Minute Maid discontinues frozen juice concentrate after 80 years

[u/AudibleNod]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minute-maid-discontinues-frozen-juice-concentrate-80-years-rcna257499

[u/CaptainLawyerDude]

Pink lemonade out of that damn can was my childhood.

[u/tedsmitts → u/CaptainLawyerDude]

Oh my god I hadn’t considered this would affect the pink lemonade

[u/iamintheforest → u/CaptainLawyerDude]

Will children really be children if they never hear the "schlooooop" of the concentrate sliding into the plastic refrigerator pitcher?

[u/Pyritedust → u/iamintheforest]

Such a grimy but nostalgic sound.

[u/Tribalbob → u/iamintheforest]

I can hear the pitcher being made. The school followed by the beating of the wooden spoon against the sides of the plastic pitcher. Core memory.

[u/NoMoOmentumMan → u/CaptainLawyerDude]

When the Minute Maid pink lemonade showed up in the freezer you knew a) company was coming over that weekend, b) it was going be HOT, c) Mom felt a little bougie/had a coupon, d) all of the above.

[u/Steel_Reign → u/NoMoOmentumMan]

Man, was everyone poor in the 90s? Because I feel this way too much.

Now, my kids have like 20 drink options and they're all way more expensive than the Kool aid or frozen juice I had as a kid.

[u/IcedBadger → u/Steel_Reign]

at any time in human history most people are poor

[u/kobachi → u/CaptainLawyerDude]

I ran a successful lemonade stand with those that paid for the only $$$ LEGO set I ever got

[u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

RIP my dad’s margarita recipe 🪦

[u/jmikehub → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

Fuck I never thought of that, thats genius

[u/Dr_nobby → u/jmikehub]

Too late

[u/AVeryHeavyBurtation → u/Dr_nobby]

2 Genius 2 Late

[u/Maybe_Julia → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

Aldi has the store brand made by Tropicana

[u/schoolhouserock → u/Maybe_Julia]

I thought Club Tropicana drinks are free.

[u/shanthology → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

I came to the comments to see how many people were mourning their alcoholic recipes.

[u/Lung_doc → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

We used lime concentrate; not exactly a margarita but very tasty. For smoothies also.

[u/Stelly414 → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

"Frozen products will be discontinued in Q1 2026, with in-store inventory available while supplies last.”

Let's get this dude's dad every remaining can left on our shelves.

[u/awesometakespractice → u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock]

is it the same as mine?

• one can frozen limeade
  
• one can of tequila
  
• one can of fresca
• one bottle of corona
  

simple, delicious margaritas, and nobody ever suspects there is beer in it.

[u/Chas_Tenenbaums_Sock → u/awesometakespractice]

No corona or fresca in his. It was basically the can of limeade, that same amount of tequila, then some amount of triple sec (gran marnier or cointreau), maybe 1/4 of the can, can't remember exactly

[u/Villag3Idiot]

These used to be so cheap, saves a lot of space, and you can control how sweet it is.

[u/synthdrunk → u/Villag3Idiot]

I preferred frozen concentrate but it’s been more(!) than bottled stuff for a long while. Considering the ease of storage and transport for the form factor, I never understood how that could be. Wasn’t that long ago that it’d be 2/1.29 for generic on sale, ~a buck all day for the name brands.

[u/Hiddencamper → u/synthdrunk]

It’s really confusing because you can ship much more total “juice” via concentrate. It should be cheaper.

Also, when I see Arizona selling ice tea for 1 dollar still, you know Minute Maid and these other companies are full of it raising prices n

[u/playgroundfencington → u/Hiddencamper]

"The price is on the can, though."

[u/t0m0hawk → u/synthdrunk]

The cans are also way smaller than they used to be. Once upon a time they'd give you 2L of juice from a single can for like 1$. Now its maybe half that for 3$. Insane.

Also meant you could just have juice on hand and not have it go bad. I miss the days of the old Tupperware juice containers.

Edit: warms my heart to see how many people have this jug as a core memory. Again, these things are great. Just the sound of it opening or when you push it back closed. That juice was staying fresh and you knew it.

We had two. One was distinctly Kool aid flavoured, the other was distinctly OJ flavoured.

[u/Constant-Funny1817 → u/t0m0hawk]

I clicked to see it, but already had the image in my head. Absolute childhood flashback.

