Cranberry drink recipes

This article provides a large number of drinks that can be prepared using the northern berry.

Cranberries are used to make various cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), as well as liqueurs, cordials and infusions (with alcohol, vodka and cognac). Homemade wine lovers can treat themselves to cranberry wine.

How to cook cranberries?

Cranberries are good when fresh, because when heat treated, the berry loses almost all of its valuable qualities. Of course, a fair question arises: how to cook cranberries correctly? The recommendations below will help you deal with this problem.

There are several ways to prepare a healthy drink and preserve all the vitamins that the berry is rich in. Experts recommend not to boil cranberries, but to infuse drinks, having previously crushed the berries.

• Method No. 1: cranberries are mashed into a puree; water with sugar is brought to a boil, turned off and this syrup is poured over the berry mass; the drink is left to infuse for an hour.
• Method No. 2: Cranberries and sugar are ground in a blender and poured with boiling water; the drink needs to be infused for half an hour, then it can be drunk.
• Method No. 3: the berries are not mashed, but placed whole in water and put on the fire; they need to be boiled for ten minutes, and then sugar is added; lemon or orange zest can also be added to the drink; after which the liquid is poured through a colander into another container; the remaining berries are crushed, added to the fruit drink and mixed.

Cranberry juice

Cranberry mors can be made from fresh or frozen berries. Here are a few recipes for this healthy drink made from fresh berries.

• Recipe for fruit drink #1 – with sugar

Take one hundred and fifty grams of cranberries, half a glass of sugar, and six hundred ml of water. The berries are sorted, washed, and placed in an enamel saucepan. After that, the cranberries are mashed with a masher. Then the berry mass is transferred to gauze and the juice is squeezed out of it into a glass or enamel container. The container with the juice is left aside for a while.

The berry pulp is put back into the saucepan, filled with water and put on the fire. The cranberry broth is brought to a boil and filtered using a fine stainless steel sieve. Then sugar is added to the liquid and everything is thoroughly mixed. After which the mors is cooled, the previously squeezed cranberry juice is poured into it and everything is thoroughly mixed. Now the drink is ready for consumption.

• Mors recipe #2 – no sugar

Everything is done in the same way, only sugar is not added. The result is a drink with a sour taste, which can be used for medicinal purposes.

• Recipe for Mors #3 – with honey

This method of making mors does not require boiling, which means that cranberries will perfectly retain their valuable qualities. In addition, honey added instead of sugar will add useful properties to the drink.

For two liters of fruit drink, you need to take half a liter jar of cranberries (fresh or frozen), four large tablespoons of honey, two liters of cool drinking water.

The cranberries are sorted, washed and scalded with boiling water. Then the berries are ground in a blender or crushed with a pestle or a wooden rolling pin. The berry mixture is placed in a saucepan and water is added to it. After that, the liquid is filtered through a colander, which has a mesh structure. Then honey is added to the saucepan and everything is thoroughly mixed. The drink is ready and can be put in the refrigerator for storage.

• Recipe for Mors #4 – Healing with Honey

A handful of berries is poured into a blender. A cup of melted or purified water is poured in. A spoonful of honey is put into the container, and the blender is turned on for eight to ten seconds. That's it, the drink is ready.

Cranberry compote

Cranberry compote is a healthy and tasty drink. Especially if you make it with honey.

The traditional recipe for cranberry compote is as follows. Take two hundred grams of cranberries, one liter of water and half a glass of sugar. Before preparing the drink, the berries need to be sorted and washed, and then put into a saucepan for cooking. The berries are filled with water, sugar is added to them and everything is put on medium heat for cooking. The compote is cooked for half an hour.

To preserve the beneficial properties of the berries, namely vitamin C, you need to throw the cranberries into boiling water. This type of compote is prepared as follows. Water with sugar dissolved in it is brought to a boil. Then cranberries are thrown into the solution, and the liquid is brought to a boil again. Then the pan should be removed from the heat and the berries should be left to infuse at room temperature, so that the cranberry juice completely passes into the liquid. After that, the compote can be poured into glass jars. In containers closed with nylon lids, the compote can be stored in the refrigerator for two days.

You can make compote using honey instead of sugar as a sweetener. In this method of preparation, bring the water to a boil, then throw in cranberries, heat it again to boiling water and immediately remove from the heat. When the compote has cooled to an acceptable warm temperature (no higher than seventy degrees), add the required amount of honey, mix everything thoroughly and leave for some time so that the compote infuses. This drink is stored in the refrigerator for two days.

