Making Homemade Black Currant Juice (Mors) is cheaper and easier to make than you think! A pressed juice is also much healthier, with more vitamins than diluted store bought juice drinks. A delicious summer drink, perfect for a bbq or picnic. I love making homemade juice, another Russian favorite is Kompot juice, made differently from Mors.
In Russia, a popular homemade juice is called Mors drink, usually made from berries like cranberries, raspberries, lingonberries, blueberries and blackcurrants. You can buy this in stores, but it’s easy to make, especially if you have a lot of these berries growing in your garden! Well, maybe not the cranberries! Морс из Черной Смородины is how you say Black Currant Mors in Russian.
How to make Black Currant Juice?
I make Black Currant juice with added cranberries for a great flavour kick. Fresh black currants and cranberries are hard to find here in Australia, so I use frozen berries when making this Homemade Cranberry Black Currant juice. This works great, just allow to thaw to room temperature before smashing them with a pestle and mortar. You could throw it all into a food processor and pulse to break up, but I like the original method of making homemade pressed juice. Squeeze through a cheesecloth for pure juice, then use the fruit pulp to a quick boil for a 2nd run of juice! You could us only blackcurrants, and that works perfectly. It would almost be like a fresh Ribena black currant cordial juice. The best part of this Black Currant recipe is that you can use frozen black currants and enjoy fresh juice even in the winter!
Is Blackcurrant Juice good for you?
Definitely. Black currants and Cranberries are high in Vitamin C, antioxidants and anthcyanins. This can help strengthen your immune system and help with colds and flus. That makes this fresh pressed Blackcurrant juice incredibly healthy for you! It’s a bit thicker than juice, due to it’s concentration, I try to make this last as long as I can. Usually I will make this drink in the summer, or for special celebrations.
Mors juice has been made in Russia for over 500 years, and was originally sweetened with honey. I just recently found out that many Americans don’t know what these berries are. Black currants were made illegal in the US in the early 1900’s due to a rust on the plant which threatened logging. Some states have recently relaxed their laws, so if you can, find some local blackcurrants and try this Cranberry Blackcurrant juice. I promise, they aren’t dangerous but delicious!
When blackcurrants are in season, I also make a Russian Kvass with blackcurrants, a fermented bread drink. A popular drink in Russia, served in the summer. Hard to explain the taste, it’s like a sweet non-alcoholic berry beer.
This is one of my favorite blackcurrant recipes. Enjoy my delicious homemade juice from pressed blackcurrants and cranberries, also called Mors Drink. Enjoyed in Russia for over 500 years. Full of vitamins and antioxidants. Nothing beats homemade juice! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Homemade Cranberry Black Currant Juice (Mors Drink)
A delicious homemade Black Currant juice from pressed black currants and cranberries called a Mors Drink. Enjoyed in Russia for over 500 years. Full of vitamins and antioxidants. Nothing beats homemade juice! Homemade Black Currant Juice (Mors Drink)
Ingredients
- ½ lb black currants
- ½ lb cranberries
- 2 litres water
- sugar to taste
Instructions
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Mash the black currants and cranberries using a wooden pestle (rolling pin end), alternatively put them through a food processor and gently pulse until they are chopped up.
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Place the fruit pulp into a cheesecloth and squeeze until the juice is removed from the pulp. Set the pure juice aside.
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Put the fruit pulp from the cheesecloth into a saucepan. Add the water and bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain the juice through the cheesecloth one last time. Discard the fruit pulp.
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Add the previously squeezed pure juice to the cooled juice mixture. Sweeten with sugar to taste.
Recipe Notes
To make pure black currant juice, just don't add cranberries, but use only the currants.
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
The White Pine Blister Rust had a devastating effect on the five needle pines of North America. It wasn’t just the logging industry which was at risk- it was the potential for nearly complete deforestation in many parts of North America, Canada included. Those pine trees provide not just a habitat for wildlife, but material for furniture, etc. The mature white pine is taller than a Redwood, and at one point was a choice tree for ship masts in England as well as the US. The fungus, which is an invader to this country, is harbored by currants and gooseberries alike- and is why for so long they were banned. In many states you can buy the plants now, some require a permit, and some have no restrictions at all. Unfortunately Pine Blister Rust is still with us, and there isn’t any way to treat the trees. There is work done to develop tolerant varieties, but it still kills trees to this day. Since the fungus requires both a currant or gooseberry bush and a pine tree to complete the life cycle, and since the pine trees are more critical to preserve- the decision was made to first eliminate, and now control, the plantings of currants or gooseberries. This has been made possible by developing currant and gooseberry plants which are resistant to the fungus as well. I grow both red currants and gooseberries, but I do not have any five needle pines growing nearby, and I keep an eye out for the disease in my plants. Though I dearly love the taste of both, should I spot the disease on them- I would not hesitate to remove and destroy them. Sadly, the disease is now entrenched in some parts of the country, despite the bans- and is still a problem in some places.
I am looking for non-alcoholic drink recipes for the holidays. Also for very easy, lower cal/fat recipes. Love your recipe for cranberry gingerale punch.
Thanks Carol! So glad you found it!!! 😊
I grow them in my garden, easy to grow and prodoce a lot I live in Canada and was born ibn Denmark,where we had them in our garden
Homegrown is best! They grow well in Canada, I imagine the same in Denmark. And so healthy for you too! 😊
Hi there. I’m also in Australia. Where do you buy the berries from? Would our biggest chains sell them, like Woolworths or Coles. I don’t really look for frozen berries usually but pretty sure I didn’t notice them. True about what you said. I’ve never in my life seen either fresh.
Hi Sue! I found them in a frozen section of a green grocer. They were imported from Poland. I’ve also seen them in Eastern European Delis, so depending where you’re located, you might have luck there! Coles and Woolies only sell frozen cranberries. If you find them, buy them and keep in freezer til you’re ready to use them! 🙂 Good luck!