Turmeric
Cold-pressed turmeric shots vs shop-bought: what's the difference?
Not all turmeric shots are made the same way. Here's the honest difference between a fresh, cold-pressed, frozen shot and the shop-bought kind, whether that's HPP or heat-treated, in how they're made and what ends up in the bottle.
What's actually different
The difference comes down to what happens to the juice after it's pressed. A cold-pressed shot is pressed from raw root without heat and then frozen, so it reaches you close to the raw ingredient with no further processing. Shop-bought shots are usually one of two things: cold-pressed then put through HPP, a high-pressure step that extends their chilled shelf life, or thermally pasteurised with heat so they can sit on an ambient shelf for months. Both are steps a frozen shot simply skips. If you want to skip straight to buying, see our turmeric shots.
Neither approach is dishonest, they're just built for different priorities, shelf life versus freshness. If freshness and keeping the juice raw is what you're after, cold-pressed and frozen is the route, which is how our Turmeric Shots are made.
Frozen, HPP or pasteurised
Cold-pressing means the root is slowly crushed to squeeze the juice out without the heat a fast spinning blade generates, which keeps the juice raw. Freezing then holds it in that state until you drink it, with no processing step in between, no high pressure, no heat and no preservatives. It's more faff to store, but it's the trade for keeping things as close to fresh-pressed as possible.
Shop-bought shots take a different route for more shelf life. Many good chilled ones use HPP, or high-pressure processing, which uses intense cold pressure rather than heat to extend how long the juice keeps in the fridge. It's a clever, modern method and much gentler than heat, but it's still a processing step and these shots live chilled rather than frozen. Cheaper ambient shots that sit on a warm shelf for months are usually thermally pasteurised instead, heat-treated, which takes them furthest from raw. A frozen shot skips both.
Read the label, not the front
The label tells the real story, so it's worth a look. The two things worth checking are how much actual turmeric is in there, ideally stated in grams of root and what else has been added. A short list of whole ingredients is a good sign. A long one with added sugar, concentrates or preservatives is the trade-off for shelf life.
| Cold-pressed and frozen | Shelf-stable shop-bought | |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Pressed raw, no HPP or heat | HPP or heat-pasteurised |
| Storage | Frozen, kept cold | Chilled or ambient shelf |
| Freshness | Close to raw root | Further from raw |
| Typical extras | Whole ingredients, no preservatives | May add sugar or preservatives |
| Convenience | Needs freezer space | Grab off the shelf |
Both are food, made differently
Whichever you go for, it's turmeric in a bottle, a food rather than a supplement or a medicine and the difference here is about processing and freshness, not a health claim we'd make for one over the other. The research you may have read studied curcumin, the compound, usually as a concentrated extract well beyond any shot, which we cover in curcumin and turmeric. If you're on medication, pregnant or managing a condition, turmeric can interact with some medicines, so check with your GP before making a daily habit of it.
The cold-pressed, frozen kind
If it's fresh and raw you want, here's the cold-pressed range. All pressed from whole root and delivered frozen, or browse the full cold-pressed shots.
Frequently Asked
Are cold-pressed turmeric shots better than shop-bought?
Better for freshness, which is the main reason people choose them. Cold-pressed and frozen keeps the juice raw with no extra processing, while shop-bought shots are usually put through HPP or heat-pasteurised to give them shelf life. Shop-bought wins on convenience, cold-pressed and frozen wins on being closest to the raw root.
Why are cold-pressed shots kept frozen?
Because they're raw. Without HPP, heat or preservatives, freezing is how you keep a fresh-pressed juice fresh rather than processing it for shelf life. You keep them in the freezer and move one to the fridge the night before.
What's the difference between HPP and pasteurised?
HPP, or high-pressure processing, uses intense cold pressure to extend a juice's chilled shelf life without heat, so it's gentler than thermal pasteurising, which uses heat to make a shot keep for months on an ambient shelf. Both are processing steps that add shelf life. A cold-pressed frozen shot uses neither, it's just pressed and frozen.
What should I look for on a turmeric shot label?
Two things: how much turmeric is actually in it, ideally in grams of root and what else has been added. A short list of whole ingredients is a good sign, while added sugar, concentrates or preservatives usually point to a longer-life, processed product. There's more on quantity in how much turmeric is in a shot.
Do shop-bought turmeric shots have added sugar?
Some do, some don't, so the label is the only way to be sure. Added sugar or fruit concentrate can be used to keep a longer-life shot palatable over time. A fresh cold-pressed shot relies on the fruit and citrus already in it rather than added sweetness.
Is frozen turmeric juice still raw?
Yes, that's the point of freezing it. Freezing pauses a raw juice without heat or high pressure, so it stays close to how it was pressed. You just thaw a shot in the fridge before you drink it. There's more in what is turmeric juice.
The bottom line
Cold-pressed and frozen versus shelf-stable comes down to freshness against convenience. Cold-pressed keeps the juice raw and needs freezer space, shop-bought trades some of that freshness for a bottle you can grab off a shelf. Whichever you choose, read the label for the grams of turmeric and what else has been added and you'll know exactly what you're getting.
Our Turmeric Shots are the cold-pressed, frozen kind and the full turmeric hub has the rest.
Where to buy
Browse the full cold-pressed juice shots range, or go straight to a favourite: Turmeric Shots, Ginger Turmeric, the Ginger & Turmeric Bundle or the Juice Shot Variety Box.
Related reading
- What is turmeric juice
- How much turmeric is in a shot
- Fresh turmeric vs turmeric powder
- Turmeric shot vs golden milk vs tea
- Turmeric shot benefits
- How to take a turmeric shot
- Curcumin and turmeric: what the research looks at
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