Cranberries on alcohol

The beneficial properties of cranberries are also used in the preparation of alcoholic tinctures. Cranberries in alcohol retain all their valuable qualities, which can be used for medicinal purposes. And of course, as a homemade alcoholic drink, cranberries in alcohol are an excellent alternative to store purchases in this category.

• Cranberry Recipe with Alcohol #1

To prepare the drink you will need half a kilogram of sugar, kilograms of cranberries and one kilogram of alcohol.

The berries are washed and minced. Then the mass is placed in a jar and filled with alcohol. Then everything is thoroughly mixed with a spoon and closed with a lid. The jar is left to infuse in a dark place for fourteen to sixteen days. After which the resulting drink is filtered through a sieve, and then through a cotton-gauze filter.

The next step is adding sugar, which is mixed with the liquid. The jar is closed and left to infuse for a week. At the very end of the preparation process, the drink is bottled and placed in a cool place (refrigerator or cellar).

Cranberries in alcohol can be stored in these conditions for up to seven months. After that, the taste of the drink begins to deteriorate.

• Recipe #2

To prepare the drink this way, you will need half a kilogram of cranberries, five hundred ml of alcohol and one hundred ml of water.

The berries are poured into a jar and crushed with a wooden spoon. Another way is to pierce all the berries with a needle. This, of course, takes longer. But then you won't need to filter the drink.

After which alcohol is added to the berries and everything is thoroughly mixed. The jar is closed with a lid and left for fourteen days in a dark, warm place.

The drink must then be filtered using several layers of gauze and cotton wool. The liquid is poured into bottles and stored in a cool, dark place for twelve months.

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Cranberry tincture

Cranberry tincture is a homemade alcoholic drink made from cranberries using vodka, alcohol or cognac.

Some recipes contain sugar as an ingredient, while others do not. Therefore, the tincture may taste sweet or sour.

Homemade cranberry tincture can be stored in the refrigerator for about a year.

Cranberry on cognac

Such an alcoholic drink as cranberry on cognac has already begun to be produced on an industrial scale. At home, you can prepare a similar drink, and in a hurry.

A recipe for cranberries in cognac that does not require a long maturation period. To prepare it, you need to take two hundred and fifty grams of cranberries, half a liter of cognac, one hundred and fifty grams of sugar, and one hundred and fifty grams of water.

First of all, the berries need to be scalded with boiling water and poured into a jar. Then sugar is added to them. The whole mass needs to be mashed with a wooden rolling pin, then cognac is added, everything is thoroughly mixed and the jar is closed with a lid. The cognac-cranberry mixture is left for two to three hours in a warm place.

After which the tincture is filtered through several layers of gauze. Then warm boiled water, cooled to a temperature of thirty-five to forty degrees, is added to it, and everything is mixed again. The cranberry drink is cooled to room temperature, then poured into bottles and tightly corked. The shelf life of the drink in the refrigerator is from twelve to fourteen months.

Cranberry Vodka

A drink such as cranberry vodka has a traditional method of production, which we will provide below.

Recipe for cranberry vodka. You need to take two hundred and fifty grams of berries, half a liter of vodka, one tablespoon of sugar (you can do without it) and fifty grams of water (you can also do without it).

The cranberries are sorted, washed and poured into a one-liter jar. After that, the berries are crushed with a wooden rolling pin for as long as it takes to obtain a homogeneous mass. Then vodka is added and everything is mixed well.

The jar is covered with a lid and left for two weeks in a dark, warm place. Then the drink needs to be filtered using four layers of gauze and a cotton filter placed between them. In this case, you will get a classic cranberry tincture on vodka, which has a sour taste.

If you want to add sweetness to the sour notes of the drink, you can make syrup by boiling it from sugar and water. After that, this syrup is cooled and added to the jar with the tincture. Everything is thoroughly mixed, and the drink is left in a warm place for one day. After that, the cranberry on vodka is ready for use.

The tincture is stored in a cool place - a refrigerator or a basement. A month after preparation, its taste improves and becomes even better after a longer storage period.

Cranberry juice

Cranberry juice is a healthy healing drink with many benefits. Cranberry juice helps to cope with all the ailments that were discussed in the article. Therefore, this drink should be included in the daily diet of those people who dream of getting rid of diseases.