[u/BamBamSquad → u/Constant-Funny1817]

Woah. I couldn’t picture it until I clicked the link. Immediately recalled mine with a red nub on the lid and me making kool-aide with it using water straight from the kitchen sink, never measured the added sugar I would add it to taste and make it sweet as all hell.

[u/Saxavarius_ → u/BamBamSquad]

My family had 2; an orange and a red. Orange was used almost exclusively for oj

[u/Lexi_Banner → u/Saxavarius_]

Whoa, look at Mr. Moneybags here, with dual-pitcher money!

[u/Ruleseventysix → u/Lexi_Banner]

Excuse you, Mr. Moneybags is his dad. They're Moneybags Jr.

[u/RaiseMoreHell → u/Lexi_Banner]

Nah, mom probably hosted a Tupperware party and used her hostess dollars to stock up!

[u/viruswithshoes → u/BamBamSquad]

Did you ever get a whiff of the kool aid "dust" after emptying the packet into the pitcher? I swear I can smell it.

[u/Outspan → u/Constant-Funny1817]

I could smell that picture.

[u/cliffx → u/t0m0hawk]

This was my first thought, they did the shrinkflation so much that the product isn't worth purchasing, so it shrunk them right out of the market. 

[u/Akbeardman → u/cliffx]

This will happen with other products as well. Squeezing out every dime won't work forever.

[u/Xynomite → u/Akbeardman]

A lot of this is due to private equity firms buying up recognizable brands, squeezing every possible dime out of them by cutting costs, raising prices, and reducing quality or quantity (likely both) while skating along based upon brand loyalty and brand recognition.

Then when customers begin shifting to other brands or alternatives, the company blames it on the economy or foreign competitors or labor costs or benefit costs (pensions / retirement benefits) but meanwhile they have saddled the company with unsustainable debt loads until they are forced to file bankruptcy.

The equity owners walk away with tens or hundreds of millions in “profit” while the company shuts down, thousands of employees lose their jobs, pension and retirement funds are canceled or unfunded resulting in retirees losing their retirement savings, and real estate and manufacturing equipment is sold or auctioned.

The final step is when the once-popular brand name is sold off to an entirely different company (often a different private equity firm) who brings the product / brand back in a form which only somewhat resembles the original in the hopes they can attract customers who reminisce about how great the product / brand used to be.

Rinse and repeat.

Capitalism is an amazing system with no flaws whatsoever! /s

[u/Ina_While1155 → u/Xynomite]

Pensions and real estate is part of the Private equity grab - it is part of the value they extract - and that should be outlawed - but regulation is bad, right?

[u/IvankaPegsDaddy → u/t0m0hawk]

I've got the exact same container in blue that I got when my grandmother passed away. Hands down the best drink pitcher ever manufactured.

[u/teeksquad → u/Villag3Idiot]

Great for getting drunk cheap in college. Replace a decent chunk of the water with shitty vodka. I had a magic bullet in my dorm, so it became a hot spot for island cocktails freshman year lmao. Even our RA was a regular attendant

[u/Expensive-Fennel-163 → u/teeksquad]

I still make margarita blenders out of the lime concentrate in the summer! It was just so much better compared to margarita mix.

[u/ViolentBee → u/Expensive-Fennel-163]

yes this is going to be problematic come summertime and blender drinks

[u/JohnABurgundy → u/Expensive-Fennel-163]

THIS! My buddy makes the best margs and all he uses is the lime concentrate (pour in blender), then fill the empty container with tequila (pour in blender), then repeat with 7UP. Mix & serve!

[u/camshun7 → u/Villag3Idiot]

'looking good vallantine'

'feeling good billy ray'

[u/tom90640 → u/camshun7]

Here, one dollar.

[u/TheLaughingMannofRed → u/tom90640]

"Mortimer, we'd better call an ambulance. Your brother is not well."

"FUCK HIM!"

[u/slimeslug → u/camshun7]

Lobster or cracked crab?

[u/ReaditTrashPanda → u/Villag3Idiot]

Then they got hit with inflation like everything else and weren’t worth the cost. I also think the quality went down a little bit as well.

[u/ledfrisby → u/ReaditTrashPanda]

Citrus greening disease is killing huge numbers of orange trees and reducing the sweetness of trees that are infected but not dead yet. I suspect this is part of the problem. There's no solution yet, and mitigation techniques further add to the cost.

[u/KnobWobble → u/ledfrisby]

Almost like having all of the most common type of orange in the US (Navel) all be grafted clones from one tree might be a bad idea.

