Homemade cranberry juice is tart, flavorful, and requires only 4 ingredients. Here’s how to make cranberry juice easily at home with a blender or on the stove-top!
When you think cranberries, you think Thanksgiving, right?
I make cranberry sauce every year because I love it and… well, the canned variety simply can’t touch homemade.
So, shortly before Thanksgiving, I bought a few bags of cranberries (you know, in case there was a cranberry shortage).
And my husband, who evidently thought I was making cranberry sauce for about 50 people, bought several bags, too. Only, his were the 2 pound kind.
Long story short, after the 3 cups I needed for cranberry sauce, I was left with a boatload of cranberries!
Some I tossed right in the freezer, but most I shoved in the fridge with the intention of making something out of them after Thanksgiving.
But let’s face it, after a day of overeating and several of leftovers, who is in the mood for anything heavy or overly sweet? I certainly wasn’t.
Then it dawned on me. What about a drink, like juice?
Yes, cranberry juice… homemade fresh cranberry juice!
I’ll be the first to admit it, I don’t drink juice.
I find the store-bought juice to be a vehicle for nothing but sugar and artificial ingredients. It’s not actually nutritious.
Yet, when you make your own, you lose none of the nutrition, preserve the freshness, and are in complete control of the sweetness. Win, win!
So, I blended together mandarins, cranberries, and water. Let me just say, I was wowed!
It was exactly what I needed after all that indulgent food: tart, flavorful, satisfying, and nutritious.
I wasn’t the only one impressed with this homemade cranberry juice, though. My kids were equally as smitten!
I did add a little honey to theirs because, I’m no fool, otherwise there would’ve been protests. 😉
Why To Make Vs. Buy Cranberry Juice
Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you’re interested in making cranberry juice from scratch because you want to avoid the added sugar, vegetable concentrate, coloring, and more.
Even the seemingly healthy stuff has to have a certain amount of additives and preservatives in order to be shelf stable.
Thankfully, when you make your own cranberry juice, you control everything that goes into it — part of the reason I love making it.
Is cranberry juice good for you?
While cranberry juice is tasty and delicious, it’s also nutritious.
Here are a few reasons to consider drinking it on a regular basis. Cranberry juice…
- is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols
- can play a role in reducing cardiovascular disease
- can improve oral health
- fights age-related damage
- is high in fiber
- has cancer-fighting properties
- supports digestive health
- is beneficial against bacteria that lead to urinary tract infections
How do you make cranberry juice?
If you’ve never made cranberry juice at home, rest assured, it is incredibly easy.
I demonstrate two methods below — with the blender and on the stove-top. I prefer the blender version because I can have it right away but the stove-top option is wonderful if you don’t have a blender.
To make cranberry juice, you will need fresh or frozen cranberries, pure filtered water, fresh lemon or orange juice (optional; use lemon juice to be Low Vitamin A), and honey, if you like it sweetened.
What equipment do you need to make cranberry juice?
For the blender method, you will need a high-powered blender such as the Vitamix and a fine mesh sieve (better for catching all the pulp) or cheesecloth (my preference).
For the stove-top method, you need only a fine mesh sieve.
What should you do with the cranberry pulp?
Don’t let the pulp go to waste! Instead, add it to muffins or breads for tart flavor and extra nutrition.
Or, if you really have no use for it, add it to your compost bin or feed it to your animals.
Let’s Get In The Kitchen! How To Make Cranberry Juice At Home
Homemade Cranberry Juice
Homemade cranberry juice is tart, flavorful, satisfying, nutritious... and requires only 4 ingredients. Here's how to make it easily with a blender or on the stove-top!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- 2 cups pure water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice (optional); use lemon juice for Low Vitamin A
- 1 drizzle raw honey or maple syrup, stevia, or other favorite sweetener, to taste (optional)
Instructions
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Place cranberries and water in a blender and blend on high for 2 minutes.
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Check to see if there are any solid cranberry pieces left, and if there are, blend again until they disappear.
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Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
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Stir in lemon or orange juice and sweetener, if desired. I prefer mine unsweetened, but it might be too tangy for some.
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The juice keeps in the fridge for a few days.
