Did you know homemade cranberry juice is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t required any special equipment? That’s right. It is as simple as filling a jar halfway with cranberries and adding some sugar and pouring boiling water into a jar. Process using the water bath canning method (you just need a tall pot, not an official water bath canner) and presto, you have a beautiful homemade, shelf stable cranberry juice to enjoy throughout the year.

Our family moved into our new home the day after Thanksgiving last year. As we approach our first full year on our homestead, I can’t help but reflect on some of our firsts. The first crops I planted in our garden before we even moved in (garlic, collards, broccoli), the first rooms we settled (the bedrooms and of course the kitchen), and the first food I canned in my new kitchen…cranberry juice. At the time, it seemed like such a random item to choose, but it had been almost a year since I had canned anything, and I just wanted to process something and get it on my shelf!

In just a few minutes of searching, I came across a blog post about how simple it was to can cranberry juice and thought I would give it a try. It felt like the perfect time of year since grocery stores were selling cranberries through the holidays. It’s that time of year again, so naturally, it’s time to make more.

Why We Love Homemade Cranberry Juice

I still have several jars of cranberry juice on my shelf, but I don’t want to run out. We enjoy drinking this throughout the holiday season will a little sprite and lime juice. And in the Summer, we enjoy it with our Homemade Lemonade for a natural version of pink lemonade. It has also been my go to remedy for my potty training toddler who struggles with UTIs (one of which put her in the hospital). Anytime she starts to get uncomfortable, I have her drink a few glasses of cranberry juice and within a day, all of her symptoms are gone. I couldn’t ask for a better home remedy.

Beyond urinary support, cranberries bolster the immune system, protect against heart disease, and aid gut health. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, B vitamins, folate, calcium, magnesium, and a variety of other nutrients. Cranberries are a powerhouse superfood and an amazing item to have on your pantry shelf.

This year when it came to time to make more juice, I found bags of cranberries for $.99 at my local ALDI. This is a better price than Walmart and not counting the 1/3 cup of sugar I add to each jar, makes my homemade juice about $.50 a quart. That’s a pretty good deal! I know this time of year is pretty busy for most people, so one of the cool things about cranberry juice is that you can also can the juice from frozen cranberries. Purchase them when they are on sale and freeze them for when you have time to can. Ready to get to that recipe?

How to Make Homemade Cranberry Juice (The Easy Way)

Recipe by TheHomemadeMama

Ingredients

• Cranberries (fresh or frozen)

• Sugar

• Boiling water

Directions

• Add approximately 1.5 cups of cranberries to a quart mason jar.
• Add 1/3 cup sugar to the jar.
• Fill the jar with boiling water leaving a 1 inch headspace.
• Put on lids and rings and process in a water bath canner for 25 minutes (adjust for your elevation.)
• Remove rings after 24 hours and store on your pantry shelf.

Notes

• You can make a single jar or as many jars as you want at a time.
• If you are using 12 oz bags of cranberries from the store, divide the cranberries in the bag into 2 jars.
• Pair this with our Homemade Lemonade for a fun and refreshing drink!