To prepare the juice, you need to take fresh berries that are fully ripe. They are crushed in a wooden mortar with a wooden pestle. Or the berries can be crushed in a blender. The resulting mass must be squeezed out using gauze, which was previously folded in several layers. Juice can also be obtained from frozen berries, which are processed in a similar way.

The simplest method that can be used to prepare juice is to use a juicer.

For medicinal purposes, it is necessary to drink fresh juice, which was prepared immediately before taking. Therefore, you need to take as many berries as will be enough for one-time use, no more, but no less.

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Cranberry Cocktail

There are many recipes for cranberry cocktails. This healthy berry is used as an ingredient in soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Cranberry cocktail is a delicious and unusual drink that you can please your guests with at family celebrations. And also enjoy their wonderful taste at evening gatherings with family members.

• Cocktail recipe #1 - milk

You need to take one hundred and fifty grams of any ice cream, one hundred grams of milk, two tablespoons of cranberry syrup.

All ingredients are mixed together and then whipped in a blender. After that, the cocktail is poured into a convenient glass and decorated with pieces of fruit or berries.

• Cocktail recipe #2 – cranberry fruit

Take two cups of water, one cup of cranberries (fresh or frozen), one banana and one kiwi. Wash the berries, peel the fruit and cut into pieces. Then put them in a blender and mix until you get a homogeneous mixture. The cocktail is ready to drink.

• Cocktail Recipe #3 – Cranberry Smoothie

You need to stock up on carbonated mineral water, 175 grams of cranberries (fresh or frozen), 50 grams of milk and one tablespoon of honey.

The berries are sorted and washed, and then whipped in a blender until smooth. After that, honey and milk are added to the blender and the whole mixture is whipped again for half a minute. After that, the smoothie is poured into a tall glass and carbonated mineral water is added to it.

When using frozen cranberries instead of fresh, do not defrost them, but rather blend them in the same form as they were removed from the freezer.

For lovers of unusual alcoholic drinks, we present the following several cocktail recipes.

• Cocktail Recipe #4 – Cranberry with Vodka

To prepare the drink, take three tablespoons of cranberry syrup, two tablespoons of vodka, a glass of soda water. You can also use lemon and ice, which are added to the cocktail to taste.

All ingredients are mixed and the cocktail is ready to drink. If desired, the drink can be decorated with pieces of fruit.

• Cocktail Recipe #5 – Cranberry Gin

Take three hundred grams of fresh cranberries, one glass of sugar, one glass of water, one glass of soda, one glass of gin, two tablespoons of lime juice.

The cranberries are mixed with sugar and water, then placed on the fire, brought to a boil and boiled for five to seven minutes. After which the "brew" is removed from the stove, cooled slightly and rubbed through a sieve. All other ingredients are added to the resulting mass and the cocktail is ready to be served.

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Goji and Cranberry Cocktail

Goji berries are used as a means of losing extra pounds. This Tibetan "guest" is distinguished by its rich vitamin and mineral composition. Goji berries contain a large number of minerals and amino acids, polysaccharides and vitamins (especially vitamin C and B vitamins). It is this composition of berries that allows you to strengthen the immune system, improve metabolic processes in the body, "remove" extra pounds and improve well-being.

The combination of the beneficial properties of cranberries and goji berries enhances their strengthening effect. It also helps a person to normalize metabolism in the body, which affects, first of all, the reduction of excess weight.

Goji berry and cranberry cocktail is a healthy and tasty addition to your diet. If you drink the drink every day for at least two weeks, you can achieve the following results:

• lower blood pressure,
• normalize blood sugar levels,
• reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body,
• "cleanse" the body of free radicals, toxins and waste,
• improve liver function,
• strengthen the walls of blood vessels, as well as muscle tissue.

All of the above helps to improve the digestion process and regulate metabolism in the body, as well as improve well-being and increase vitality and performance.

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Cranberry Kissel

Such a traditional drink as cranberry kissel will decorate the autumn and winter table in any family. Kissel is easy to prepare.

For a glass of drink you need to take fifty grams of cranberries, three tablespoons of sugar, one glass of water, two teaspoons of starch.

The cranberries are sorted and doused with boiling water, after placing the berries on a sieve. The water drains off, and then the berries are mashed with a spoon. The resulting juice is poured into another container and left for a while in a cool, dark place. After which the mashed berries are placed in gauze and the juice must be squeezed out of them into a saucepan.

