Cranberry Juice Recipe

Rinse and Combine

Rinse the fresh or frozen cranberries under cold running water, discarding any stems or damaged berries. Place the cranberries in a medium saucepan with 4 cups of water.

Simmer

Bring the cranberries and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst and softened, about 10–12 minutes.

Mash and Strain

Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash the cooked cranberries in the saucepan to release more juice. Place a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth over a large bowl or pitcher. Pour the cranberry mixture into the sieve and press firmly on the solids with the back of a spoon (or gather the cheesecloth and twist) to extract as much liquid as possible. You should get roughly 2 to 2 1/2 cups of concentrated cranberry liquid.

Dissolve Sweetener

Return the strained cranberry liquid to the saucepan. Add the granulated sugar (or honey/maple syrup) and a pinch of salt. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2–4 minutes. Do not boil.

Balance Flavor

Remove from heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice and optional orange zest. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: add more sugar or honey for sweetness, or more lemon for brightness. If the concentrate is too strong, stir in up to 2 cups of cold water to reach your preferred strength (typical finished juice ratio: 1 part concentrate to 1 part water, but adjust to taste).

Cool

Let the cranberry juice cool to room temperature, then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

Serve

Before serving, stir or shake the juice. Serve over ice if desired. Store refrigerated for up to 5–7 days; stir before serving as natural separation may occur.