ocean spray cranberry juice -- watered down?

[alkapal]

i drink quite a bit of the ocean spray cranberry juice.

i had some yesterday and i think they've diluted the concentrate even more than in the past. have you noticed this, or is it an "off" batch?

i notice this because typically, i dilute fruit juices even more to lessen the sweetness, and so i can slug down a greater volume of thirst-quenching liquid.

[JEKelley1]

I just contacted Ocean Spray this past week and they replied that they changed the formula for the 100% cranberry juice (not the cranberry juice cocktail). The stuff is almost undrinkable now. I too got the "we'll send you coupons", but I'm going to have to try something else. Northland was never as good, but if I can find the Lakewood brand mentioned below, I'll try that.

[alkapal]

try store brands; sometimes i find they're tarter than the ocean spray cocktail -- and i like them better!

[JEKelley1]

Thanks. Will do. Gotta have my cranberry--the real stuff. I like it tart.

[cheryleo]

There's no doubt in my mind that my cranberry-raspberry juice is watered down considerably. It used to have a nice tang to it and now its like drinking colored water. I prefer to support local business but will move on to another brand.

[awiggins]

I've been drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice for about 30 years. It's changed. The new product is terrible. I bought three bottles a few weeks ago and noticed the difference. Thinking it was a bad batch I went through each bottle, tossed the contents of all in the end. It taste like watered down apple/grape. Last week I went to another store and bought two 1 gallon bottles. Just opened one and it taste disgusting. Filed a complaint on the Ocean Spray website and will be returning the two 1 gallon bottles to the store. Unless they change their receipe back to what it used to be, I'm done with their product.

Here's the link to the 'contact us' page on their website.
http://www.oceanspray.com/contact/

[eatingrainbows]

make your own from frozen cranberry blend juice, Welch's makes them and you control the flavor.
Just add water and save a plastic jug from ending up in a landfill.

[Boccone Dolce]

You could have a funky batch- I dilute any juices (I like tons of crushed ice and just a touch of juice with ice cold water) so I may not notice. The last cran I got was Northland (cran/pom)

[Val]

I love some of that Northland, cut with water, put it over ice and add a fresh lime wedge...very nice non-alcoholic quaff.

[Phurstluv]

Gimme a splash o' ketel one, please...!

[adamshoe]

Almost all "cranberry juice cocktail" is 27% juice. It says right on the label on all of them. Nobody's trying to put one past you. What I've noticed is that the COLOR varies wildly thruout the year. From pale-ish brown/ pink to a deep ruby red. I like the Kirkland brand, but if I'm not going to costco, it's Langers or Ocean Spray, none of which have HFCS either. adam

[alkapal]

i know it's made from concentrate. i don't think i'm being "put upon" -- except -- i KNOW what i've had in the past, and this is weaker.

[adamshoe]

Hey Alka, I didn't say "put upon", if you'll re-read my post. I'm just sayin' that CJ Cocktail has been 27% juice for about 20+ years. Altho, I remember Ocean Spray being much more tart when I was a young'un. Once made the mistake of buying 100% Cran J. @ Trader Joes- went to make my cape codder and GAG!!! It is truly 100% juice w/ no sugar!!
Blecch!! I had to make a simple syrup and add it to the juice to make it quaffable. I guess that 100% stuff is strictly for bladder infections. Peace, adam

[Phurstluv]

<<much more tart than when I was a young'un>> like your tastes don't change??

[alkapal]

adam, i found it weaker than the ones i bought just last month, so i'm going to try another batch.

and i inferred "Nobody's trying to put one past you" as i was "put upon" through some chicanery or misleading.

peace, fo'shizzle! ;-).

[eatingrainbows]

as you age your taste receptors decrease, it is possible that you are just building tolerance to tart.

[Karl S]

Juice cocktails all have to be at least 27% juice by federal standards, IIRC.

[Phurstluv]

Hey alkapal - I noticed in the store today, little packets of dried o-s cranberry juice that you add to your own, presumably, bottled water??? I think they were sugar free versions, don't know how they would get that much table sugar in a small packet - have you seen those??

[alkapal]

nope... i tend to buy cran when i think my kidneys need an assist.

[rockandroller1]

Drink water, and take OTC cranberry supplements. I took those for years when I felt a UTI coming on and they always worked very well. I think the brand is AZO. Should be at your local drugstore.

[cookieluvntasha]

I get the 100% juice Cranberry juice. Is that the type you buy? I dilute my juices 50/50 so I really am not a good judge if its changed or not, but I can say that most cranberry juices at the grocer are much worse than the Ocean Spray brand. Its unfortunate if they ARE lessening the cranberry juice in the cocktail, because its already mostly sugar.

[elfcook]

just double checked my bottle of Ocean Spray - it is 27% juice. I get the regular "cranberry juice cocktail" - used to do the "no sugar added", but that actually has more sugar per the label. It is not added, but they add grape juice which makes it sweeter and raises the grams of sugar. I also like that they are using cane or beet sugar, no HFCS.
Anyway, I drink a lot of it as well (also diluted), and have not noticed a difference.

[eatingrainbows]

they add the sugar because there is less juice and more water so it looses flavor. If you are diluting it, you are getting very little actual juice so why are you paying for sugar water? Buy frozen concentrated cranberry juice and dilute it with your own water and save a lot of money. Not to mention fewer plastic bottles in the landfills.

[Val]

I wish the labels would SAY what the percentage of cranberry juice is in the products...I drink Northland cranberry and I recently wrote an e-mail to them to inquire how much cranberry juice is actually in the bottle...they answered 27% and also mailed me a bunch of great coupons. Probably would be better for me to switch to a straight cranberry juice product, such as Lakewood, though much more expensive. The Northland has no added sugar but sweetens it with apple and grape juices. I haven't bought Ocean Spray in a long time, though. You might consider e-mailing them!