Then the berry pulp is poured with one glass of hot water and placed on the stove. Everything is brought to a boil, then turned off and filtered with gauze, and then returned back to the pan.

Granulated sugar is added to the liquid and everything should be brought to a boil again. Then a part of the broth is taken (one fourth of a glass), cooled, filtered and starch is dissolved in this liquid. In some cases, cold water can be used instead of broth.

The jelly is brought to a boil, and then the starch mixture is poured into it, stirring constantly. After which everything should quickly boil again, and then the jelly should be immediately poured into another container, stirring continuously. The drink is cooled a little, and then raw juice is poured into it, which was obtained from the berries at the very beginning of the preparation of the drink.

Cranberry liqueur

Cranberry liqueur is a tincture of fresh berries in vodka or alcohol. There are several recipes for this homemade drink, here are some of them.

• Recipe for liqueur No. 1

Take one glass of granulated sugar, one glass of fresh cranberry juice and one liter of vodka. Strain the cranberry juice, then pour in a glass of sugar. Mix everything thoroughly, warm it up a little so that the sugar can dissolve. Then pour vodka into the liquid and leave the drink for a day. After the specified period, pour the liqueur into a container convenient for storage and use it as intended.

• Recipe for liqueur No. 2

You need to prepare three tablespoons of cranberries, one glass of sugar, one glass of boiled water and one liter of alcohol.

The cranberries are crushed in a blender and placed in a three-liter jar. Sugar is added, water and alcohol are poured in. The jar is closed with a polyethylene lid and placed in a place inaccessible to children, in the dark. It should stand there for a month, after which the drink should be filtered through a cotton-gauze filter and left to mature for a few more days. Then we take the liqueur out of a secluded corner and treat guests to the drink.

• Recipe for liqueur No. 3

You need to prepare one glass of fresh cranberries, half a glass of sugar, and one liter of vodka. The berries are sorted and washed, then mixed with sugar. Then the mixture is passed through a meat grinder or crushed in a blender. The berry mass is placed in a saucepan and vodka is poured in. Everything must be thoroughly mixed and left for five days, stirring the tincture every day. After the specified period, the liqueur is filtered using gauze folded in several layers and left for another day. That's it, the drink is ready and can be bottled.

Cranberry wine

Cranberries are not the most recommended berry for making homemade wine. Because their sugar content is very low, and acid, on the contrary, is high. Therefore, water is needed to make cranberry wines to reduce the sour taste of the finished product. Cranberry wine can be sweet and fortified.

• Recipe #1 – Homemade Sweet Wine

You need to take eight liters of cranberry juice, five kilograms of sugar and two and a half liters of water.

The cranberries are sorted and the ripest berries are selected. The berries are washed, soaked in cold water and left for one hour. After that, the berries are rinsed and the liquid is drained.

The cranberries are crushed, release juice and are left at room temperature for fifteen days to ferment. After that, granulated sugar and water are added to the cranberry mass. Everything is thoroughly mixed and left for thirty days. At the end of this period, the mash is filtered using gauze folded in several layers and poured into glass containers. The drink must be left for another thirty to forty days so that the wine can infuse.

• Recipe #2 – Homemade Fortified Wine

Take a kilogram of cranberries, one liter of alcohol, one liter of water and seventeen spoons of sugar. Wash and dry the cranberries. Then put the berries through a meat grinder or chop them in a blender. Transfer the cranberry mass into a three-liter jar, pour in the alcohol and leave everything for a week. After the specified period, add water to the liquid and leave the drink for another week. Then dissolve the sugar in two liters of water and combine with the drink. Then stir the tincture and heat it up to a temperature of about sixty or seventy degrees. Then cool the drink, strain it, pour it into glass containers and leave it to infuse for another day. After that, the wine can be consumed as an alcoholic drink for the festive table.

Cranberry tea

Cranberry tea is a healthy and tasty drink that is great to treat yourself to during the autumn slush and winter cold.

• Tea recipe #1 – with orange juice and spices

Take two hundred grams of cranberries, two hundred grams of sugar, half a liter of water, the juice of one orange, a little cinnamon, eight cloves and strong tea.

The berries are sorted and washed. Then one handful of berries should be set aside, and the rest are rubbed through a sieve or crushed in a blender. Then the berry mixture is placed in cheesecloth and the juice is squeezed out of it. The cranberry pulp is placed in a saucepan, filled with water and brought to a boil. The resulting broth is filtered and the previously prepared cranberry juice is added to it, as well as orange juice, spices, sugar and the set aside handful of berries. All ingredients are mixed and left to infuse for an hour. After which the cranberry mixture is mixed with strong tea and served.

