A wooden bowl and a spoon full of cranberries with a glass of cranberry juice on a wooden surface.
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5 from 3 votes

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is a natural source of antioxidants!
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry juice
Appliance: Blender, Refrigerator, Hot plate
Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 quart water
  • 2-3 tbspn sugar/brown sugar (optional)
  • 1 cup apple chunks (optional)

Instructions

  • Wash and drain fresh or frozen cranberries.
    A ladle filled with a few cranberries on the wooden counter
  • Put the cranberries and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
  • Once the water comes to a boil, allow the cranberries to simmer. You will notice that soon, the cranberries will start to burst open.
  • Turn off the heat and let the berries steep for 10-15 minutes.
  • At this point, you can add sugar or any sweetener of your choice to the cranberry mixture. Remember that cranberry juice is usually bitter, so you may need to add sugar. You can also add apple chunks and spices of your choice such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
  • Add the mixture in batches in a blender. Blend till you get a thick, viscous liquid.
  • Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to collect cranberry skin pieces.
  • Your home-made cranberry juice is ready. All you have to do is add a couple of ice cubes and enjoy!
    A glass of red-colored liquid in a glass-topped with ice and a sprig of mint on a wooden surface

Notes

You can use cranberry juice to enhance cocktails and to flavor smoothies. Don't throw away the cranberry skin pulp - you can add it to muffins, cookies, or even make a sauce or jam with it.