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If you have a high speed blender, and don’t mind pulp in your juice, consider skipping the straining step and get the benefits of the whole cranberry!
Recipe Notes
Stove-Top Method
- Place cranberries and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down and allow the cranberries to simmer for about 20 minutes. The berries should pop open, and the water will turn a bright red.
- Pour the mixture through a fine sieve.
- Add sweetener to taste. I drink mine completely unsweetened, but most find it too tart. Freshly-squeezed lemon or orange juice also helps to brighten the flavor of your cranberry juice.
- Although the strained cranberry “pulp” in this recipe has lost much of its nutrients and flavor into the water, I can’t bear to throw it away. Instead, I use it to add a little extra moisture and flavor to muffins or breads.
Looking for other cranberry recipes? We’ve got you covered!
- 75+ Fresh Cranberry Recipes From Breakfast To Dessert!
- Cranberry Orange Muffins With Soaked Oats (THM:E)
- How Do I Make Cranberry Sauce In The Instant Pot? #AskWardee 050
- Allergy-Friendly Apple Cranberry Crisp {use your Instant Pot!}
- Fermented Cranberry-Orange-Apple Relish
- Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
Do you love cranberries? What is your favorite way to use them? Have you ever made homemade cranberry juice?
This post was originally published and written by Andrea Sabean on 11/30/15. It was updated and republished on 1/27/20.
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Hi there,I make Kefir with all of my fruit,including Cranberries.I keep several different jars of fruit Kefirs going in the fridge.I add them together when I pour myself a glass.I find it easiest to do this way as different fruit last different amounts of time.For instance Raspberries are good for about a week to a week and a half,where a pineapple will last several months. Cooked Cranberries are also delicious when added to a cut up Papaya sprinkled with Pumpkin Pie spice and Drizzled with some Honey or Maple syrup
Dawn, all of those ideas sound delicious! Thank you for sharing!
When you add the pulp to you muffins, are you replacing butter or something or adding to the recipe? If adding in addition to, how much do you typically use? Thanks!!
Hi Shannon, I add it in like I would if I were adding blueberries or other fresh fruit. I will admit that I don’t measure – just stir some in until it looks good.
Can you use this method for other fruits, like black berries? What about adding other fruits along with it, making “cran-apple” juice?
Hi Dustin, I haven’t tried it with other fruits, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Any suggestions on sourcing organic cranberries?
I live relatively close to a cranberry farming area so found mine at a local farmer’s market. Failing that, I would ask around at health food stores or markets that source organic produce. Someone should be able to tell you where you can purchase them.
Fresh Meadow Farm in Carver, Mass, offers fry picked organic cranberries fresh during the season, and frozen in 5 lb. bags in the off season, and they will ship.
I keep a salad going all,winter long. Ground cranberries, apples and oranges including the peel and a little sweeter depending on the sweetness of the fruits. Just grind and mix, cover and refrigerate. I buy tons of cranberries while they,are cheap and freeze them. The freshness is a brightness to winter meals and this is so nutritious.
Hi Andrea, You can sweeten cranberry juice with unsweetened organic apple, grape, or white grape juices. Or organic concentrates. White & Pink Cranberries are slightly less tart. Cranberries that are not
organic haven’t many problems, they only get flooded for harvest. So if they can’t be found organic, soak them in a dishpan of cold water with a couple cups of A C Vinegar for 0 minutes. Then rub thoroughly between your hands to scruff them off Drain into a colander rinse with a spray
or flood with cold water & toss with your hands until you’re comfortable. Vinegar is antiseptic,a fair virucide, a fair antibacterial (both gram +/-) an antifungal & Active against molds & mildew. It dissolves the carnauba wax the produce departments plaster every thing with, & does somewhat breakdown & at least loosen the pesticides. Agitation with the hands, brushes, & forceful spray does more. Not a perfect solution, but when organic is not available the process is very helpful. It is very effective against colds, flu, & pneumonia bacteria, so you can be more comfortable buying produce from open displays, people have handled, coughed, & sneezed on! Very effective against fungus,mold, & mildew. I use AC Vinegar by the gallon for cleaning, laundry, & disinfecting except cutting boards counters & the bathroom where I’m still in favor of bleach & real disinfectants. As far as Urinary Tract Health & Gyn Health, cranberry juice is great. However there are some types of kidney disease & gout where cranberry juice is unhealthful. So those people should verify drinking the cranberry juice is ok for them to use. I love your bringing the negatives of commercial cranberry juice to light & how easy it is to make! Happy Holidays from Boston, MA
What a fantastic post!
