Juice in a Bag-in-Box with a Tap: How to Open It and How Long It Keeps

Opening a bag-in-box with a tap takes four steps: push in the perforated circle marked “Open HERE” on the side panel, pull out the tap and secure it in the slot, remove the protective tab, and press the tap. An unopened box of our juice keeps for 12 months, while an opened one should be used within 14 days, as stated on the label. Store the box in a dry, clean place, away from the sun, the stove and radiators.

What’s inside a bag-in-box with a tap

This format is called Bag-in-Box — a bag inside a box. The cardboard box holds a soft multilayer bag with a tap. As juice flows out of the tap, the bag shrinks along with it, so almost no air gets inside, and the cardboard protects the juice from light.

With an open bottle or carton, it’s the other way around: the less juice there is, the more air above it, and every time you take off the cap, more air gets in. Microorganisms get into the juice along with the air, and over time they cause opened juice to ferment.

How to open a bag-in-box with a tap: 4 steps

At the bottom of the box’s narrow side panel, there’s a perforated circle marked “Open HERE” with four drawings above it that show what to do.

1. Push the perforated circle inward — the tap is hidden behind it.
2. Pull the tap out and secure it in the slot in the box so it stays straight.
3. Remove the protective tab from the tap.
4. Set the box on the edge of a table or shelf, put a glass underneath and press the tap.

Before pouring, give the box a gentle shake, as the label advises.

How long the juice keeps after opening

The shelf life after opening is the same for all our juices — both our apple juice and the blends based on it. It’s counted from the day you opened the tap, not from the production date, so it’s handy to write that date right on the box with a marker.

Juice in cartons and bottles has its own shelf life after opening: it depends on the packaging and the processing, and the manufacturer states it on the package.

Where to store the box

The conditions on the label: a dry, clean room, a temperature of 0 to 25 °C, relative humidity no higher than 75%, and no direct sunlight. In winter, don’t leave the box on a balcony, so the juice doesn’t freeze, and in summer, don’t leave it in a baking-hot car.

How to pour juice from an opened box

• Pour only through the tap. Don’t open the bag, and don’t pour juice back in.
• Keep the tap clean. After pouring, blot the drop on the spout with a clean napkin, and don’t touch it with your hands.
• Pour as much as you’ll drink. It’s better to leave the rest of the juice in the box than to transfer it to a pitcher.

How to tell if the juice has gone bad

Spoiled juice often gives itself away:

• bubbles appear in it, and the juice fizzes;
• there’s a sour smell of fermentation;
• the bag inside the box swells up;
• you can see a film or mold on the tap’s spout or in the poured juice.

Don’t drink juice like that. But not everything is noticeable right away, so stick to the shelf life on the label.

A bag-in-box with a tap is handy to set on the table when you have company: everyone pours their own.

Not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices, 3 L — apple and apple-based blends. The minimum order is two boxes, and you can mix flavors. We ship via Nova Poshta and Ukrposhta across Ukraine; orders go out within 1–2 business days. Read “Fresh Apple Juice: How We Make It” to see how we make our juices, and “NFC Juice, Reconstituted Juice, and Nectar” to learn how direct-pressed juice differs from reconstituted juice (from concentrate) and nectar.
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