I am not one to usually make juice from scratch. For some reason in my mind it always seemed like a lot of work and I didn”t understand the reasoning behind it, when it is so readily available to purchase. But, after making homemade Cranberry Juice I have been converted. It is pure. It is tasty. And, you can control the ingredients. No more overly sweet fruit juice for me!
This juice is a cranberry lovers dream (just ask my mother). The tart flavour cleanses the palate and lends itself to avoiding becoming overly sweet. The ruby red color has an elegant translucent sparkle, which makes it perfect for entertaining. There are awesome health benefits too. Of the many, it helps in the fight against cancer, gives you better cholesterol, and helps you loose weight. It takes no work at all to make. You just let it do it”s thing and you get amazing juice as a result. A divine drink all around!
This is the last instalment in my countdown to Thanksgiving. For those of you who are celebrating, enjoy your time with family and friends! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Cranberry Juice
adapted from Tartelette
- 600g pckg. frozen cranberries, thawed (or fresh if you prefer)
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- Place the cranberries and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to med. heat and cover loosely. Simmer 10 min. until the cranberries have burst.
- Strain through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Resist the urge to press on the fruit to extract more juices.
- Pour the strained juice back into the sauce pan and add sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 min.
- Let cool to room temperature before cooling the the fridge.
* I did not have cheesecloth at the time so I used a sturdy paper towel.. just don”t use too much as it soaks up the juices and you do not want any juice to go to waste. :)
** The amount of sugar needed may vary depending on your taste and the sweetness of the berries. If you think you may prefer it more tart start with 1/2 cup and work your way up.
*** A great way to make this juice stretch further is to serve it half and half with ginger-ale.
