Here's Exactly How Long Orange Juice Lasts At Room Temperature

Orange juice is a great way to get a daily dose of vitamin C. It tastes great at breakfast, is nice and refreshing when it's hot out, and is widely popular. With so many orange juice brands available, it's easy to see why this fruit juice has infiltrated into so many kitchens and restaurants around the world.

Despite how commonplace orange juice is, not everyone knows how to properly store it. There are even some who believe orange juice does not need to be stored in the refrigerator. While it is certainly possible to leave opened orange juice out on the counter, this greatly shortens its shelf life. According to advice from the USDA, any kind of refrigerated juice will only last two hours at room temperature. After that, there's an increased risk of bacteria growth, which can lead to illness. 

This advice applies to both pasteurized and fresh orange juice. Certain factors can speed up or slow down the rate at which unrefrigerated orange juice spoils — including exposure to air and the temperature of the room — but either way, the window of time is quite small. It's best to store orange juice in the refrigerator to avoid premature spoilage.

Generally speaking, orange juice should be stored at 32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid spoiling before its time. This cold temperature is key to helping a container of orange juice reach its maximum shelf life, which should be between two and three days for fresh-squeezed juice and up to 10 days for pasteurized juice.

Whether or not orange juice has been opened will also affect its shelf life, as the above time frames apply to juice that has already been opened. Unopened orange juice will keep for longer. It's important to keep orange juice in a well-sealed container once it has been opened to avoid exposing it to the air. If your store-bought orange juice hasn't been opened and was taken from the refrigerated section of the store, it may still be good for two weeks after its date if kept in the fridge. If it was taken from the shelf, it can last for between one and two years if unopened. 

Fresh-squeezed fruit juice is especially prone to going bad if left at room temperature, as bacteria can enter the juice while it's being squeezed. If you accidentally leave out your fresh orange juice for longer than two hours, it's best to toss it. Pasteurized orange juice that has not been opened can simply be put back into the refrigerator, but that is the only exception. Opened pasteurized orange juice, on the other hand, should be treated with caution if left out, since fermentation can affect the taste even without the growth of harmful bacteria.