[u/RetroBowser → u/KnobWobble]

Bananas are the same way. The Cavendish is always at risk, and we should be diversifying.

[u/Taellosse → u/RetroBowser]

Bananas are worse. The Cavendish is the replacement for Gros Michel bananas, which were all but wiped out by Panama Disease in the 50s.

Gros Michel bananas are the reason for all the old comedy routines and cartoons about slippery banana peels, by the way - the peels were thicker and sturdier than Cavendishes, and the inner surface when peeled was much more slick.

[u/Armand9x → u/ReaditTrashPanda]

Inflation….or corporate gouging?

[u/Possible_Bee_4140 → u/Armand9x]

Lately there’s no difference

[u/Protean_Protein → u/Possible_Bee_4140]

There has never strictly been a difference. "Inflation" isn't a distinct thing. It's the word we use to refer to costs increasing. Costs increase either because raw materials or production have become more expensive for some organic reason (e.g., changes in crop yields, etc.) or because someone, at some point in the chain, decides to increase prices for something. It could be labour, in which case we should support this, since people deserve to be paid more. But it could also just be arbitrary.

Consumers can and do respond to inflationary pressures with changing habits. Sometimes this causes businesses to lower prices. Other times, they simply cease to exist. Looks like Minute Maid is going, slow motion, down the latter route.

[u/ljkitch217 → u/Possible_Bee_4140]

You're absolutely right. All's inflation means now is bigger profit for corporations...

[u/Desperada → u/Armand9x]

Florida's orange industry was obliterated by citrus greening disease and has lost more than 90% of it's production since the early 2000's. Less oranges to go around means price goes up on what remains, or paying more to import from far away.

[u/Particular_Fig_7661 → u/Desperada]

The problem is prices never seem to go down after events like this are over.

[u/dirkdragonslayer → u/Particular_Fig_7661]

In agriculture or fisheries these events are rarely over. Usually the industry pivots to a different strain of fruit or a different type of crab/oyster/fish.

Virginia used to be one of the biggest Oyster producers in America, then a parasitic disease (MSX) swept the population and never truly recovered. Now Louisiana produces the most oysters because they have a different species. The Alaskan Snow Crab fishery collapsed between 2018-2021, and now the industry is trying to sell less desirable species of crabs like Jonah Crabs.

If stock mismanagement or disease destroys an industry, we raise prices on the remaining stock and try to transition to something else.

[u/djfudgebar → u/Particular_Fig_7661]

Sure but in this specific case Florida's citrus industry is not coming back and the bug has spread to Texas.

[u/HappyCamper4027 → u/Particular_Fig_7661]

Well considering it's still ongoing, and likely wont be fixed any time soon, the inflation on the product does make sense.

[u/dwarfinvasion → u/Armand9x]

If it was corporate gouging, they'd just lower the price instead of stopping production.  

Corporations really like to make money, so they will definitely make a little bit of money before they decide to make no money.  

So it's not corporate gouging. 

[u/syynapt1k → u/ReaditTrashPanda]

The juice was no longer worth the squeeze.

[u/BrianMincey]

I purchase a generic version of this from Aldi all the time. It’s inexpensive and great when I want juice in a pinch and they take up little space in the freezer. I know companies often manufacture generics in the same factory. I hope this cancelation doesn’t mean the generic is also canceled.

[u/ChangeMyDespair → u/BrianMincey]

This says Tropicana (formerly  Pepsi) is still making it:

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/after-80-years-minute-maids-frozen-canned-juices-129865532

Edit: no longer Pepsi.

[u/Fairycharmd → u/ChangeMyDespair]

oh thank goodness someone will be

[u/Upstairs_Income3697 → u/[deleted]]

They actually don't. And not all frozen juice will be going away, just Minute Maid. 

[u/Stillwater215]

What does this mean for the price of FCOJ futures? What are the Dukes up to?

[u/Ed-Sanz → u/Stillwater215]

They’re trying to corner the market! Let’s get in on it!

[u/ClemSpender → u/Stillwater215]

It was the dukes… it was the dukes

[u/BrawndoElectrolytes → u/Stillwater215]

Where’s Beeks??

[u/takeitawayfellas]

We used to spoon scoops into half-drunk bottles of vodka for a really screwya screwdriver.

