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.
Can I Use Frozen Blackcurrants?
Not everyone has blackcurrants growing in their garden or at their Dacha. They also don't grow everywhere, and in some places illegal as I explain below. Where I live, the weather is too warm in the winter, as it's a cool climate berry. So we always buy frozen blackcurrants. Fresh or frozen, use whatever berries you can get your hands on!
How to make Black Currant Juice
I make this Black Currant juice with added cranberries for a great flavor kick, but you can only use Blackcurrants if you like. When using frozen berries, allow them to thaw to room temperature before smashing them. I use a large bowl and a muddling stick, or you can use the end of a rolling pin, but it will stain the wood. You could also throw it all into a food processor and pulse to break up, but I like the original method of making homemade pressed juice.
Squeeze the pulp 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.
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.
Russian Mors Drink
Mors juice has been made in Russia for over 500 years, and was originally sweetened with honey. This Blackcurrant juice recipe is a Russian Mors Drink and is one of my favorites. You can also make it with raspberries, but I think Russians love Blackcurrant juice.
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. You could also make Kompot Juice with blackcurrants too.
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!
Ingredients
- ½ lb black currants
- ½ lb cranberries
- 2 litres water
- sugar to taste
Instructions
- 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.
- Place the fruit pulp into a cheesecloth and squeeze until the juice is removed from the pulp. Set the pure juice aside.
- 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.
- Add the previously squeezed pure juice to the cooled juice mixture. Sweeten with sugar to taste.
Notes
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