Picking Oj Used To Be So Simple

There’s a mind-boggling array of orange juices to be found in the grocery store, including:

Fresh Squeezed Juice: This means the juice was squeezed from fresh oranges and packaged in paper cartons, glass or plastic containers. It is not pasteurized, is clearly labeled and is located in the produce or dairy section.

Chilled, Ready-to-Serve or Ready-to-Pour: This is juice made from frozen concentrate or pasteurized (not from concentrate) juice. The ready-to-serve juice labeled “from concentrate” has been made from juice that was manufactured as frozen concentrate, then reconstituted and pasteurized before packaging.

The “not from concentrate” juice is flash-heated to pasteurize it immediately after the fruit is squeezed; it has never been concentrated. Ready-to-serve juices are packaged in paper cartons, plastic or glass containers and usually are found in the dairy section.

Frozen Concentrate: This freshly squeezed juice has been concentrated and frozen. It is reconstituted at home by adding water.

Fresh Frozen: Freshly squeezed juice that is packaged without pasteurizing or further processing is called ”fresh frozen.” It is usually sold in plastic bottles in the frozen food section and is ready to drink after thawing.

Juice in Aseptic Containers: This is a shelf-stable product usually found with canned and bottled juices on the dry-goods shelves. It is pasteurized juice or juice from concentrate, packaged in sterilized containers.

Canned Juice: Orange juice that has been pasteurized and sealed in cans provides extended shelf life of more than one year.

Remember, canned juices should be refrigerated after opening and used within one week.