Minute Maid Is Discontinuing a Childhood Staple

Minute Maid is discontinuing a nostalgic product, marking the end of an era for the juice brand.

As reported by Good Housekeeping, the Coca-Cola Company, which owns Minute Maid, decided to end its longtime line of frozen canned juices in North America. This includes canned orange juice and lemonade concentrates, which are also available in limeade, pink lemonade, and raspberry lemonade varieties. “We are discontinuing our frozen products…in response to shifting consumer preferences,” a spokesperson for The Coca-Cola Company told Good Housekeeping. “With the juice category growing strongly, we’re focusing on products that better match what our consumers want.”

The cans were a staple for frozen treats, like homemade slushies, and an easy way to make “homemade” lemonade or other juices. While the Coca-Cola Company didn’t specify when the frozen products would be discontinued, it told Good Housekeeping they would be discontinued in the first quarter, with “in-store inventory available while supplies last.” So stock up while you can.

Frozen juice cans gained popularity in the 1950s and ’60s. They were the product that helped Minute Maid become a leading brand, thanks to how easy it is to prepare the juice. The item was developed in the 1940s by scientists at the National Research Corporation (NRC) to improve the nutritious quality of food for troops while making it taste better than previous alternatives. Following the war, the creation was patented and became a household item.

When the news reached Reddit, many commented, expressing their disappointment that the cans were used in their recipes. “Augh. This is one of the not-so-secret ingredients in my barbecue sauce,” someone wrote. “My Whiskey Sour Slushies will never be the same,” read a response to the comment. Another commenter noted that the Limeade made a “great, cheap Margarita” and is “sad to see it go.” (If you’re looking for an alternative, we found a pretty good dupe for the frozen lemonade concentrate.)

In addition to no longer carrying frozen canned juices, All Recipes reports that the company has also decided to discontinue Fruitopia fruit punch and Five Alive juice blend, both of which were a big part of Gen X and millennial childhoods.