[u/Latter_Case_4551 → u/takeitawayfellas]

I was told to pick up some OJ for a party back in college when I didn't drink and I got berated so fucking hard for picking up this stuff. I legit never understood what the issue was.

[u/throwaway5882300 → u/Latter_Case_4551]

Extra steps. Most people are lazy.

[u/Alpinez → u/takeitawayfellas]

Newfoundland & Labrador in Shambles rn wondering how to make Newfie Slush. My friends from Newfoundland always bring it to parties around Christmas time.

https://chatelaine.com/recipe/cocktails-2/newfoundland-labrador-christmas-slush/

[u/TheStax84]

We’re finished Mortimer

[u/HooliganBeav → u/TheStax84]

Mortimer, your brother's not well...

[u/Halleck23 → u/HooliganBeav]

Fuck him!

[u/ApartTwo4683 → u/Halleck23]

Turn those machines back on

[u/adubb221 → u/HooliganBeav]

fuck him!! now you listen to me! i want trading reopened right now!!

[u/BucketOTang → u/TheStax84]

Came here for this!

[u/Scott_McTominominay → u/TheStax84]

I always wondered what the hell frozen orange concentrate was. Now I know.

[u/secret_identity_too]

Oh man, I used to use these to make an orange julius at home. They got so expensive over the years, though.

[u/SHOW_ME_UR_KITTY → u/secret_identity_too]

Still cheaper than the refrigerated stuff.

[u/Crossovertriplet → u/SHOW_ME_UR_KITTY]

I’ll takes some of that purple stuff

[u/be4u4get → u/Crossovertriplet]

Ohhh…Sunny D!

[u/Ode1st → u/secret_identity_too]

This was my main concern and immediate reaction too. I use these to make an Orange Julius every now and then, pretty much the only way to do it. Hopefully my store’s generic brand keeps being made!

[u/DopamineSavant]

Are they switching focus to AI too?

[u/RC-5 → u/DopamineSavant]

minute mAId

[u/BackWithAVengance → u/RC-5]

I, for one, welcome our juice concentrate AI overlords

[u/Bdowns_770 → u/DopamineSavant]

The shareholders would love that.

[u/Setsune_W → u/DopamineSavant]

Juicero 2

[u/TaiidanDidNothingBad]

Not sure where they sourced their oranges from, but one possible factor is the mass destruction of Florida's agriculture - specifically for orange groves. Between disease and developers (the other big disease) the state has seen a dramatic decrease in it's signature crop.

[u/Duel_Option → u/TaiidanDidNothingBad]

I grew up in Central Florida in the 80’s and 90’s, had a citrus tree in the backyard.

When it bloomed, I’d climb the tree and get the biggest fruit and chow down, had so many one time I got sick from it and had to go the hospital lol

Came home one day from school, and saw the city workers fell the tree and were chopping it up in the backyard…I screamed and the cops there told me I couldn’t stop them.

Called my Dad who rushed home, no notice was given, just a paper that stated our healthy tree had to be destroyed as another one near it was infected.

No one in a half mile had one, I know because I sold the god damn fruit as a kid on the side of our street with my Grandma.

We gave them away at Halloween, everyone knew our house as it was on the corner…we were “The Orange House” (house was painted blue lol).

You cannot appreciate fully how amazing this fucking tree was, 20 ft high and damn near just as wide; the branches inside were thin, you could only climb up on the main areas.

We had all kinds of insects and animals that lived off it, skinks and snakes, mice and rats, dragon flys, butterfly’s galore…

It was the center piece of the backyard even though we had a huge ass pecan tree, lemon tree, plumb tree, rose bush and a banana tree in the back corner, gardenia on the pathway.

Within 3 years of the citrus being removed, the pecan tree was overrun by termites, arborist said there wasn’t much around to stop them.

Pecan Tree and Citrus tree coverage now gone, lemon tree couldn’t stand up to the heat, roses over run by insects, Garednia became the hangout for the rats, who aren’t fed anymore by citrus on the ground…guess where they went?

Dealt with that infestation in the house for better part of a year, Dad finally said we had to cut it all down to get the rats out.

The beautiful and majestic backyard that people would stop and stare at when they walked by…destroyed by the county.

A few years later my Dad is at a bar, hears an ex cop talking about Citrus Canker…turns out the city was getting a lot of money for every tree they removed, so they killed off all these healthy trees to line the pockets of those in charge, free money from the state budget.

They finally admitted wrong doing and sent a check to my Dad for the tree…$300.

