Festive Cranberry Drink
Taste of Home
Warm or cold? Take your choice of how to serve this colorful autumn beverage. It’s such a pretty color, and the spicy sweet-tart flavor is delightful with a meal or snack.
—Dixie Terry
Goreville, Illinois
SERVINGS: 12
CATEGORY: Beverages
METHOD: Other stovetop
TIME: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 20 min.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 quarts water, divided
- 1-3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup red-hot candies
- 12 whole cloves
Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large kettle, combine cranberries and 1 qt. water. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain through a fine strainer, pressing mixture with a spoon; discard skins. Return cranberry pulp and juice to the pan.
Stir in the sugar, juices, red-hots and remaining water. Place cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag; add to juice mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sugar and red-hots are dissolved.
Remove from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Discard spice bag. Serve drink warm or cold. Yield: 3 quarts.