17 Best Healthy Cranberry Juice Recipes from Frozen Berries

The health benefits of cranberry juice

An important component of cranberries is vitamin C. In terms of its content, the fruit easily rivals citrus fruits. The berries also contain all the B vitamins and other beneficial compounds.

The cranberry juice recipe should preserve all its beneficial components. It's not necessary to avoid heat treatment, though—many minerals have beneficial effects after cooking.

Cranberry fruits are used in folk medicine to combat:

• elevated temperature;
• heat and fever;
• inflammation;
• symptoms of colds.

With the help of dishes based on cranberries it is possible to cope with:

• pyelonephritis;
• edema;
• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• digestive problems;

Video: "Frozen Cranberry Juice"

This video describes the recipe for a healthy and tasty drink.

Recipes for cranberry juice using frozen berries

Mors differs from other drinks with its pleasant, sweet and sour taste and stunning color. This healthy drink is prepared according to the following rules:

1. Use about 1/3 of the cranberry juice. Too much can impair the taste—not everyone likes sour drinks.
2. Frozen berries are left to thaw, placed in a sieve or cheesecloth to drain the liquid.
3. Before cooking, the fruits must be washed under running water and then allowed to dry slightly.
4. You can sweeten the drink with sugar, but it's best to use honey unless anyone in the family is allergic to it. Honey should be added to the drink after it's cooled, as at temperatures above 40°C it loses its beneficial properties and even becomes somewhat harmful.

Adding additional ingredients to the recipe, such as lemon zest, mint, rose hips, or spices, will diversify the taste of the drink, making it healthier.

Since cranberry juice causes unwanted redness and irritation of the skin, all work with the fruit should be done with gloves.

Classic recipe

Traditionally, it's made using the simplest method. For every cup of fruit, you'll need 2 liters of water and 5-6 tablespoons of sugar.

The cooking principle is as follows:

1. Thawed berries are crushed in a bowl to make a puree.
2. Squeeze the juice from the pulp through cheesecloth or a sieve into another container. Place the container in the refrigerator.
3. Cranberry pulp is poured with water and boiled for no more than a minute.
4. Add sugar and leave to infuse for half an hour.
5. Add the previously squeezed juice and stir.

Fruit drink recipe for children

Infants who have already been weaned, as well as older children, can be given fruit juice in small doses. However, the classic recipe is modified:

• the thawed berries are crushed, but the juice is not strained;
• the thick mixture is poured with water and placed on the fire;
• The heat treatment is extended to 5–6 minutes.

You can only sweeten drinks for babies with sugar; honey is still dangerous at this age.

With honey

Honey not only adds sweetness to the drink but also enhances its beneficial properties. Both cooked and uncooked products can be sweetened.

To process a glass of cranberries you will need:

• 1 liter of water;
• 3-4 tablespoons of honey;
• half a lemon.

The recipe is as follows:

1. Defrosted berries are scalded with boiling water, then crushed using any method.
2. The lemon is seeded, not peeled, and also chopped.
3. Mix the two mixtures, add honey, and let sit for 2 hours. Stir several times while cooling.
4. Dilute with slightly warmed water (below 40°C). Strain into a glass container.

With lingonberries

In this case, you'll need more sweetness, as both fruits are tart. However, you'll get plenty of natural antioxidants.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 200 g cranberries;
• 500 g lingonberries;
• 200 g sugar;
• 3 liters of water.

Cooking method:

• the berry mass is allowed to melt, then washed and crushed;
• squeeze the juice out of the pulp and put it in the refrigerator;
• the remaining cake is sprinkled with sugar, filled with water, and boiled;
• once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes, covered with a lid;
• mixed with chilled juice.

With rose hips

This fruit is in no way inferior to cranberries in terms of vitamin content, resulting in a true "vitamin bomb." To prepare, you'll need:

• 500 g cranberries;
• 100 g rose hips;
• 2 liters of water;
• 5 tablespoons of sugar.

Here is a step-by-step recipe:

1. Rose hips are prepared in advance: about a day before, the berries are washed, then infused in a thermos, adding a mug of boiling water.
2. Thaw the cranberries, crush them, squeeze out the juice, and place it in the refrigerator.
3. Pour water over the pulp, add sugar, and boil for 2–3 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. Strain the broth and add the juice and rosehip infusion.

With lemon

By combining both ingredients, you can make a delicious drink without heat treatment. To process 800 g of cranberries, you'll need:

• 2 lemons;
• 150 g sugar;
• one and a half liters of water.

Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Wash the lemon and remove the peel. Grate the zest on a fine grater. Squeeze out the juice.
2. The cranberries are washed, then mixed with the zest and loaded into a blender.
3. The crushed pulp is diluted with juice, sugar is added, and mixed.
4. Pour boiling water over the mixture and cover. Let the mixture sit for about an hour.

With raspberries

The plant is traditionally used to combat colds and various seasonal infections. Berry juice is also consumed to strengthen the immune system.

You will need the following components:

• 200 g cranberries;
• 100 g raspberries;
• 100 g sugar;
• 1 liter of water.

It's made using a similar technique. The berries are crushed, sugared, and covered with water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Then, let it steep.

With black currant

Both components strengthen the heart and blood vessels. Regular use of the product normalizes blood pressure.

For cooking you will need:

• 200 g cranberries;
• 150 g black currant;
• 2 liters of water;
• 200 g sugar.

