What Is Juice Concentrate (and How It Compares to Fresh Juice)

Walk down any grocery store's juice aisle, and you'll find a wide variety of options. While you see regular fresh-pressed juice bottles, you’ll also see juice cartons labeled "from concentrate."

But what does “juice concentrate” really mean? And how is it different from the fresh-squeezed juice you might make at home?

Well, juice concentrate is made by removing most of the water from fruit or vegetable juice. While fresh juice offers vibrant, natural flavor and nutritional content, juice concentrate provides convenience, a longer shelf life, and a more affordable price point.

Today, I will walk you through what juice concentrate really is and how it compares to fresh juice. We’ll also look at its health effects, ways to make it at home, and why fresh juice remains the gold standard.

What Is Juice Concentrate?

Juice concentrate is fruit or vegetable juice with most of its water removed. After juicing, the liquid is mostly water. Removing that water leaves a thicker, syrup-like liquid called juice concentrate.

To drink it, you dilute the concentrate with water. A small amount can make a full serving of juice. 

Many store-bought juices are made from concentrate. Labels that say 'not from concentrate' mean the juice was pressed directly from fresh fruit.

How Is Juice Concentrate Made

As I mentioned earlier, juice concentrate is made by removing most of the water from freshly squeezed fruit juice. This is usually done through various methods that involve evaporation, freezing, and even reverse osmosis. 

Once the juice is extracted, it undergoes processing to separate the water content.

The most common commercial method is vacuum evaporation, where the juice is heated under low pressure. The juice is heated to evaporate water. 

Other methods include freeze concentration, where water is removed by forming ice crystals, and membrane concentration, which uses reverse osmosis to filter out water.

Commercially sold juice concentrate also undergoes pasteurization to remove any bacteria and potential pathogens. Some companies also add sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives to the concentrate. 

Because the final product has less volume, it’s cheaper to transport and often costs less than fresh juice.

What Are the Types of Juice Concentrate?

Not all fruit concentrates available in the markets are the same. In fact, they can be categorized into three distinct types: 

100% Juice Concentrates

This type of juice concentrate only contains fruit juices, which means there are no added sugars; only the natural sugars of the fruits are present. It’s supposed to be the best, but even 100% juice concentrate products may contain additives. 

Mixed Juice Concentrates (Punch, Syrup, and Beverages)

Syrups, punches, and beverages are typically made with mixed concentrates. Manufacturers enhance them with added flavors and sweeten them using sugar or artificial sweeteners. These concentrates are commonly used to make drinks in restaurants, bars, and even at home for a dinner party. 

However, they are usually high in sugar and mostly taste less natural. I’d recommend always checking the ingredients and calorie content to avoid excess sugar intake.

Powdered Juice Concentrates

This type of concentrate is made from liquid juice concentrate that is converted into powder through freeze-drying. It may also contain added sugars, flavors, and preservatives. 

And as you can imagine, powdered concentrate is highly processed and doesn’t have the same kind of nutritional integrity as regular or fresh juice.

Is Juice from Concentrate Bad for You?

Juice concentrates, especially those made commercially, have very high sugar content. As a result, drinks made from concentrate can contribute to excessive sugar intake.

Excess sugar consumption is linked to a variety of chronic illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. I wouldn’t recommend consuming juice concentrate on a daily basis because of the high amount of sugar and additives. 

That said, fruit paste or concentrate does have some benefits. They can come in handy in places where fresh fruits may not be available to eat whole or make fresh juice. Plus, juice from concentrate can last for a long time. Its shelf life and affordability make it convenient. 

If you have the option to drink fresh, homemade juice, I’d recommend that over juice concentrate any day. Let’s compare juice from concentrate and fresh juice.

Juice Concentrate vs. Fresh Juice

Fresh juice made from fruits and vegetables is superior to juice concentrate, even those that contain 100% pure juice. 

Let’s see how fresh juice compares to juice concentrate: 

Nutrition

Fresh juices may just pack more nutrients than a glass of juice made from a concentrate. Let me explain. 

When juice concentrate is being made in factories, it goes through different processes that involve heat, like boiling and pasteurising. The heat can damage nutrients like vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and certain antioxidants and enzymes that are heat-sensitive. 

But that’s not the problem if you drink fresh juice made in a cold-press juicer, as it doesn’t involve any kind of heating or oxidation.

Additives 

Juice concentrates often contain additives such as artificial colors and flavors. While some are harmless, others, such as high-fructose corn syrup, can be harmful when consumed regularly. These added ingredients reduce the natural quality of the juice compared to fresh, unprocessed options.

Fresh juice, on the other hand, contains no artificial additives. This makes it a more natural and healthier choice

Quality and Taste

Fresh cold-pressed juice made from natural ingredients delivers superior flavor and aroma compared to juice from concentrate. The difference is noticeable in its freshness, fruit aroma, and balanced taste. 

Concentrates, by contrast, undergo heavy processing that strips away much of the natural flavor and freshness found in juice made directly from fruit.

Ease of Making

Juice concentrate wins in convenience. All you need to do is pour in a few tablespoons of the concentrate into water, stir it, and voila, you have a glass of juice ready. Making fresh juice from scratch takes a little more effort than that. 

