Directions: |
Directions:Acquire cranberries. For a quart of juice, you will need one pound of cranberries. These berries can be quite expensive, so consider adding other fruit to make more juice. Try incorporating strawberries, watermelon, bananas and/or grapes – but keep the cranberries dominant. Consider adding apple chunks to make a "cran-apple" juice.
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Rinse the cranberries. It's important to do this before you boil them; you never know what bacteria are infesting the fruit.
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Boil one quart of water in a pot. Make sure that the pot is large enough to hold not only the boiling water, but the mass of fruit that you're going to add to the water.
If you're in a hurry, just put the cranberries into the pot with the water, then boil them together.
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Pour the cranberries into the boiling water. Put all of your cranberries—again, about one pound for a quart of juice—into the pot of boiling water. At this time, also add any other fruit that you want to include. Be careful not to spill.
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Simmer until the cranberries pop. Lower the heat and continue to cook for about ten minutes – until the cranberries begin to pop.
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Steep the berries. Turn off the heat, and let the mixture sit for another 10-20 minutes.
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Add any sweeteners and spices. If you want your juice to be extra sweet, add sugar, honey, or another sweetener to taste. Start with 2-3 tablespoons, if you aren't sure. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other spice that you want to try. Consider leaving the cranberry juice sugar-free, this first batch, so that you can better gauge how much sugar it needs.
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Use a blender. If you want a thicker, more smoothie-like cranberry juice, you can blend the berries together with the water. Blend the mixture until it becomes a thick, viscous liquid. Strain it through a cheesecloth to remove skins and other particulates.
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Strain through a cheesecloth. If you don't have a blender, or if want a thinner juice, you can strain the juice directly out of the whole berries. Secure a cheesecloth over a pot or large jar, then carefully pour the cranberries and juice over the cloth so that only the juice passes through. Consider eating the cranberries or making them into a puree!
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Chill and serve! You can drink cranberry juice warm, but it may test more appealing if it's cool. Put the juice in the refrigerator for an hour or so, then pour it into glasses to serve. |
This recipe for cranberry juice is from