The recipe is as follows:

1. The fruits are washed, chopped, and covered with sugar.
2. Add water and heat. Once it boils, simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, covered.
3. Let stand for at least 30 minutes.

With blueberries

Both berries, taken together, are popular for cancer prevention due to their quercetin content. A fruit drink is made from equal amounts of the berries.

You will need:

• 350 g each of cranberries and blueberries;
• 1.5 l of water;
• 200 g sugar.

They do it according to the scheme:

• the berries are washed, dried, and crushed;
• the fruit mass is sprinkled with sugar, filled with water and boiled;
• once it boils, reduce heat to low, cover and leave for 7 minutes;
• The cooled drink is strained into a separate container.

With sea buckthorn

The fruits of this shrub are low in calories and contain as many beneficial components as cranberries. For every 300 grams of cranberries, use 100 grams of sea buckthorn. You'll also need 100 grams of sugar and 2 liters of water.

The preparation is as follows:

1. The berries are washed, dried, and then crushed.
2. Add water, stir in sugar, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Cool for an hour.

With mint

Fruit drink flavored with mint is especially recommended for pregnant women. The pleasant taste encourages drinking more fluids, which helps reduce fatigue and increase lactation.

Components needed:

• 500 g cranberries;
• 10 mint leaves;
• 2 liters of water;
• 140 g sugar.

Preparation method:

1. Cranberries are crushed to make a pulp and juice is squeezed out.
2. Sprinkle the pulp with sugar, add water, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
3. Add juice, mint leaves and leave to simmer under the lid over low heat for another 5 minutes.
4. Let it cool and settle for an hour.

With ginger

The addition of this component enhances the product's ability to help treat colds, flu, and other viral infections. To process 330 g of cranberries, you will need:

• 270 g cane sugar;
• 3 liters of water;
• a small piece of ginger root.

The preparation is as follows:

1. Cook the syrup by stirring sugar into boiling water. Let it cool.
2. Grate the ginger root and add it to the syrup.
3. Pour syrup over thawed whole berries (do not crush).
4. Place on heat, bring to a boil and turn off.
5. Cover with a lid and let it sit. Strain off the liquid.

With viburnum

Viburnum is also used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory conditions of the genitourinary system and reduce pain. To make cranberry-viburnum juice, you will need:

• 500 g cranberries;
• 180 g viburnum;
• one and a half liters of water;
• 350 g sugar;
• 25 g vanilla sugar.

The cooking method is as follows:

1. Thawed cranberries are crushed, the juice is squeezed out and stored in the refrigerator.
2. The pulp is covered with sugar, filled with water, and placed on the fire.
3. When the brew boils, add viburnum berries and vanilla sugar and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add juice, stir, turn off the heat.
5. Let it cool and steep for half an hour.

With orange and cinnamon

The citrus component will boost your vitamin C intake, boosting energy and improving your mood. To prepare 300 g of cranberries, take:

• 2 large oranges;
• one and a half liters of water;
• 5 tablespoons of sugar;
• 1 cinnamon stick.

Prepare fruit drink according to the following scheme:

1. Thawed cranberries are crushed into a puree and the juice is squeezed out.
2. Squeeze the juice from both citrus fruits.
3. The juices are placed in the refrigerator, the squeezed juice of both components is poured with water, sugar is stirred in and heating begins.
4. When it boils, add cinnamon, wait 1 minute, and turn off.
5. Cover and leave to steep.
6. Strain the liquid and mix in both juices.

With carrots

Carrots are especially beneficial for children due to their high content of vitamin A (beta-carotene). Combining it with cranberry antioxidants creates a drink that can boost immunity, improve vision, and even combat anemia.

For cooking take:

• a glass of cranberries;
• half a kilo of carrots;
• 1 liter of water;
• sugar or honey optional.

To make fruit drink, you need:

• crush the thawed berries and squeeze out the juice;
• grate the carrots, squeeze out the juice;
• Mix the juices, add water, stir in the sugar.

To improve the aroma, it is recommended to add a pinch of cinnamon to the drink.

Without cooking

Any of the above recipes can be modified by omitting the heat treatment. This is done as follows:

1. The prepared berry mass is scalded with boiling water and sprinkled with sugar.
2. Leave for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.
3. If the finished drink seems too sour, dilute it with cool boiled water.

In a multicooker

With the ingredients for any recipe, you can use multifunctional kitchen equipment. Fill a bowl with the prepared berry pulp and set it to "stewing." The fruit drink should cook for about 20 minutes.

Recommendations for storage and use

Since children enjoy drinking berry juice, it's worth talking a little about reasonable dosage:

1. Until 6 months, if complementary foods have already been introduced, babies are not given any red foods.
2. It is permissible to give fruit juice to infants who are bottle-fed, but in small doses, monitoring the reaction.
3. For older children, the dose can be increased, but it must be prepared according to the recipe with heat treatment.
4. Children from 1 to 3 years old can be given fruit drink at a rate of 20 berries per day.
5. For older children, the dosage is increased; cooking without boiling is also possible.

For certain health conditions, the drink may do more harm than good. It is contraindicated for people with:

• increased production of gastric juice;
• gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
• diabetes mellitus;
• heartburn.

Knowing how to make cranberry juice will allow a housewife to treat her family to this delicious and healthy treat all year round. There are so many recipes, I'd love to try them all.