Here's How Long Apple Juice Stays Good For After Opening

So, you went to the grocery store hungry (which you knew was a bad idea) and ended up with a boatload of random items. A box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, three jars of various pickles, and a gallon of apple juice, all of which sounded perfectly delicious as your hunger-addled brain perused the aisles; but after a cup or two of the apple juice, you've lost interest. You may not realize it when you go for a cold glass again in a week or two, but that apple juice really only lasts roughly seven days once it's been opened. While it may not necessarily harm you on day 13, it certainly won't taste as good as it did on day one and you do increase the risk of foodborne illness by consuming it.

Every apple juice container comes with a 'best by' date (which are about to get simpler), that tells you when the quality will start to deteriorate or when the drink becomes unsafe to consume. Once a bottle of apple juice is opened, the freshness (and safety) clock is ticking. Refrigerated apple juice will last about a week once opened, but sticking that jug in the freezer can extend the shelf life to 12 months. The thawed apple juice will then only last about three to five days, but hopefully that's enough time to use it for that tequila apple juice cocktail you've been saving it for.

The shelf life of opened apple juice varies depending on the kind of apple juice you've purchased. Pasteurized juices such as Minute Maid Apple Juice that are commercially produced tend to last the longest and are technically the safest to consume past the expiration date since the pasteurization process kills off any harmful bacteria. Other pasteurized juices which don't contain added preservatives, such as Simply Apple, are the second longest-lasting. Unpasteurized and homemade apple juices, the kind that you'd find at a local farmer's market, will only last a matter of days after opening, even in the refrigerator.

To determine if your opened apple juice has gone bad, use your sight and smell. Expired juice will turn murky and bubbly, often causing the jug to swell from pressure. It'll smell spoiled, a little bit like vinegar or alcohol (due to the natural fermentation process), which are clear signs it's not suitable for drinking. If that gallon of apple juice is past its prime but you still want to get some use out of it, you could try fermenting it into apple vinegar or mix it with some water and use it as a plant fertilizer.