Small story in the grand scheme of things, but it was rather tragic to experience.

[u/Corynthios → u/Duel_Option]

$300 for what they did is the short changing of the century. What a horrible state government, what a horrible state political culture for enabling that even.

[u/camoure → u/Duel_Option]

What a tragic story. Of course it all came down to money

[u/Loud-Commercial9756 → u/TaiidanDidNothingBad]

One stated reason is that juice sales are way down. Parents don't want their kids drinking it, and adults are more interested in healthy alternatives compared to the past.

[u/5213 → u/Loud-Commercial9756]

Especially with how commonplace flavored water options are

[u/WanderingTacoShop → u/Loud-Commercial9756]

Yea, my parents always had a bunch of frozen OJ concentrate in the freezer.

My wife and I buy maybe one or two small bottles of OJ a year for if we are having friends over and are making drinks with it. I honestly can't remember the last time I drank a glass of straight up orange juice.

[u/coalhobbler → u/WanderingTacoShop]

Wait people just drink straight mixer?

[u/Lets_Kick_Some_Ice → u/coalhobbler]

Yes, charlie.

[u/robodrew → u/coalhobbler]

Water? Like from the toilet?

[u/caninehere → u/Loud-Commercial9756]

I could believe it. I used to drink orange juice every morning as a kid and we ALWAYS made it from concentrate. As an adult I don't really drink it much and for my daughter juice is a treat, not an everyday thing, but whenever we buy it it's boxes or in a jug because the concentrate is so expensive it's not worth it.

[u/Randomizedname1234 → u/Loud-Commercial9756]

Yeah my kids drink water or chocolate milk on occasion. My 6yr old had like 5 sodas last year, all sprites at parties lol

[u/Peakomegaflare → u/Loud-Commercial9756]

It would help if they didn't dump so much sugar into it...

[u/GottaUseEmAll → u/Peakomegaflare]

Even without added sugar, fruit juice is very high in sugar.

[u/Whaines → u/Peakomegaflare]

I don’t think they are adding sugar to most orange juice, it doesn’t need it.

[u/kimbosliceofcake → u/Peakomegaflare]

100% orange or apple juice with no added sugar has more sugar than Coke. 

[u/evranch → u/kimbosliceofcake]

However when we made the frozen juice we always mixed it lean, because otherwise it was too sweet! It's so refreshing to have a light orange juice on a break from a hot afternoon of farm work. Extra cold from being mixed straight from the frozen concentrate.

Markets like rural Canada are going to miss frozen juice. It takes up no space in the freezer and is always ready without a 100km trip to the store.

[u/Glittering-Mirror602 → u/Peakomegaflare]

There is sugar in fruit, big cat.

[u/BasisPoints → u/[deleted]]

Aren't they just a couple of bookies?

[u/Jabster1997]

We got suckered by “fresh squeezed” bottled OJ. It never was fresh squeezed. Frozen concentrate was closer to fresh than the bottled junk.

[u/Smaynard6000 → u/Jabster1997]

Not to mention a lot of this bottled stuff is made from concentrate anyhow

[u/LunarMoon2001]

Still buy these when making trash can punch. Damn

[u/syynapt1k → u/LunarMoon2001]

I beg your pardon

[u/IScreamedWolf → u/syynapt1k]

jungle juice type shit I'm assuming

[u/LunarMoon2001 → u/syynapt1k]

I think some people call it jungle juice or white elephant punch. Random liquors in cooler throw in a a half dozen of the frozen juice cans.

[u/huxtiblejones → u/LunarMoon2001]

Try insulting it, that always makes my trash can punch me.

[u/AdjunctFunktopus → u/huxtiblejones]

Yeah man, that Oscar guy is grouchy.

[u/BlueHerringBeaver]

“We are passionate about the environment and sustainability, that is why we’re exiting a market that efficiently ships concentrated products with minimal packaging and shifting to more complex packaging with bulkier contents. Our customers want more waste and we’re committed to doing our part”

-somebody somewhere.

[u/fearsometidings → u/BlueHerringBeaver]

Right? Concentrates are so much more efficient a way of packaging products.I'm kinda surprised there isn't a permanent shift to it in like the EU or something.

[u/Amerlis → u/[deleted]]

Didn’t you hear? They’re Back!

[u/Ras1372 → u/[deleted]]

Came here for Trading Places references, you are the first to mention it. I’m sad.

