How to use up TONS of no-sugar-added high-quality cranberry juice?

[IndyGirl]

My husband bought it for me due to a recent health issue. BUT, he bought four big jugs. it's high-quality and was rather expensive so I'd like to put it to good use. Thoughts?

[TorontoJo]

Epicurious has a great recipe for cranberry-almond granola. The recipe calls for using the frozen concentrate, but I've always used regular juice to good effect. It's a great granola recipe and the fact that your juice is unsweetened will make it even better for you. :)

[sandra]

salad dressing!....cran. concentrate, balsamic vinegar, evoo, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar...i use cherry concentrate which is a little sweeter, but just add more sugar to the cran until it tastes good

[IndyGirl]

Another terrific idea. Thanks for all the creativity, guys, and keep it coming!

[Emme]

Make a cranberry sauce for cheesecake.

Add it to muffins, smoothies, mousse.

Roast Pork w/ Cranberry Sauce.

Glaze for kebabs.

[IndyGirl]

cranberry sauce for cheesecake--great idea. I don't eat pork/red meat/poultry, though, so that wonderful-sounding roast pork/cranberry sauce combo is out.

[Emme]

yes that's right, my eyes read it, and completely tuned it out... must be friday, right?

[BellaDonna]

Maybe you could add sugar or sugar substitute to it and drink it. Or you can mix it with other fruit juices. Or you could spike it with alcohol and make punches?

[IndyGirl]

:) Definitely plan to add sugar and vodka! May even serve that to guests on Sunday to help get rid of the stuff.

[Babette]

I think I saw a winter "margarita" made with cranberry juice in the LA Times the other day. If my memory is wrong, I still think it should work with triple sec & tequila. I make margies with blood orange juice which is a tart juice & similar color--delicious.

[weezycom]

Freeze up a few trays as ice cubes and add to soda water with a squeeze of lime for a beverage that gets better as the cubes melt.

If you can't get through all of it, sell a jug or two on craigslist :-)

[evans]

get yourself a funnel at the auto supply & a length of tubing to hook onto the bottom end of the funnel. fill the funnel with cranberry juice (plugging the bottom end of the tubing with your thumb). slap the tubing in your mouth & suck it down!

If it goes through your nose, you'll blow on your clothes.
If it goes down your throat, you'll drink it like a float.
So drink it down, drink it quick, drink it now & don't get sick!

You'll get throught it fast that way - maybe even one night - especially if you spike it with some Kamchatka Vodka...

Evans

[IndyGirl]

LOL, gross! And this stfuf couldn't even be fixed with vodka unless I added sugar. It's like eating raw cranberries. That's hard for me, at least.

[personalcheffie]

Cranberry/Orange sauce for chicken, turkey or pork:

2 cups cranberry juice
4 tablespoons brown sugar, light
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 oranges, large, zested, juiced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

In a small saucepan, boil cranberry juice until reduced to about 1/2 cup, add brown sugar and vinegar, and boil mixture until syrupy. Place orange zest and juice in cranberry mixture and cook over medium high heat for another couple of minutes. Add butter, then add salt.

[IndyGirl]

That looks wodnerful. However....I do not eat any of those meats. *sigh*

[Candy]

You also might cook it down to a cranberry molasses like the pom. molasses and use it in a similar manner.

[IndyGirl]

Great thought. I will have to think of ways to use the molasses....but great idea.

[Olivia]

You could make cranberry gelatin (assuming you're not vegetarian).

[IndyGirl]

I am, but not vegan. That night be a nice idea....a novelty at least for V-day.

[rworange]

This is great. I got into gelatin this year and using cranberry juice has been one of my favorites. Depending on your sugar requirements here's an initial way to make it

1. One cup of apple juice in a heat-proof bowl

2. Sprinkle a package of Knox gelatin on top. Timing doesn't matter too much ... can be for as little as a minute or longer.

3. Heat one cup of cranberry juice to boiling

4. Add cranberry juice to apple/gelatin mixture and stir.

5. Do a taste test. If you like it sweeter, then add some sugar. It is pretty much going to taste like the liquid form when jelled.

You can either chill the whole bowl or put it into single-serving size cups. So far home-made gelatin seems to keep a while. I've left some in the fridge for over two weeks without it going bad.

You can play around with what to combine with the cranberry juice. You can use cranberry juice instead of apple juice and add sugar. I like to restrict sugar as much as possible, so the apple / cranberry combo works for me.

The important thing is the ratio of liquid to gelatin ... 2 cups liquid to one package of Knox. Any less and it won't jell. Any more, and it is too solid for my tastes.

You can get creative on the other liquid ... maybe wine or OJ. Also any fruit you think would go well with cranberry juice can be added.

[IndyGirl]

Cool! thanks!

[MakingSense]

Gelatin, like Knox, is made from animal protein.
If you're a veggie, you should look for gelling agents like agar, nature gum, carrageenan, pectin, or konnyaku at health food stores. There is no vegetable source of gelatin.

[IndyGirl]

Yes, I know that; I'm not vegan, though. In fact, I'm only a loose vegetarian--more of a pesce-lacto-ovoterian, since I simply avoid actual *meat*--poultry, red meat, pork.

[Candy]

A cranberry granite or sorbet could be nice, maybe with a little citrus added or maybe an interesting herb like rosemary infused in the base?

[IndyGirl]

Good idea. Thanks!

[Katie Nell]

Granita was my first thought. Lots of relishes, jams, and chutneys would be good ways to use it up too. I would go to Epicurious and type in cranberry juice in the search and it comes up with a lot of ideas- at least for inspiration. Maybe some kind of a pork roast with a reduction of the cranberry juice. Applesauce made with apples simmered in cranberry juice.

[xena]

could you freeze what you can't use now?

[IndyGirl]

I don't necessarily think it will go bad immediately or anything ,but we'll be moving (likely across the country) within the next six months. I'm thinking of things like sauces...you know? I am willing to be really creative but I'm just looking for ideas at this point.