Homemade Cranberry Juice: A Family Favorite for the Holiday Season
There’s something special about making things from scratch, especially when it comes to recipes that have been part of your family for years.
As the holiday season approaches, one of our family traditions is making homemade cranberry juice. It's a simple way to enjoy fresh cranberries, and the beautiful deep red color makes it feel like the holidays have arrived!
This is one of those recipes that doesn't require a long list of ingredients or anything fancy. Just fresh cranberries, a little sugar, water, and some jars. You can even adjust the sweetness to your liking.
If you've never made cranberry juice at home, here's how our family prepares it.
What You'll Need
This recipe makes approximately 12 quart jars.
6 bags of fresh cranberries
¼–½ cup sugar per quart jar, depending on how sweet you like your juice
Water
12 quart-size jars with lids and bands
Please note - this blog is not intended to an introductory course into water bath canning. Please make sure you have researched on your own the proper ways for water bath canning if you are unfamiliar. These methods are also not approved by the National Center for Home Preservation, but have done well for us. We follow most rules, not all ;)
If you are not comfortable, you can skip the canning all together and keep them in your fridge for two weeks.
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Juice
Step 1: Prepare Your Jars
Start by washing and preparing your quart jars, lids, and bands.
Our family's traditional preparation is to place the jars in a 275°F oven for 20 minutes. You can also sterilize in your dishwasher (if the setting is present) or boil your jars. This must be done since we are NOT pressure canning.
Step 2: Prepare the Cranberries
Wash your fresh cranberries and pick through them, removing any berries that are soft, damaged, or otherwise unsuitable.
Once they're cleaned and ready, set them aside.
Step 3: Fill Your Jars
Add cranberries to each quart jar until the jar is filled with berries.
Add ¼–½ cup of sugar (or honey) to each jar. The amount depends on your preference. Use less for a tarter juice or more if you prefer it sweeter.
Step 4: Add the Water
Fill each jar with either boiling spring water or hot tap water if you're using water from your own well, following the family method.
Leave the appropriate headspace according to a tested canning recipe if preparing juice for storage.
Step 5: Water Bath
Our family's traditional instructions call for adding the lids and bands and placing the jars in a water bath, with water covering the jars, for 20 minutes.
Food safety reminder - a required disclaimer since this is considered a “rebel canning” recipe: Although we’ve used this method for decades without issue, this family recipe has not been tested for safe water-bath canning, including its jar preparation, water temperature, processing time, and acidity. Do not assume the jars are shelf-stable or store them at room temperature based on this method. For shelf-stable storage, use a tested cranberry juice canning recipe from a reliable source, such as the National Center for Home Food Preservation or Penn State Extension. If you are not comfortable, you can skip the canning all together and keep them in your fridge for two weeks.
Step 6: Let Cool
Remove the jars and let them cool completely on the counter.
Once cooled, check that the jars have sealed if you are following a tested canning process. Let these jars sit for at least two weeks to let the juice steep. Then strain and enjoy!
A Little Taste of the Holidays
Homemade cranberry juice is a wonderful addition to the holiday season. Its bright cranberry flavor is delicious served chilled, and it can also be enjoyed warm on a cold afternoon.
It's a simple family tradition that reminds us how much joy there can be in making something at home.
And that's what we love about these kinds of recipes: they're not complicated, they bring people together, and they give us another reason to slow down and enjoy the season.
We hope you enjoy giving this family favorite a try!
From our family to yours, happy homesteading!
Adam, Chelsea, Ree’ & Nora
www.reenorranch.com
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