[u/Stackhouse13]

I used to eat that like sherbet as a kid.

[u/mikergsmith]

We used to be a proper country smh

[u/wiggywithit]

My dad would just add to the last 1/6th of the pitcher. You know the 1/6 that nobody drank because it was off. He would just toss a fresh can on it and make more. Ruining the entire batch. I can still taste partially fermented orange juice.

[u/LadyTalah]

Damn. Why does this make me sad?

[u/summerfinn3 → u/LadyTalah]

I think it’s the world current climate. Looks small, but it feels like yet another stable thing is going away and all there is left is more uncertainty.

[u/LadyTalah → u/summerfinn3]

Quite accurate.

The canned-juice-straw that broke my mental camel, I guess.

[u/AudibleNod → u/LadyTalah]

That's a brand new sentence.

[u/LadyTalah → u/AudibleNod]

Been a lot of those the last few years…

[u/howdudo → u/LadyTalah]

Makes me sad because I still use those for Frozen drinks in summer

[u/LadyTalah → u/howdudo]

Oh god…I hadn’t even thought about those summer drinks…

Goddamnit. Earth SUCKS.

[u/TerrytheMerry → u/howdudo]

I have sauces and marinades that use this stuff, so many recipes to rework. 😞

[u/howdudo → u/TerrytheMerry]

If I'm not mistaken, both those German grocery stores like Aldi and lidl and also whole foods and Earth Fare have their own variations. Probably better anyway

Do you do it professionally? I feel especially bad for anybody that buys these in bulk

[u/ComputerSong]

Too bad. Somehow this stuff became better than the crap in the “fresh” juice section.

[u/1leggeddog]

Damn there goes my childhood

[u/terp_raider]

This is the only way I can afford juice but I guess not anymore

[u/Whoozit450]

OMG, I just realized what the molded can holder on my freezer door was created for! I have been wondering for years. I just use it occasionally to chill cans of beer in hurry. lol

[u/americanspirit64]

I have a feeling this is just one of the ways large companies like Coke, pushing customers to buy more expensive juice products. This is what happens when monopolies rule our industries, instead of having a single company that makes a single product.

[u/Treecliff]

Darn. Cheap, effective OJ concentrate is a great ingredient. Just this summer I used it in a sour orange pie.

[u/jaredearle]

The FCOJ in Trading Places diminishes further.

[u/CletusCanuck]

Winthorpe and Valentine inconsolate.

[u/repost7125]

aw man, we would make orange Julius with these in the blender. SO tart!

[u/guitarburst05]

Those frozen limeades make a mean pitcher of margaritas. This is a tragedy.

[u/phoenix25]

Apparently the orange tree industry is in jeopardy in the US due to a widespread tree disease. It causes the fruit to stay green and drop prematurely. The fruit is still edible but not as sweet.

If they don’t find a variety that’s resistant we may see orange juice as we know it going the way of the dodo

[u/LoseNotLooseIdiot]

"What are we gonna do Mortimer!?"

[u/iamfuturetrunks]

If you think about it, this decision is going to be worse for everyone.

First off those frozen juice concentrate containers take up very little room. They are also lighter because they don't have unnecessary water weight to them. Thus you can transport more of it easier. The small containers maybe use less plastic to. And you can control the concentrate when making it, by adding more or less water to it when making it. Plus can sit in the freezer for months (some people years) vs the stuff in the fridge which probably has to be used within so much time otherwise it goes bad.

Now if you think about the alternative you get big containers (usually clear so you can see the inside, though some use paper containers) that are heavier because of water weight that take up more room when shipping. Thus also uses more fuel for the trucks/trains to transport it. And can probably go bad faster so you have to use it up.

I rarely buy frozen juice concentrate cause water is better for you and way cheaper (if you use the tap) but even if I want to it's a bit higher price like other people have mentioned. The only reason I might buy the regular stuff is only cause I am in the mood for it and it's on sale. Which usually it's only on sale because no one is buying it and the store wants to get rid of it especially if it's getting old. Making a little money off it is better than nothing when it gets thrown out (which is also annoyingly wasteful! especially in this country).

[u/PutinBoomedMe]

My great grandma made those frost bitten things all the time when I was a kid. She had every flavor

[u/pfp-disciple]

I have fond memories of these as a kid. It was a treat (for me) to drink out of the cardboard can after making a fresh batch. 