Thank you so much, Johnson!! That’s wonderful to know!
The recipe states the yield is 32 servings. What size are those servings? The Nutrition Facts are for 0.5 cup, but that doesn’t seem possible with the ingredient amounts.
Thank you for catching this, it is fixed. 🙂 ~TCS Customer Success Team
Another way to use the cranberry pulp (from blender method) is to make it into a bread spread.
You Need:
1 cup of pulp (This will not work with the pulp from the cooked method.)
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (It does not need to be softened in water before adding to pulp.)
Sweeten to your own taste
Bowl
Jar with lid
Directions:
1. Put the pulp into the bowl.
2. Add the gelatin
3. Stir well, until all the gelatin is stirred into the pulp.
4. Pour into the jar, put the lid on.
5. Use the spread as you would use jam or jelly on bread or pastries.
6. It can last in the fridge from 3 to 5 days. (If you don’t finish it sooner.)
7. Enjoy.
I make bread spreads like this with fresh or frozen berries. I very seldom use sweeteners in the spreads. The natural sweetness and flavors of the berries makes store-bought jams and jellies taste lame.
This is genius Helen! What a wonderful suggestion!
I love that you came up with this because of extra cranberries in the freezer. So the entire reason I researched this is because I ended up with a frozen bag of cranberries and wanted to know what I can do with it. And I’m going to blend with mandarin oranges in my Vitamix so that I can either make the muffins or the bread spread someone else mentioned. Thank you all for sharing!!!!
Ah this is so wonderful! I’m so glad this worked out for you! Wonderful news! 🙂
I used both the blender and boiling method. The result of the blender was so bitter, I could not drink it even with honey. But the juice from boiling the cranberries was delicious. I was just wondering how you could even drink the one from the blender. Are you using a different Cranberry?
Hi Joni,
Mine was tart, not at all bitter. It shouldn’t be bitter. Are you using fresh cranberries? That’s very strange. The sweetness helps to balance the tartness but there should be no bitterness involved.
That’s supposed to say Joji- autocorrect!
I had never thought to blend the leftover cranberries – I love the (sweetened) juice! And you control what and how much sweetness to add.
Thank you so much Wendy! That’s wonderful to hear!!
The recipe says it’s 3 calories per serving and I’m really tempted to make it. Is the recipe truly only 3 calories per serving?
I just juiced some concord grapes someone gave me and now I’m going to juice the cranberries I unburied from the back of the freezer and add that juice to the naturally sweetened grape juice.
I tried the stovetop version today and it came out great. Thanks for the recipe!
For how long can i storw the juice in refrigerator? And can i freeze it?
I’m all in favor of trying this using stovetop method. But the amount of nutrients as shown in the chart seems low for all the touted benefits of cranberries. I was surprised.
Hi Daniela, thanks for the awesome recipe! I used the stove top method, tasty, but it didn’t make much juice. Could I possibly add water to it or would that lighten it too much? Or could I just blend the pulp that I meshed out with two cups of water and add it? Thank you ?
You said you first threw clementines and cranberries into the blender, have you posted that recipe?
Great recipe! I used the stovetop method. It is so good, I’m definitely not buying juice again. This is how Ocean Spray cranberry juice used to taste 20 years ago. As suggested, I used the pulp to make some muffins, and wow, they came out moist, puffy, and with delicious cranberry flavor. Thank you again for sharing this tasty recipe!
I combined both the Blender and Stove- Top Method!
It has an AMAZINGLY RICH PALETTE! I LUV IT! I also reserved
a bit of pulp as well for a slightly thicker pure.
Can I water bath can the juice so it will last longer?
I love fresh cranberries and have a large amount in my freezer. I make muffins with them, I also add to my apple when I’m making apple pie or an Apple strudel and all that have tasted this fell in love! I’ve made the bread spread and it’s amazing