Everyone loves a delicious smoothie. Those thick and creamy drinks can be made from fresh fruits and vegetables and contain valuable nutrients.
Smoothies can be incredibly healthy, but if they're not stored correctly, then there's the potential for them to go off quickly and become dangerous to drink.
The following article will give you helpful tips on how to store smoothies so that you can reap their health benefits with peace of mind.
Keep Your Blender Clean
It's essential to keep your blender as hygienic as possible, so it doesn't contaminate your smoothie. To do this, put some warm water into your blender. Turn the blender on at its highest setting for one minute, then rinse it under cold running water.
You can also add lemon juice or vinegar to the water to help clean it more effectively.
Use An Airtight Container
This is crucial if you want to keep your smoothies fresh for as long as possible. Use an airtight dish or container so that no air can get inside and spoil them. If you don't have any suitable containers already, go to a nearby store and purchase a few plastic or glass containers with tight-fitting lids and place them in a dark and cold area (refrigerator).
You can also find many choices of plastic containers, glass jars, and bottles in online stores like Amazon. Please consider that plastic containers should be BPA-free.
If you fill your container to the top with your smoothie and then close it with the lid, there will be no room for air, and you prevent it from oxidizing.
Usually, the smoothie containers are slim with a smaller diameter and, therefore, a smaller surface area. If you use a larger container with a large surface area, you should cover the surface of the smoothie with cling film so that it does not come into direct contact with air.
Tip!
Put lemon into your smoothie to decrease oxidation and prevent it from going off quickly.
How To Store Smoothies For Short Term Storage?
Store In The Fridge
To store a smoothie for short-term storage, place your container of fresh smoothie in the fridge. Make sure you put it on the bottom shelf where the temperature is the lowest.
Use an airtight container and check that it is completely filled and sealed correctly before putting it in the fridge.
If you're going to drink your smoothies within two days, then there's no need to worry about them going bad. If they last longer than this, be sure not to let them get warmer than 4°C (39°F). The best is to keep it no longer than 12-24 hours.
Vacuum Seal Your Smoothie For Storage in A Fridge
If you want to store your smoothie in the fridge, then a good way is to vacuum and seal it. Suppose you have a food saver bottle or jar sealer. In that case, there's no problem because this appliance also creates a vacuum which helps keep food fresh for longer than standard storage techniques allow.
If you don't own one of these appliances, do not worry. You can go online and purchase an inexpensive handheld vacuum food sealer machine for vacuum sealer bags or food saver new vacuum seal containers.
They're easy to use, and they work very well at removing all excess air from around your smoothie so that it lasts longer than usual.
However, your blender also mixes air into the smoothie liquid during blending, which also starts an oxidation process. A vacuum sealer will probably only remove some of the air inside your smoothie mix. Therefore it's a better method to vacuum seal the fruits and vegetables you want to use for your smoothies.
But vacuum bags are an alternative to airtight jars as they are more flexible to store. However, this is an excellent method if you want to freeze premade smoothies to keep them longer.
Store Your Smoothie In A Thermos Bottle
If you want to take your smoothie with you on the go or work in an office and get a mid-afternoon break, storing it in a thermos bottle will help keep it cool.
All you need is a standard stainless steel thermos flask that will keep the drink's temperature below the ambient temperature for hours.
Separation Of Stored Smoothies And How To Solve It
If you store smoothies in a container, they can start to separate after a more extended time. The reason is the more solid components separate from the liquid and sinks down or rise up, depending on the density of the solid ingredients in the drink.
I recommend not using emulsifiers and letting the smoothie just naturally. You can solve the problem mechanically.
In most cases, it helps to remove a little bit of the liquid from the container, reseal it, and then shake it well. The removed portion can be stirred back in.
Tip!
Pour the separated smoothie into a cocktail shaker and shake as if you were mixing a cocktail. If you add 1-2 ice cubes, it works even better.
If shaking doesn't give you a good result, pour the smoothie into a blender and blend it shortly. In principle, this always works. The only disadvantage is that you have to clean the blender container again.
How To Store Smoothies For Long Term Storage?
Store In The Freezer
If you want your smoothie to keep for more than a few days, put it in the freezer. This way, it will stay fresh for up to three months. Note that the consistency may change after thawing.
You can use BPA-free plastic containers or glass jars which are freezer resistant.
An easier way is to use an ice cube tray to freeze your smoothies into cubes. Use an ice cube tray with removable compartments to release each one quickly and separately, or use silicone-based forms to easily remove the frozen smoothie portions.
You can put the frozen cubes or forms into a plastic bag for a single portion. Alternatively, you can use a more enormous container to take the necessary amount of smoothie cubicles for one glass of a smoothie.
Smoothie cubicles in portions in plastic bags or vacuumed bags can be stored easier in any available space in your freezer than in containers and jars with a fixed form.
Freeze Your Liquid Smoothies In Bags
Alternatively, you can put your ready smoothie into a freezer bag. Make sure the pack is as flat as possible for storage and turn it upside down; this way, all the surplus air will be removed. Then seal with an elastic band or vacuum sealer machine.
If you have one of these appliances, do not worry about removing all the excess air because this appliance extracts all the air from the bags. This method allows you to freeze several portions at once, so you don't have to defrost large containers whenever you want some smoothies.
How To Defrost A Smoothie?
When you remove your smoothie cubes or formed portions from the freezer, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator for a reasonable time. The best is to let it defrost overnight.
You can do the same with a frozen smoothie in a container or in a sealed or vacuumed bag.
The following day you can have a nice cold smoothie available. Still, you should stir your smoothie with a spoon or whisk for a creamy texture or put it again for a short time in a blender.
If your smoothie is too watery, check out how to make smoothies thicker.
Blend The Frozen Smoothie Instead Of Defrosting
If you are in a hurry, put the cubes or portions of your smoothie into a blender and blend immediately. You can then have an instant cold smoothie. However, this requires a robust and stable blender.
The high speed of your blender will break down the cubes and heat the smoothie to a drinkable temperature. Test how long your blender takes to make a well-tempered smoothie the way you like it.
Freeze Smoothie Ingredients For Later With Premade Smoothie Packs
This is a great alternative way to cut down on the time it takes to make a smoothie. You still have to blend the ingredients, but they are prepared and ready to transform from frozen plants into a cold, tasty, and creamy smoothie.
Look on YouTube how to prepare smoothie freezer packs for a week.
With different ingredients from fruits and vegetables, you can vary the smoothie packs very well so that you can make a different smoothie daily. This way, you can also control the intake of specific vitamins and minerals.
This also makes it very easy to determine the size of your smoothie. So you can decide whether you want to drink only one glass in the morning or if you want to make smoothies for the entire day; for example, if you're going to take some to work.
Smoothies can be delicious when made well, but remember that they need to be stored in the right way to retain their nutritional value and taste great too!
Take care of how you store your smoothies and follow the above tips so that none of their health benefits are lost.