Can you Freeze Smoothies?

Smoothies have become very popular in recent years. Many people have one for breakfast to get some of their five a day. You can sneak almost any fruit and many vegetables into them while still making them taste good. Having enough fruit and vegetables a day reduces the risk of chronic disease like heart problems and diabetes, and helps you maintain a healthy body weight. A smoothie also gives you a boost to face the day.

However, perhaps you haven’t got the time to chop the fruit and vegetables in the morning before you go to work. What is the solution? That’s easy. You can freeze smoothies and keep them in the freezer for up to three months. You have two choices. You can either freeze smoothies blended or in packs of chopped fruit or vegetables ready to be blended (see also Is Freezing Fruit Juice A Good Idea?). In this article we will take a look at how to freeze smoothies and how to defrost them.

Freezing Smoothies

You will definitely feel the benefit of freezing smoothies. For a start you will be able to get an extra ten minutes in bed. Let’s take a look at the two methods of freezing smoothies.

Freezing Blended Smoothies

You can prepare lots of fruits and vegetables in advance, blend them, and then freeze the smoothies. However, the taste of the smoothies may deteriorate the longer they are kept in the freezer. However, if you prepare enough smoothies on a Sunday for the week ahead, they should be fine and retain their nutrients. This is how to do it..

Make the Smoothies. Chop the fruit or vegetables and then blend them with a liquid such as yogurt or juice. You should get a smooth thick liquid.
Portion the Smoothies. Put the smoothies into airtight containers or thick freezer bags. The bags must be thick otherwise they could split and leave a mess in your freezer. If you are putting the smoothies into bags, make sure that you squeeze out as much air as possible otherwise the smoothie might not be as tasty or nutritional. Too much air can ruin anything that has been frozen. It is a good idea to freeze as much of the mixture as you need for one serving in each container or bag. Then there will be no wastage.

Freezing Smoothie Packs

Personally we think that it is better to freeze smoothie ingredients in packs. If you freeze a blended smoothie you can lose some of the flavor, but if you freeze just the ingredients, the flavor will be retained. This is the way to do it.

Prepare the Ingredients. Get all your fruit and vegetables ready. Some you may have to peel, others you may need to slice or chop and others, like berries, will just need to be washed.
Flash Freeze the Fruit or Vegetables. You don’t want them to stick together when they are in the bag, so the best way to avoid this is to put all the pieces on a baking tray and then freeze them for about two hours. Make sure that none of the pieces are touching.
Mix the Fruit or Vegetables Together. Put the pieces in a bowl and mix thoroughly. You want them to be mixed so that you get a good mixture of fruit or vegetables in each bag.
Put the Pieces in Freezer Bags. The next step is to put the pieces into bags. To save wastage, you will want to put a serving size into each bag. 125 gr is about the right amount.

When you want a smoothie, all you have to do is take a bag out of the freezer and put it in the blender with a liquid. You can choose what liquid to use. Water is, of course, a healthy option which doesn’t add any calories. Another option is coconut water. You could use coconut milk but this is high in calories although it does have nutrients. Another option is fresh juice. You just need to choose a juice that goes well with the fruits in your smoothie (see also Freezing Blackcurrants). You can use milk, but this is higher in calories. However, it does add creaminess to your smoothie. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, use soy, almond, or oat milk. Green tea is a great choice as it is full of antioxidants. Finally, yogurt is another healthy option although you might have to add a bit of water as well as it is quite thick.

For How Long Can You Freeze Smoothies?

If you are freezing pieces of fruit and vegetables, they can last for between eight and ten months in the freezer if they are flash frozen.

However, what about blended smoothies? Most smoothies with a dairy base will only last for up to a month in the freezer if you are freezing it in a plastic bag. If you are using green tea or water, it will last for up to three months.

If you use mason jars to store your smoothies, they will last for up to three months whether they are dairy based or not. This is because they have a tight seal.

Tips For Freezing Smoothies

Make sure that you label your jars and plastic bags with the date and contents so that you know what you have frozen and that you don’t keep them in there long after they should have been used.
It is better to create smoothie packs rather than blended smoothies as blended smoothies can lose their flavor to some extent.
You don’t need to defrost fruit or vegetable pieces. Just throw them straight into the blender with your liquid of choice.
Why not try making smoothie lollies. Just pour the liquid into a lolly mould and freeze. You will get a much healthier and tastier lolly than those you can buy in the supermarket.

Defrosting Smoothies

If you have frozen your smoothie ready-blended, just take the plastic bag or jar out of the freezer the night before you want to drink it and let it defrost in the fridge. It will be ready to use at breakfast time. It can separate while thawing but if you give it a stir it should regain its proper consistency.

However, if you’re using a smoothie pack, you don’t even need to defrost it. Just put the pieces of fruit or vegetables in a blender, add the liquid you want to use, and whizz. It will take hardly any time at all before your smoothie is ready.

Refreezing Blended Smoothies

So can you refreeze your blended smoothies? You can, but it’s not a great idea. For a start, if you refreeze your smoothie it can lose some of the moisture so it will become dry. Secondly, if you have used fruit, it can start to ferment. The best thing to do is to freeze the smoothies in one serving packs.

Is it a Good Idea to Freeze Smoothies?

Yes, it is a good idea to freeze smoothies, not least because it will save you time in the morning. However, we do think that it is better to freeze smoothie packs rather than blended smoothies. Blended smoothies can lose some of their flavor in the freezer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully this article has helped you if you want to freeze smoothies. However, you may want to know more so here are some questions that may help.

Does freezing get rid of the nutrients?

Most products that are frozen do lose some nutrients and this goes for smoothies as well. However, the loss is small so you don’t have to worry too much about it.

What are good examples of smoothies?

There are so many different concoctions that you can make. Why not try strawberries, mixed with milk, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Alternatively, try avocado, vanilla yogurt, milk, and honey. Another good one is mango, banana, plain yogurt, and an orange (see also Can You Freeze Mandarins) and mango juice blend.

Isn’t it risky freezing smoothies in glass mason jars?

You might be worried that glass will crack when put in the freezer. However, this only usually happens when you fill the jar to the top. This is because liquid expands when frozen. The answer is simple. Don’t fill your mason jar to the top.