Q: I was interested in how long your Aloe gel lasts for, both opened kept in a pantry, and unopened kept in a dark basement?
A: Stockton Aloe 1 – 100% Pure Raw Aloe Vera Gel does NOT have a long shelf life. Raw, of course, means that no pasteurization or heat processes of any kind were used in the making of our product. Furthermore, there is nothing in our Aloe Vera to repel nor kill bugs, bacteria, yeast, or fungus except the cold. Our brand really is 100% pure nothing added. If you keep your Stockton Aloe 1 gel for any length of time, you should keep it frozen. Once it is thawed, we recommend you keep it refrigerated and consume it within a week. If you are not going to use it up within 7 days, you can pour it into smaller containers and re-freeze the gel or make aloe vera ice cubes.
Q: I didn’t finish it in 7 days. Should I throw it away?
A: Eventually your aloe will ferment and change quickly. You may notice a slight effervescence one day and a much stronger effervescence the next day. For many, at this point it begins to taste gross. Furthermore, the more change there is, the less your aloe vera represents the reason you purchased it. Fermentation means bacterial growth; and the bacteria are consuming the nutrients that you were hoping to benefit from. If you aren’t going to drink it in 7 to 10 days, on day 1, pour it into smaller containers and refreeze the extra.
On first read, it might sound like our aloe is not good because it doesn’t last. but think about it like this: bacteria and bugs like to eat good things… which is why good things spoil. If the product has a shelf life, it is usually because the bugs and bacteria find it unfit for food.
While we are on the topic of raw… our brand does have a warning label on the bottles. Since 1999, juice manufacturers are required by the FDA to place the following warning statement on raw juice or cider product containers:
WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.
The FDA does NOT require this statement when the juices are fresh squeezed and sold by the glass at a farmers market, roadside juice stand, or similar venue. But if the fresh juice is bottled and placed for sale, the label is required.
WE DO NOT DO THIS TO OUR ALOE
Most commercially available aloe drinks have been pasteurized which kills any naturally occurring friendly bacteria as well as potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, most have also had chemical preservatives added such as Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, or other common preservatives to prevent bacteria from growing in them. When these or similar processes have been performed, the food ceases to be a “live food”; yet, in the case of food products that have been contaminated by harmful bacteria, killing everything ensures safety. There is a trade off, however. That is, most vegetation is healthier in its raw natural state, providing that no harmful contamination has occurred. Furthermore, there is debate over the extent of damage to our natural gut flora from chemicals, including preservatives, in foods.
Most aloe vera products, prior to being preserved, have also been treated with activated carbon and diatomaceous earth. These processing agents are mostly filtered out, however, prior to bottling. There purpose is to remove the outer-leaf “anthraquinones” such as aloin. Aloin can be a potent laxative and ought not be consumed in large quantities. Many beneficial nutrients may also be removed in this decolorization processes.
At Stockton Aloe 1, we feel that the decolorization process is necessary for aloe juices that have not been properly cut and filleted. However, we have found that our clean hand filet process prevents most outer-leaf anti-nutrients from ever getting into our aloe vera gel. Of course, since it is not decolorized, sometimes we have pink aloe vera!
Stockton Aloe 1 aloe vera gel on average contains less than 5 ppm aloin which exceeds the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) standards. We accomplish this WITHOUT decolorization processing. We are unaware of any other commercially available aloe vera products that can make this claim and we are confident that no others exist.
Sources:
http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm110526.htm
can you send it to europe?
I received to bucket this Tuesday and left it out in the garage to thaw (it’s been about 52 degrees in there during the day, colder at night). Today, Friday I opened the bucket because I thought it had fully thawed. However, upon opening I saw there is still a basketball size frozen part in there. Now I’m unsure what to do since the seal is broken and bag has been opened and I did stir in there with the skimmer provided… Should I put it in the fridge to thaw or leave it out in the garage? I will be gone for the next 2 days.
We recommend thawing at room temperature… 70 to 75 degrees for 48 hours… less when it has been in the mail. It’s best to open the bucket immediately up receiving it and feel through the bag to see where it is at… before opening it.
As to what to do now… It depends…. it might be best to pour off what you can and put the rest in something clean that is large enough to hold it. I might melt by night time… but probably not in the garage. That is why we tell people to not thaw in the refrigerator. It just takes too long to thaw in the cold temperatures.
How many time can you defrost and refreeze?
It’s not a matter of how many times you defrost and refreeze. It’s more a matter of how much time it spends thawed, and how high the bacteria counts go.
We recommend thawing one time, and pouring into smaller containers to refreeze ad take out as needed.
How can I tell if the aloe has been in the fridge too long? Color? Odor?
It will ferment… get thinner… and even feel a little effervescent on you tongue. I’ve never known of anyone to get sick from drinking fermented aloe… but as it thins and ferments, many of the reasons you got it are no longer present in the aloe.
Hi There,
I was about to order 2 gallons of Stockton Aloe Vera to Point Roberts WA and then I was a bit concerned about this product’s freshness
after seating a few days in a transit. I suppose your delivery carrier is not equipped with on board refrigeration unit?
I’ve read FAQ on your site and it looks like it can’t even seat in fridge for more than 7 days and you advise to split it into smaller portions?
I’m not sure how this solved so please let me know.
Thanks in advance
Cezar
We ship in styrofoam using FedEx 3 days or less… It might thaw a little on the way, especially during the Summer. Sometimes we use dry ice or use 2-day postage. It is OK to refreeze in smaller portions if you don’t plan on using it up within 7 to 10 days to prevent degradation in the refrigerator.
I just purchased some of your Aloe recently and it took 2 weeks to thaw out in the fridge. How do I know if it is bad? In the future does it have to thaw completely or can it thaw out a bit and I can pour the gel in a smaller container as it thaws or drink it?
It will be fine… though you may have lost some of the potency in the delayed thaw. Next time it is better to leave it out of the fridge for 4 or 5 hours to thaw faster.
Not sure I’m understanding correctly. Your aloe vera is shipped frozen and has no stabilizers, preservatives, or chemicals, plus certified organic, non gmo and third party heavy metal verified?
What is frozen shelf life?
Suffer from arthritis in hips, shoulder spine and shoulders. Have changed my diet. Should I expect help or some type of relief from aloe vera.
Have not taken medication since 2009.
In constant pain and I’m 72 years of age:(
Some people do get significant and even complete relief and some don’t. The frozen shelf life is at least a year.
Our aloe is grown organically but not certified. It is pure with no stabilizers, preservatives, etc… just pure aloe gel. It has not been 3rd party verified. I understand that “The Health Ranger” has a kit you can order for testing your supplements for heavy metals, etc.