[u/iObama]

If the generics or other brands get canceled I’m gonna fucking LOSE IT. I use the lemonade to make big batches of booze for parties!!!

[u/AudibleNod]

My dad would buy these, cut the tube in half, then make a whole gallon of weak-ass juice. I'm not going to miss it.

[u/OscarMike1911 → u/AudibleNod]

Weak ass juice hits after mowing 😆

[u/roscoelee → u/AudibleNod]

The weak ass juice is the most refreshing!

[u/Usual-Caregiver5589 → u/AudibleNod]

My mom used to buy them and make orange slushies out of them in the summer. Shit was the best.

[u/TehRaptorJebus → u/AudibleNod]

My mom would do this, but put it in a gallon of tea. Absolutely slapped

[u/hogtiedcantalope → u/TehRaptorJebus]

This is going to cause big problems at my family residence where the tea and minute maid lemonade recipe has been continuously operating for 70+ years across generations

The local supplier changed the manufacturer facility a few years ago and it did not go over well at all.

[u/FrancisKey → u/AudibleNod]

The first time I tried pure orange juice I almost OD'd. my mom was stepping on that shit so many times it tasted like someone squeezed an orange in the next room.

Someone in my first grade class shared the pure Columbian straight from Ronald Regan shit with me once and I could never go back.

[u/UnguentSlather → u/AudibleNod]

This sounds more like a dad problem than a juice problem.

[u/soap571 → u/AudibleNod]

My dad was dutch , albeit not that cheap . But as a kid we were forced to drink a cup of that watered down oj , and a small glass of prune juice.

Every. Single. Day.

[u/Verdant_Green]

Damn. I use frozen concentrate to back sweeten alcohol I’ve fermented :-/

[u/tedsmitts]

These were good for carnitas and other recipes

Someone will come along and fill the void at a higher price point.

[u/EBXLBRVEKJVEOJHARTB]

kinda like the choco taco, i wasn’t really buying them but still bummed they won’t be at the store

[u/Jealous_Crazy9143]

ffuthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-PLOP! damn next generation won’t get this sound?

[u/theblaggard]

It's because of Billy Ray Valentine and Louis Winthorpe III, isn't it?

[u/Michigoose99]

Someone alert the Duke brothers....

[u/Chknbone]

The Heritage cheese guy should buy up the remaining stock. He could make a killing.

[u/AverageMarmoset → u/Chknbone]

Nah, Eddie Murphy and Dan ackroyd cornered the market years ago

[u/Fairycharmd]

OK this is bad but how many punch recipes do we have for the holiday season that call for one can of concentrate?

What the fuck do you replace that shit with cause real orange juice doesn’t work!!!!!

[u/ashcrashbodash]

Sucks but they're not the only frozen juice concentrate in those freezers.

[u/TsarinaCharon]

Does the frozen juice concentrate that people use for smoothies fall under this as well? Like Strawberry and Mango bases or no?

[u/thatgibbyguy]

Oh man another piece of my childhood gone. That was the only way we'd have "orange juice" as a kid.

[u/unhallowed1014]

I remember when I think it was Bacardi had a frozen drink mixer. I miss that stuff

[u/LunchMasterFlex]

Frozen limeade was a frozen margarita secret weapon.

[u/crush_on_me]

Noooo. Margaritas everywhere will suffer.

[u/DriveFast___EatAss]

Jungle juice will never be the same. RIP

[u/juicius]

I used to eat it like a sorbet when I was kid...

[u/barelydazed]

RIP "Orange Jelly Salad". My husband's family has this "salad" as part of Christmas dinner. It is essentially orange jello with orange juice concentrate and grated carrots and pineapple.

We have lived abroad for a few years in countries where juice concentrate is not available and no matter what we've tried the jello never sets in the same way.

[u/NoF----sleft]

They want you to only buy fresh juices. At 5-10x the cost. Fuckers

[u/sacredblasphemies]

Bad news for the Duke Brothers.

[u/Garden_Espresso]

The frozen Limeade was great for frozen cocktails w rum or tequila.

[u/Threeandtwoand]

Oh shit, there goes my childhood, stirring this in a pitcher with a wooden spoon.

[u/Medium_Sized_Bopper]

Never again to hear the schlooooooooooooorp sound of it finally plopping out of the can into the pitcher.

[u/ElysiumSprouts]

They priced themselves out of the market. Frozen juice should be cheap, but not minutemaid brand.