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Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
We’d long written off frozen concentrated orange juice as a relic from the 1950s and were shocked to find that we actually liked two of the products.
Top Pick
WinnerMinute Maid Original Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
Buy at AmazonThis “bright” juice was “slightly floral” and “orangey upfront.” “Just the right amount of sugar and acid,” said one taster; “easy to drink,” said another. With “minimal” pulp yet an appealing “full-bodied” texture, it was the one in our lineup “most like fresh squeezed.”
Price at Time of Testing: $2.50 for 12 oz (5 cents per reconstituted oz)
This “bright” juice was “slightly floral” and “orangey upfront.” “Just the right amount of sugar and acid,” said one taster; “easy to drink,” said another. With “minimal” pulp yet an appealing “full-bodied” texture, it was the one in our lineup “most like fresh squeezed.”
Price at Time of Testing: $2.50 for 12 oz (5 cents per reconstituted oz)
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What You Need to Know
Frozen concentrated orange juice is easy to carry home, lasts up to two years in the freezer, is cheaper than refrigerated juice, and takes up little space until you reconstitute it. But we’d long written it off as a relic from the 1950s, when convenience often trumped freshness. To test our assumption, we bought three nationally available products, added water according to directions, and held a blind taste test. We were shocked to find that we actually liked two of the products.
It turns out that frozen and refrigerated juice are more similar than we knew: All commercial orange juice is extracted mechanically and strained of pulp to varying degrees. Refrigerated orange juice is then pasteurized. Juice destined to be frozen concentrate goes to an evaporation chamber, where heat removes the water; the concentrate is then frozen. Both types of orange juice may be enhanced with oils extracted from peels, and both are tested for Brix (sweetness) and acidity and then blended to suit brand specifications. So we tasted our favorite frozen concentrate again, this time alongside our winning refrigerated orange juice. The refrigerated brand barely eked out a win, and we were shocked all over again.
So what of the lousy frozen orange juice that many of us remember from childhood? These days, the evaporation process goes much faster than in the past, minimizing off flavors, according to Kristen Gunter, executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association. She added that most frozen concentrate now includes pulp for a more natural texture. From now on, we’ll stock our freezer with our winning frozen concentrated orange juice—and never be caught without OJ again.
Cook's CountryWatch Now
Everything We Tested
Recommended
WinnerMinute Maid Original Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
This “bright” juice was “slightly floral” and “orangey upfront.” “Just the right amount of sugar and acid,” said one taster; “easy to drink,” said another. With “minimal” pulp yet an appealing “full-bodied” texture, it was the one in our lineup “most like fresh squeezed.”
Price at Time of Testing: $2.50 for 12 oz (5 cents per reconstituted oz)
This “bright” juice was “slightly floral” and “orangey upfront.” “Just the right amount of sugar and acid,” said one taster; “easy to drink,” said another. With “minimal” pulp yet an appealing “full-bodied” texture, it was the one in our lineup “most like fresh squeezed.”
Price at Time of Testing: $2.50 for 12 oz (5 cents per reconstituted oz)
Tropicana 100% Juice Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
This juice had a “fuller” flavor that was “lively,” “tart,” and “not too sweet”; it was more “pucker-y” than the others, “like grapefruit juice” or “orange zest.” The “small pulpy bits” made for “thicker juice” with “home-squeezed” texture.
Price at Time of Testing: $1.79 for 12 oz (4 cents per reconstituted oz)
This juice had a “fuller” flavor that was “lively,” “tart,” and “not too sweet”; it was more “pucker-y” than the others, “like grapefruit juice” or “orange zest.” The “small pulpy bits” made for “thicker juice” with “home-squeezed” texture.
Price at Time of Testing: $1.79 for 12 oz (4 cents per reconstituted oz)
Not Recommended
Cascadian Farm Organic Orange Juice Frozen Concentrate
Tasters missed the “acid pucker” in this organic brand, which had a “very sweet start.” It was thin, with “zero pulp.” (It’s the only brand to list water as an ingredient.) It reminded one taster, unfavorably, of “Tang or SunnyD.”
Price at Time of Testing: $4.39 for 12 oz (9 cents per reconstituted oz)
Tasters missed the “acid pucker” in this organic brand, which had a “very sweet start.” It was thin, with “zero pulp.” (It’s the only brand to list water as an ingredient.) It reminded one taster, unfavorably, of “Tang or SunnyD.”
Price at Time of Testing: $4.39 for 12 oz (9 cents per reconstituted oz)
*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.
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