Homemade Cranberry Juice

It's that time of year...the time where I get a little overenthusiastic about buying cranberries.  They're hard to find the rest of the year and they freeze so well that I can't stop myself from buying at least a few bags each year. 

I've bought only 2 bags so far: this first was promptly used for cranberry relish (a favorite on the Thanksgiving table) and the second bag I decided to try to make some homemade cranberry juice.  We rarely have juice in the house but I thought it would work very well in cocktails or mocktails for the Christmas season. 

This juice was surprisingly easy to make - basically, you just simmer the cranberries in water, add some sugar and freshly squeezed orange, and then press the whole thing through a fine mesh sieve.  It is much more refreshing than the store bought (with probably a lot less sugar...and other miscellaneous ingredients) and it makes a beautiful, deep red color.  While we haven't tried any cocktails yet, I especially like it mixed with sparkling water.


Homemade Cranberry Juice
Taken from: Farmgirl Gourmet
Makes about 3 cups

• 3 cups fresh cranberries (equivalent to one 12-ounce bag)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1. Rinse the cranberries and remove all the mushy or moldy ones.
2. Add the cranberries and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Add honey or sugar to your taste - I started with 1/4 cup and only added a little bit at a time. Add the orange juice to the pot and stir to combine.
4. Set a fine meshed sieve over a large bowl, pass the cranberry mixture through the sieve.  If you do not like a thicker juice, trying to not press the solids too much (this didn't bother me so I tried to extract all the goodness). Refrigerate juice and serve. Should keep about a week.
5. You can discard the solids or use them in another way - I used them in homemade jam by this recipe and adding a few frozen cherries to try to make about 12 ounces of leftover cranberries plus cherries. Delicious and I even made the jam in the same pot!