Cranberry simple syrup will lift your holiday drinks (and spirits) with it’s sweet tart taste and beautiful red jewel-like color. It also makes a perfect gift!
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Do you love making special holiday drinks? Me too. Even if it’s just for myself while I’m in the kitchen cooking delicious holiday food. Or sitting on the couch thinking about how many more presents I have to wrap. Cranberry simple syrup is the perfect ingredient to have in your refrigerator over the holidays. It’s great in spritzers, mules, tonics, you name it! And bonus, you can make it now, before your crazy family shows up, because it lasts for months.
Another bonus is that it’s not only deliciously sweet and tart, it’s also the most beautiful red color! Ideal for gifting in a cute glass jar with a handmade label. I suggest using masking tape and a sharpie for your label. It’s old school but effective. Also, you should write in cursive or in your own distinct handwriting. I’m being very bossy, but I feel strongly about this! If you’ve bothered to make someone, including yourself, some delicious cranberry simple syrup, make it obvious that it’s homemade. And how about this, you can put the pretty jar in a cute basket with copper mugs and include the recipe for festive cranberry ginger mules. People love homemade gifts!
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Just Two Ingredients
Cranberries are one of the foods that epitomize the festive holiday season. It’s also the season fresh cranberries start appearing in the produce section. Bright red berries that you absolutely do not want to eat raw (unless you like insanely bitter/tart flavors). Maybe you’ve been tempted at the store by the beauty of fresh cranberries, but weren’t sure what to do with them? Super easy baked cranberry sauce is one great idea, but how about as one of the two ingredients for cranberry simple syrup? The other ingredient is just your basic granulated sugar. Okay, you do also need water, but we’ll consider that a freebie.
It’s Called Simple for a Reason
If you can remember 2 + 2 + 2, you’ve got this recipe memorized already! You’ll start by adding 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to a saucepan.
Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, then add 2 cups of cranberries.
Simmer until you hear the “pops” of the cranberries opening, then simmer for 5 minutes more.
Finally you’ll cool the cranberry simple syrup and strain it into a cute glass container. That’s it!
Be the Berry Best Bartender
Now it’s time to start making some holiday drinks! For easy non-alcoholic drinks, just add a few tablespoons of your cranberry simple syrup to a tall glass of Sprite, 7Up or lime sparkling water (I love La Croix Key Lime flavor).
You can make a white wine spritzer with a dash of the syrup for your wine loving friends, or, may I suggest a few festive cranberry ginger mules??
Fun Kitchen Finds for Cranberry Simple Syrup
- I like storing sugar in a glass jar with a lid. It not only keeps any moisture out of the sugar, but is so much easier to handle than the bag the sugar comes in!
- Tall glass containers to store your beautiful ruby red cranberry simple syrup.
- A fine mesh strainer to strain the cranberries. Honestly you just need a strainer if you don’t have one already!
- Masking tape and Sharpies for your labels. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Description
Cranberry simple syrup will lift your holiday drinks (and spirits) with it’s sweet tart taste and beautiful red jewel-like color. It also makes a perfect gift!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups fresh cranberries, plus additional to garnish your drinks if you like
Instructions
- Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until sugar melts into the water.
- Add the cranberries and turn the heat up to medium high.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Let sit for 15 minutes or so to steep.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
- Pour the cranberry simple syrup into a glass jar, label the jar, then store in the refrigerator.
- Make fun, festive drinks!
Notes
- Cranberry simple syrup will last in the refrigerator for three months (or longer!).
