Homemade Cranberry Juice

It's that time of year...the time where I get a little overenthusiastic about buying cranberries.  They're hard to find the rest of the year and they freeze so well that I can't stop myself from buying at least a few bags each year. 

I've bought only 2 bags so far: this first was promptly used for cranberry relish (a favorite on the Thanksgiving table) and the second bag I decided to try to make some homemade cranberry juice.  We rarely have juice in the house but I thought it would work very well in cocktails or mocktails for the Christmas season. 

This juice was surprisingly easy to make - basically, you just simmer the cranberries in water, add some sugar and freshly squeezed orange, and then press the whole thing through a fine mesh sieve.  It is much more refreshing than the store bought (with probably a lot less sugar...and other miscellaneous ingredients) and it makes a beautiful, deep red color.  While we haven't tried any cocktails yet, I especially like it mixed with sparkling water.


Homemade Cranberry Juice
Taken from: Farmgirl Gourmet
Makes about 3 cups

• 3 cups fresh cranberries (equivalent to one 12-ounce bag)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1. Rinse the cranberries and remove all the mushy or moldy ones.
2. Add the cranberries and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Add honey or sugar to your taste - I started with 1/4 cup and only added a little bit at a time. Add the orange juice to the pot and stir to combine.
4. Set a fine meshed sieve over a large bowl, pass the cranberry mixture through the sieve.  If you do not like a thicker juice, trying to not press the solids too much (this didn't bother me so I tried to extract all the goodness). Refrigerate juice and serve. Should keep about a week.
5. You can discard the solids or use them in another way - I used them in homemade jam by this recipe and adding a few frozen cherries to try to make about 12 ounces of leftover cranberries plus cherries. Delicious and I even made the jam in the same pot!

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Mocha Frappuccino

Believe it or not, we're starting to get some summer-like weather here.  As I type this, I'm sitting on our back patio, wearing shorts and short-sleeve shirt and drinking a homemade frappuccino.  Pretty perfect! (Although come July or August, it will be hot here.)

These mocha frappuccinos are wonderful - cold, coffee-y, and delicious.  The consistency did not mix perfectly, however, so I would suggest serving with a straw or spoon to blend a little as you drink it.  Regardless, we loved the flavor and it was a perfect break on a Sunday afternoon after some gardening.

Even if you don't have spring or summer weather yet, mark this recipe for a month or two from now!  I have a feeling that I'll be making these for months to come.

Mocha Frappuccino
Taken from: Savory Sweet Life
Serves 2-4

• 1½ cups crushed ice (I just used cubed ice)

• 2-1 ounce shots of espresso OR use 3/4 cup of double strength (strong) coffee increase ice amount by ¼ cup.

• 1/2 cup your choice of milk (I used almond milk)

• 2 tablespoons sugar (more or less depending on preference)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

• pinch of salt
• optional toppings: whipped cream, chocolate syrup or a shot of espresso

1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender for 30-45 seconds. Taste and add more ice or other ingredients as needed. 
2. Pour into 2-4 tall glasses.  If desired, top off with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and/or a shot of espresso. Best served with a straw or spoon.

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Sangria

I'm so sad that I didn't try this recipe earlier this year while lemons and oranges were more in season.  I got the Cook's Illustrated Holiday Entertaining magazine as part of a Christmas present from my husband and had bookmarked so many recipes to try.  While I made several other recipes, I forgot about this sangria recipe until this Friday when I realized we had all the ingredients on hand and it would be a fun Friday thing.  I halved the recipe below which made enough for 2 servings. 

It's an easy recipe that only takes a few minutes to make, although it does need 2-8 hours to chill (seems like a good party drink that you can make ahead of time).  I was also blown away by the flavor! This was so smooth, tasty with a nice hint of fruit.  We used Two Buck Chuck Cabernet (well, really Three Buck Chuck here) which worked really well.  The sangria was so good that I made it the next night, too! Also, even though they might not be at the peak of their season, sangria-soaked oranges still taste pretty amazing.  

Sangria
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated Holiday Entertaining 2011
Serves 4  (could easily be halved, as well as tripled or doubled; these are generous servings in my opinion)

• 2 large oranges, washed (1 orange sliced and 1 orange juiced)
• 1 lemon, washed and sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used turbinado)
• 1 bottle (750 mL) medium-bodied red wine, chilled (I used Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1/4 cup triple sec

1. Slice 1 orange and lemon.  Add slices and sugar to a large pitcher or bowl. Mash gently with a wooden spoon until the fruit releases some juice but is not totally crushed and the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in the wine, orange juice and triple sec. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
3. Before serving, add 6-8 ice cubes and stir briskly to distribute any settled fruit and pulp.

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Homemade Lemonade

There's something about lemonade that is so refreshing, especially on a spring or summer day.  However, spring has come a little early for us (I'm loving the 70 degree weather in March), so I think that's more than enough reason to break out some lemonade!

Apparently, this recipe uses an Amish technique to mash the lemons and sugar together so the sugar dissolves and the lemon oil is released from the rind. Whatever the secret is, it makes for very flavorful and tasty lemonade.

I brought this lemonade syrup (I followed the recipe below but didn't add the water right away) to a friend's house so we could make our own drinks (and our own pretzels!).  It was a lot of fun...and my husband was also very happy that I brought home leftovers of everything at the end of the night.  You could also add sparkling water instead of regular water (although I prefer regular) for sparkling lemonade or add in extra fruits like strawberries for a little different flavor.  Feel free to use more or less sugar, depending on your preference (I like my lemonade a little tarter so I only used 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar).




