color, do not drink it!
Now, write down some tips so that your smoothies last much longer at room temperature and in the refrigerator.
- When you’re making your smoothie, use low blender power early on, and then you can move to high power
- Prefer frozen fruits (as they will last longer)
- When saving your smoothie, use a proper container to store elements. The less the smoothie is exposed to air, the less it will oxidize (oxidation is what causes ingredients to lose their nutrients and properties). Ideally, the liquid will fill the container.
- Ideally, use a glass container and an airtight lid.
- Add some lemon juice to your smoothie. As lemon is rich in vitamin C and having a healthier drink, it will help smoothie, not to oxide.
- Close the container very well and store it in the refrigerator.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, you can add other foods to make your smoothie richer in fiber and healthier. Among these foods, we highlight here, for example:
- Avocado
- Flaxseed
- Oats
- Hemp seeds
- Chia seeds
- Matcha
- Spirulina (blue-green algae)
- Nuts
How to Freeze and Unfreeze Smoothie?
If you want to freeze your smoothie, you must put it in an airtight container. This way, your smoothie will be fine for up to 3 months.
When you want to unfreeze the smoothie, simply remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge for approximately 3 hours.
How long does a Smoothie last
Ingredients
- Smoothie
Instructions
How do you know if a smoothie has gone bad?
- If you made a smoothie and you don’t know if it’s still fine to drink, just analyze the color, consistency, and smell. If the color of your smoothie has changed (if it’s darker), then it’s because it’s spoiled. As well, if you experience a nauseating smell, don’t drink the smoothie, as it’s a sign that the smoothie isn’t fresh.
Conclusion:
Smoothies can be healthy, but if they are fresh. They are complete and quick meals to make, and the best of all is that we can store them in the fridge or freezer to drink later.
To the question: “How long does a smoothie last in the fridge?” we can say it lasts 1-2 days. But if you want to keep it in the freezer, it lasts 3 months. Hope we have helped you and enjoy your healthy smoothies.
There are several questions posed by our readers when it comes to saving a smoothie for later. To help you, we’ve gathered the most frequently asked questions here with quick and direct answers.
The answer is yes if you store the smoothie in the fridge in a tightly-closed container with as little air as possible. However, ideally, you consume the smoothie right after processing to take advantage of all the nutrient.
This smoothie is one of the richest in nutrients and proteins. Like all other smoothies, we should consume it right away. However, if you want to save it for later, do not allow more than 2 days to spend in the refrigerator.
As we said throughout the article, you can store a fruit smoothie in the fridge for between 1 and 2 days.
Like fruit smoothies, green smoothies can be saved in the fridge for up to two days.
The avocado smoothie can be saved in the fridge for up to 24 hours. So, you can make your smoothie in the evening to drink in the morning or do it in the morning and drink it when you get home from work.
Berry smoothies are rich in vitamin C. That’s why you can keep them for 48 hours in the fridge. Vitamin C is great to prevent oxidation (the reason why smoothies get bad).
Spinach is rich in chlorophyll (a green pigment that is found in leafy greens). Chlorophyll is responsible for keeping your smoothie alive for up to 48 hours. However, we always recommend you drink it immediately or in the first 24 hours to ensure freshness and richness of nutrients.
Milk and dairy products are not the best when we talk about saving smoothies for later. If you use milk as the main ingredient, do not store the smoothie in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours.
Yogurt smoothies, such as milk smoothies, last up to 24 hours in the fridge. That’s because yogurt is a dairy product. So, if you are thinking about saving a smoothie for later, opt for another main ingredient.
Smoothies last longer than fruit juice. While fruit juice can keep for 12 hours, smoothies can keep up to 24 hours at room temperature. However, as we have said in this post, the best is always to drink it immediately.
Protein smoothies or protein shakes can be kept for 72 hours. However, you will notice that the ingredients will separate one from the other. That’s why you need to re-bend it or shake it.
It always depends on the ingredients you’re blending. For example, acai bowls or acai smoothies should be consumed up to 24 hours. From that time on, the nutrients begin to disappear. If you use vegetables with a lot of chlorophyll, such as spinach, for example, you can store it for up to 48 hours.
If you’ve read our tips for saving the smoothie leftovers, you know the best way to keep it. Ideally, you put the smoothie in an airtight container. Fill the container up so that the air does not stay inside the container. Close the container tightly and store it in the refrigerator. You can also add lemon juice to prevent oxidation.
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Welcome to my food site, RecipesAndPanty.com. I am a man who enjoys creating recipes and researching everything about food. This blog is dedicated to my grandmother because she gave me a taste for cooking.