Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate. An easy substitute for discontinued frozen orange juice concentrate, to use in recipes that call for it undiluted. 

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate.

I’ve received a few inquires lately regarding the discontinuation of Minute Maid Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate. We have a few recipes here that use it, so it was a vadid concern and ine I thought should be address with a suitable substitute that you can easily make at home.

We have used it previously in our recipes fro things like dessert cakes and our Asian inspired Orange Take-Out Chicken. Check below for links to some of  those recipes.

While it is still widely available as of March 2026, a CBC News report from January of this year, says it is due to be discontinued by the end if next month.

Minute Maid Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate found March 2026.

Apparently Minute Maid must have been providing the production of supermarket and No Name brands as well. I have read sources that say those will also be discontinued.

I do like to use it in applications where a distinct orange flavour is needed without the excess liquid that the fruit juice would bring. Orange zest is something I often use as well, but sometimes it isn’t as useful.

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate

I use it in the filling for my Orange Nanaimo bars for example, or as the base for a very intense orange curd. I need a substitute myself, as I do use it quite often.

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate, the solution.

The solution is actually quite simple. Reduce orange juice c=slowly in the stove to concentrate the flavour and reduce the volume.

It worked perfectly for me using this easy method that requires nothing but the time it to simmer. 

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate

I would say that the quality is also netter than frozen concentrate. The factory process involves crushing the entire fruit to extract the juice. 

This means that the bitter white pith if the orange comes into contact with the juice, and can leave some of that bitterness behind. Even in reconstituted juice, I could notice a more bitter aftertaste than from fresh juice.

So, that’s my easy solution. It’s quite easy to make in advance and keep in the freezer for whenever you need it. Mine seems softer and more spoonable, as the photos show.

That makes it more practical for adding small amounts to sauces or frostings for example.

Simmer slowly.

Carefully skim foam from the surface as it develops.

Measure to get the proper final concentration.

As promised here are some of those recipes we have used it in before over the years on Rock Recipes.

Orange Creamsicle Cake.

Easy Orange Creamsicle Cake.

Take Out Style Orange Chicken.

Oven Baked Take Out Style Orange Chicken

Chocolate Orange Nanaimo Bars

Chocolate Orange Nanaimo Bars

Newfoundland Christmas Slush.

Newfoundland Christmas Slush.

Orange Curd Meringue Tart

Orange Curd Meringue Tart.

Like this Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate idea?

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Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate

Yield: 10 oz

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Homemade Orange Juice Concentrate. An easy substitute for discontinued frozen orange juice concentrate ,to use in recipes that call for it undiluted. 

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Ingredients

• 40 oz fresh orange juice

Instructions

1. You can basically make any amount you need using this method. You just need to use 4 times the amount of juice for the required measurement of frozen orange juice concentrate. If you only need 1/2 a cup for a particular recipe, just reduce 2 cups, for example,
2. I've used the 40 oz in the recipe as a guide, because that will reduce to 10 oz, which is the size of a standard can of frozen orange juice.
3. The time to reduce the juice to a concentrate will therefore vary depending on how much you are making. Smaller amounts will reduce much quicker.
4. The size of the pan you are using will also affect the time it takes to reduce the juice, Using a wider pot will allow it to reduce more quickly.
5. Use a non-reactive pot, some metal pots can leave a metallic taste because of the high acid content reacting with it. I used a ceramic lined Dutch oven. Non stick coated cookware, like a saute pan works well too.
6. Simply simmer the orange juice over medium heat until the amount reduces to 1/4 of the volume.
7. When foam forms on top skim it several times if necessary. This ensures the concentrate does not become cloudy when finished.
8. Store in airtight plastic containers in the freezer.
9. Use as directed in any recipe that calls for frozen orange juice concentrate.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 66Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gSodium 3mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 0gSugar 12gProtein 1g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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