• Tea recipe #2 – quick preparation

You need to take one tablespoon of cranberries, one tablespoon of tea and sugar to taste. Tea is prepared from the prepared amount of brew. The berries are mashed, and sugar is added to them, after which the berry mass is poured with the prepared tea.

• Tea recipe #3 – with herbs

To prepare the drink, you need to stock up on half a tablespoon of cranberries (fresh or frozen), three teaspoons of sugar, one teaspoon of herbal tea (or half a teaspoon of black/green tea), three cloves and 600 ml of water. You can use dried or fresh mint instead of herbal tea. Then you need to take eight to ten leaves of the fragrant herb. Sugar can also be replaced with honey, which should be added to the drink after it has steeped.

The cranberries are mashed in a cup together with sugar. The berry mass is placed in a teapot with a capacity of about one liter. The tea leaves (mint or herbal mixture), cloves are put in there and everything is poured with boiling water. The tea should be infused for ten minutes, it is best to cover the teapot with a towel.

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Cranberry liqueur

Among the alcoholic drinks that can be prepared using cranberries, liqueur stands out.

Cranberry liqueur is a delicious alcoholic drink that is classified as a dessert homemade product. It contains all the vitamins and minerals that cranberries contain. And the beautiful red color and unusual taste of the drink will make it a decoration for any holiday table.

To prepare the liqueur, you need to take eight glasses of cranberries, one kilogram of sugar, one and a half liters of vodka, two cloves, two pieces of cardamom. The cranberries must be ripe, otherwise the quality of the drink decreases.

The cranberries are washed, dried and ground in a blender (or using a meat grinder). The berry mass is placed in a glass container and filled with vodka, then tightly covered and left to infuse for three to four days.

At the end of the term, take a saucepan, on which a colander is placed, covered with gauze folded in several layers. The berry mass is placed in the "structure", which is filtered, and the pulp is carefully squeezed out.

After that, the infusion is poured into another saucepan, convenient for heating over a fire. Sugar is added to the container, and the vessel is placed on a low fire, where the liquid is heated only until the sugar dissolves. The spices are pounded a little in a mortar, and then wrapped in a small gauze bag. The drink is removed from the fire and the prepared bag is lowered into it for five minutes. After that, the spices are taken out, and the liqueur is carefully filtered using gauze. At the very end, the drink is poured into bottles, corked and stored in a dark, cool place.

How to drink cranberries?

Having familiarized yourself with the health benefits of cranberries and the various ways of using them, you can see that the most useful is freshly prepared cranberry juice. In second place in terms of usefulness is cranberry juice from fresh or frozen berries. Then come compotes, teas from berries, leaves and twigs of cranberries, decoctions and infusions.

To use cranberries for health, you need to understand how to drink cranberries correctly?

Fresh juice should not be taken on an empty stomach. It is better to do this after an hour or an hour and a half after eating. It is also necessary to take into account that the substances contained in the juice destroy tooth enamel. Therefore, cranberry juice should be drunk through a straw, and then rinse your mouth thoroughly with water.

The most optimal daily dose of cranberry juice is two glasses. This portion can be divided into three or four doses.

You can drink cranberry juice as much as you feel the need. For health purposes, you need to drink at least one liter of the drink per day. You can drink cranberry juice before meals, half an hour before. Or two hours after eating. It is best to add honey to the juice, not sugar. Since honey has valuable medicinal properties, and sugar, on the contrary, contributes to the provocation of many diseases. Honey should be added to drinks that have been cooled to a temperature of 60 - 70 degrees.

Cranberry compotes and teas are, of course, healthy drinks. But it should be taken into account that heat treatment of berries leads to the disappearance of essential substances. Therefore, it is recommended to expose cranberries, as well as twigs and leaves from it, to heating and cooking as little as possible. You can drink compotes and teas from cranberries when the need arises. The only warning is that it is advisable not to drink liquids after meals. This dilutes the gastric juice and interferes with the proper digestion of food.

Cranberry decoctions and infusions are drunk between meals and in the dosage that is necessary for the treatment of a certain disease. Again, I would like to remind you that the healing properties are possessed by a pure drink, without adding sugar to it.