I love making fresh juice, especially homemade cranberry juice. Jam packed with vitamins and flavor, you'll never want to buy Ocean Spray again!
Homemade Cranberry Juice is a popular drink in Russia, commonly made from Cranberries and Lingonberries. In Russian, its called Mors Drink (морс). I find that Lingonberry or Cranberries are interchangeable, as they are similar in taste. Lingonberries are known as Cowberry or Brusnika (Брусника) in Russian.
Homemade Russian Drinks
My mum always made Blackcurrant Mors or Raspberry juice from our many rows of fresh raspberries and blackcurrant bushes growing in the garden. I remember her mashing the raspberries and hanging the cheesecloth overnight to drip out all the pure juices. It's this method of making juice that sets this cranberry recipe apart from many others. You can't buy juice like this from Ocean Spray!
Another common Russian drink is Kompot, which boils various fruits before straining and drinking. Mors Drink and Kompot are both juices, however they taste differently from each other. This Cranberry Juice recipe or Mors Drink (морс) is thicker and has a stronger flavor, as it's more concentrated compared to Kompot.
Mors Drink (морс) has been made for over 500 years in Russia, and was originally sweetened with honey. The old homemade version had a small amount of alcohol, less than 1%, necessary preserve the juice. This is made in a similar method to traditional Kvas Rye Bread Drink.
Healthy Cranberry Juice Recipe
Many people believe that cranberry juice helps with bladder infections, although it's not really backed by science. Now I am not a doctor, but do know that this Pure Cranberry Juice recipe is much healthier for you than store bought Ocean Spray juice. So if you benefit from drinking pure juices, try this cranberry juice recipe, if only for the increased vitamin content! Some people consider cranberries a superfood, high in Vitamin C, nutrients and antioxidants. Nothing extra added, nothing unpronounceable, only goodness!
How to Make Cranberry Juice
Homemade cranberry juice recipe always tastes better. This recipe is made by mashing whole cranberries and squeezing out the pure juice. I use a muddler stick to smash and pop the berries. You could also throw it all in a food processor to blend. After squeezing out the juice, a further boiling of the cranberry pulp further extracts juice from the berries. Allow the juice to cool before mixing them together.
Making Cranberry Juice at home is thicker and tastier than store bought juice. It's almost like a thicker, cold pressed juice, which can be diluted. I only bring the pulp to a boil once and strain it. If you wanted more juice (although more diluted), you could boil the cranberry pulp a second time.
Cranberry Juice for Christmas
Of course, cranberry juice is enjoyed year round and it's perfect on a hot summer's day. However, Christmastime is when cranberries usually hit our supermarkets. I make this Cranberry Juice recipe this every single Christmas, it's part of our Christmas tradition. It's easy to make ahead at Christmas time, and adds something special to your holiday table. Check out my other favorite cranberry recipes.
- Cranberry Sauce with Ginger Ale
- Christmas Punch with Cranberries
- Russian Sugared Cranberries (Candied Cranberries)
- Baked Brie with Cranberry
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries?
When making homemade cranberry juice, you can use either! Frozen cranberries can be found year round in supermarkets. Fresh cranberries are usually expensive. If you have frozen Lingonberries, they work perfectly too. To make your cranberry juice go further, you can mix in other fruits. Check out these flavor combos;
- Raspberry and Cranberry
- Blackcurrants with Cranberries
- Strawberry and Cranberry
- Blueberry and Cranberry
- Blackberry and Cranberry
It really doesn't take long to make Cranberry Mors Drink, so incredibly healthy, delicious and refreshing. Nothing beats homemade natural juice, you've got to try this recipe. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 1 lb /500g cranberries
- 2 litres of water
- sugar to taste
Instructions
- Mash the cranberries using a wooden pestle (rolling pin end) or masher, alternatively put them through a food processor and gently pulse until they are chopped up.
- Place the fruit pulp into a cheesecloth and squeeze to remove the juice 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.
- Serve warm or cold.
Video
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