However, with the right juicer, making fresh juice at home shouldn’t be time-consuming. For instance, Hurom’s H400 Easy Clean Slow Juicer can easily take whole fruits, which eliminates prep time for you. And as the name suggests, it’s quick and easy to clean. 

How to Make Fruit Juice Concentrate at Home?

You can also make fruit or vegetable juice concentrate at home with a slow juicer. In fact, homemade concentrate juice is much better than store-bought juice concentrate as it won’t have any added sugars or other additives. It’s also a great way to preserve seasonal fruits and enjoy their juice even out of season. 

There are two ways to make juice concentrate: 

Method 1 (Boiling)

This method involves simmering the juice to evaporate excess water, which results in a thicker, more concentrated liquid.

1. Select and prepare the fruit: Choose ripe, fresh, and unblemished fruit. Wash the fruit thoroughly to remove any dirt or residue. For fruits with peels or pits, like citrus fruits, mangoes, or apples, peel and de-seed them. 

2. Extract the juice: Simply feed the ingredients into your Hurom juicer and press the button to extract the juice. You should produce a large batch of juice, as it will reduce in quantity once it becomes concentrated. Generally, the ratio ranges from 4:1 to 6:1 (four liters of fresh juice would make a liter of concentrate). 

3. Water removal:

• Pour the extracted juice into a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

• Place the pot on the stove over low to medium heat.

• Bring the juice to a gentle simmer. Do not let it come to a hard boil, as this can affect the flavor and nutrients.

• Stir occasionally to prevent the juice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

• The goal is to reduce the volume of the liquid significantly as water evaporates. The time can vary depending on the fruit and the amount of juice, but it typically ranges from 30 minutes to an hour. The juice will become thicker, and the color and flavor will become more intense.

4. Cool and store: Once the concentrate has reached your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely. Store the concentrate in an airtight, sterilized glass bottle or jar. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a month or freeze it for longer storage.

Method 2 (Freezing Method)

This method is ideal for fruits like oranges and grapefruit, as it helps preserve the fresh, uncooked flavor. Generally speaking, I’d recommend it for any fruit with a high water content. And since there’s no heat involved, this method is even better. 

It works on the principle that the water in the juice will freeze at a different rate than the concentrated sugars and flavors.

Here’s the process: 

1. Prepare the ingredients and extract the juice: Follow the same steps (1 and 2) as for the boiling method. Extract the juice with your Hurom slow juicer. 

2. Freeze the juice: Pour the fresh juice into an airtight, freezer-safe container. Place it in the freezer and let it freeze completely (this could take up to 24 hours).

3. Partially thaw and collect: Place the frozen block of juice on a strainer set over a bowl. Allow it to melt at room temperature. The concentrated juice will melt first and drip into the bowl, while the clear ice remains above.

4. Repeat for Higher Concentration (Optional): For an even more concentrated juice, you can repeat the process. Pour the liquid collected in the bowl back into a clean freezer container, refreeze it, and then repeat the partial thawing process for even more water extraction. 

5. Store: Pour the final concentrate into a sterilized container and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Choose Fresh Juice, Choose Hurom

Juice concentrates are convenient, especially in places where fresh ingredients may not be available. It’s also cheaper because of the lower transportation costs. 

However, if you have access to fresh fruits or vegetables, I highly recommend making fresh juice, as it’s healthier, tastier, and overall better. 

You can feel the difference between fresh juices and something that’s made from a commercially produced concentrate. Fresh juice has no added sugars or flavor enhancers, only pure, natural fruit.

And all you need is a reliable slow juicer, like the Hurom, to enjoy it at home. Choose the right model for your needs and use it to make fresh juice and even concentrate, anytime.

FAQs

Is orange juice from concentrate bad?

Orange juice from concentrate is not inherently bad, but it may have fewer nutrients than fresh orange juice. Also, the flavor may be different. It is pasteurized and reconstituted with water, which can reduce vitamin C and alter taste. Also, some concentrates have more added sugar for sweetness, which isn’t very healthy. 

What is the difference between juice and juice concentrate?

The main difference is that juice is in its natural liquid form, while juice concentrate has had most of its water removed. Concentrate becomes thicker and is designed to be diluted with water before drinking.

Is juice from concentrate still 100% juice?

Juice from concentrate can still be labeled as 100% juice if no sugar or preservatives are added and it’s reconstituted with only water. The term refers to the purity of the juice, not the method used to process or store it.

What is in a juice concentrate?

Juice concentrate contains fruit juice with most of the water removed. It can also include natural flavors, citric acid, and sometimes added vitamins. 

Does making fruit concentrate remove nutrients?

Making fruit concentrate does remove some nutrients, especially heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C. The commonly used concentration process uses heat, which degrades certain compounds. 

Is sugar added to juice concentrate?

Sugar may be added to a juice concentrate. If it’s labeled 100% fruit concentrate, then there’s no extra sugar added (natural or artificial). Juice beverages or cocktail products typically contain sugar. 

Does concentrate mean fake juice?

Concentrate does not mean fake juice. It’s real juice with water removed and later re-added. The term refers to the preservation and shipping method, not authenticity. 

Can I make juice concentrate in a Hurom juicer?

Yes, you can make juice concentrate with a Hurom juicer. In fact, many of Hurom’s models support batch juicing, so you can juice in large quantities to make a concentrate for later use.