Smoothies are one of the easiest ways you can give yourself a nutritional boost throughout the day. They are a blend of fruits and/or vegetables made into an easy-to-drink beverage.
They give you vitamins and minerals in their richest state for your benefit and delight.
Smoothies are typically morning beverages, perfect for breakfast or an on-the-go snack before work. Some people would love to have a smoothie every day, but the prep takes too much time that they can’t commit to it.
This is where the brilliant idea of freezing your smoothies beforehand comes into play.
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Can You Freeze Smoothies?
The first question to tackle is: Can you freeze your smoothies? And the quick answer is yes.
There are two ways you can go about freezing your smoothies beforehand, both of which will be discussed step-by-step. You can either blend the whole smoothie and store it in the freezer or make portioned packages of the smoothie mix and blend this whenever you’re in the mood for a smoothie.
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Benefits of Freezing Your Smoothies
Having pre-frozen smoothies is the perfect cheat to save on time and effort. One standing of making the packages or blending all of the smoothie mix and you’re good to go for the next few days.
It eliminates the time you need to assemble and make a smoothie every morning so your breakfast schedule is convenient and quicker. Once you have a ready-made smoothie waiting for you, it becomes easier to implement it into your morning routine on a daily basis. That is more nutritional value for you, and a great, healthy drink to start off your day.
How to Freeze a Blended Smoothie
The first method to freezing your smoothie is by first making the smoothie and then freezing it. It’s time-efficient, convenient, and the perfect solution for a cramped schedule. There is, however, the downfall of the smoothie losing its taste and fragrance over time, the quality of your healthy drink steadily depleting.
Step 1) Make Your Smoothie
The first step is to make the actual smoothie. Make sure you have all of your ingredients in the blender and give it a good whirl. Add your additional ingredients and sweeteners such as honey, coffee, vanilla extract, and other flavorings, so you get the final product in its drinkable form.
Step 2) Portion Your Servings
Now it’s time to portion your smoothies by serving. Many people would prefer to use a Mason jar to preserve their smoothie, and this is perfectly acceptable. So long as the Mason jar is not full to the brim, the smoothie will have space to condense and expand once it thaws without the jar cracking. Mason jars are easy to grab and go when you’re short on time.
You can also use Tupperware containers and freezer bags to store your smoothie, whichever is more convenient. Do be sure to check that you’re portioning it by one serving at a time. You only want to thaw enough smoothie that you’re going to drink immediately for best results.
Step 3) Freeze Your Smoothie
Finally, there is freezing the smoothie. All you have to do is make sure your containers, jars, or bags are tucked neatly into your freezer and stored at least a night before you intend on using them for the coolest, creamiest, and yummiest smoothie every day.
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How to Freeze Smoothie Packs
This is the better method since you don’t lose the quality of taste over time, and everything is frozen beforehand
This method is a little different and saves you the issue of smoothie quality depleting over time. There is slightly more effort involved in this preparation method and it’s not as time-efficient as having the proper smoothie ready beforehand.
Step 1) Prepare Smoothie Ingredients
The first step is to prepare your smoothie ingredients. Wash all your fruits beforehand and then peel, slice, and cut them up into usable sizes. Mix everything together once you’re done with this.
Step 2) Flash-Freezing Your Mixture
The next step is to flash-freeze all of your fruits. This means tossing them into the freezer for a couple of hours before assembling the packages. Once the fruits have frozen, mix them up again to get your frozen smoothie mixture.
Step 3) Make Portions and Freeze
Finally, it’s time to portion the mixture and freeze it. Once again, make sure you portion them per serving since you don’t want to take out more than you need with each blend. Once you’ve portioned the mixture it’s ready to go into the freezer until needed.
These are ready to blend as soon as you need them, and you can sprinkle whatever you’re in the mood for on top of the frozen fruits. Honey, coffee, vanilla extract, sweeteners, you can customize the base mixture to your liking.
The results are fresher each day and you get the perfect smoothie to start your day off. There is less worry behind the taste of the smoothie and more concern about enjoying it every morning.
Read More: Smoothie Cubes: Easy Way To Preserve Your Smoothies For Later
What is a Smoothie’s Freezer Life?
This depends on what you’re storing the smoothie in. If you’re making the blended smoothies, then keep in mind that there is dairy present in the smoothie, and a sniff-test before drinking is always recommended.
Ziploc bags and freezer bags will give you one month of proper shelf life before the smoothie goes bad. A Mason jar or Tupperware container will give you three months of shelf-life, but the smoothie may taste very different near the end of its life.
If you’re making packages, then you can leave those for months on end in the freezer, they’ll always be ready and waiting for you. A great idea is to label your bags and containers so you know which ones need to be used first.
Read More: How Long Does Frozen Fruit Last? Simple Freezer Storage Tips
Can Smoothies Be Refrozen?
They can, but they honestly never should. The structure and taste of the smoothie will be ruined if you decide to freeze, thaw, and then re-freeze it again. The moisture, texture, and taste will all be gone and it just won’t be a smoothie anymore. That’s why it’s better to portion your servings so you don’t end up wasting any of the ready-made smoothies.
Read More: How to Thaw Frozen Fruit: 3 Simple Methods
How Do You Defrost Your Smoothie?
Smoothies can be defrosted simply by moving them from the freezer to the fridge one night before you intend on drinking them. This way the smoothie will be cool and creamy once you have it.
If you’re using packets, then take one out a couple of minutes before you blend your smoothie, to prevent the fruits from damaging the blender blades.
If the components of the ready-made smoothie have separated, then a simple stir with a spoon will be enough to fix this.
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Can You Freeze Smoothies: Final Thoughts
Smoothies are a great quick fix for nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. And now that you’ve got your answer for can you freeze smoothies, you can invest some prep time and enjoy one every day.