Homemade Lemonade
Taken from: Cook's Illustrated via Ezra Pound Cake

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts (6 to 8 servings)

• 10 to 12 lemons, scrubbed under warm water and patted dry (2 to 2 1/4 cups lemon juice)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar (add more to taste, up to 2 1/4 cups total if you like it really sweet)
• 5 cups cold water

1. Slice the lemons lengthwise (I sliced each lemon into about 8 pieces), and toss them into a large bowl. Add the sugar.
2. Grab a potato masher or wooden spoon (I used a pastry blender and a wooden spoon), and mash the lemons and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the juice is syrupy, about 4 minutes.
3. Place a sieve over a medium bowl, and pour half of the lemon slices and syrup through the sieve. (Press the lemon peels to release as much liquid as possible.)
4. Trash the solids left in the sieve, and transfer the liquid to your serving pitcher.
5. Repeat the process with the remaining lemon slices and syrup.
6. Stir in the water until blended. Take a sip, and stir in more sugar, if necessary. Chill well, and stir to blend before serving.

NOTE: If you decide to add the water straight to the mashed lemon slices and sugar (instead of straining them before serving), be sure to strain the mixture before you refrigerate lemonade overnight. Otherwise, the lemon pith will make it bitter.

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Homemade Ginger Ale

One thing I immediately noticed about being back on the East Coast is how hot it gets with the humidity.  I grew up on the East Coast so when I heard people refer to "dry heat," I figured there wasn't much of a difference than the heat I was used to.  Oh, how wrong I was.  While California could definitely get hot, especially in the summer, right now, it seems to pale in comparison to a humid July back here.

Since we've been back to the humidity + heat, I've been wanting more refreshing drinks than my usual routine of iced water.  This last one - homemade ginger ale - was definitely a success.  As a disclaimer, it doesn't really taste like the ginger ale you find in grocery stores.  It's much more...gingery.  Like ginger ale probably should be.  It has that spiciness that comes from boiling real chopped ginger but is balanced by the sweetness of the sugar.  A few tablespoons of homemade ginger syrup, a cup of club soda and a squeeze of lime and you have a refreshing drink that helps beat the humidity.

PS - Although the wait for our stuff is almost over, you'll notice we're still drinking out of plastic cups!

Homemade Ginger Ale
Taken from: Joy the Baker

Ginger Syrup (makes 2 cups):

• 2 cups coarsely chopped ginger
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 cups water

 Ginger Ale:

• 1 cup club soda
• 3 tablespoons ginger syrup (plus more to taste)
• lime wedge
• dash of bitters (optional, I omitted)
• ice

1. Ginger Syrup: Place chopped ginger in a food processor (or blender in a pinch) and pulverize until well chopped (or finely chop by hand).
2. Place ginger, sugar, and water in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and a half, until the liquid has reduced down by more than half.  You’re going from 6 cups of liquid to 2 cups.  The boiling syrup will become glossy and silky as it cooks down and nears completion.
3. Remove syrup from the flame and strain twice through a cheese cloth, or fine mesh strainer, into a large bowl.  Let syrup cool slightly before pouring into a bottle to store.  Cool completely before incorporating into drinks.
4. Ginger Ale:  Combine all ginger ale ingredients in a glass over ice.  Stir with spoon to incorporate.  Enjoy immediately. 

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Strawberry Basil Lemonade

When it comes to drinks, I'd say I'm pretty predictable.  The vast majority of what I drink is water and (good) black coffee...with a glass of wine thrown in on the side.  However, when my coworker gave me more lemons from her tree, I couldn't resist a recipe I had found for Strawberry Basil Lemonade.  Of course, I just so happened to have all the ingredients at my fingertips as well - those lemons from her garden, strawberries from our CSA box and basil from Trader Joe's.  I also used raw cane sugar by giving it a spin in the food processor to break it up into finer granules (you can also do this with regular sugar as it helps the sugar dissolve completely).

It's a wonderfully refreshing drink, especially with the temperatures already in the 80s around here!  We've been having a glass of lemonade in the evenings the last few days (spiked with a bit of rum).  Not only is it beautiful but it's also such a perfect drink for summer! Of course, tailor it to make it your own -- I used extra lemon juice because I like it a bit more tart but add more sugar for sweetness, more basil for extra flavor and of course, with or without alcohol.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Taken from: What's Gaby Cooking

• 10 lemons, juiced, approx 1 cup of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup super fine sugar (to make super fine sugar, put regular or raw cane sugar in food process and whirl for about 5-10 seconds to make finer granules)
• 4 cups water
• 8-10 strawberries, hulled
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• Optional: 1/2 cup vodka or rum (we added about a shot to individual glasses so each person could decide with our without alcohol!)

1. Juice the lemons (I juiced over a fine mesh strainer to keep out pulp and seeds) and transfer the juice into a large pitcher. Add the sugar and the water and stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the strawberries and basil. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture for about 20 seconds just until the mixture turns pink and the basil is finely chopped (or pour into a regular blender and blend until mixture turns pink and basil is finely chopped). Add alcohol if desired (or add to individual glasses). Serve with ice and enjoy!

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