Fruit syrup
Cranberry Syrup
Simmer until the berries pop, strain without pressing. Ruby-red and tart for holiday cocktails and spritzers.
- 24 min total
- 12⁄3 cups400 ml
- Keeps 3 weeks
Quick answer
Cranberry syrup is fresh or frozen cranberries simmered in simple syrup just until they pop, then strained without pressing. Simmer 2 cups cranberries with 1 cup sugar and 1¼ cups water for 5–7 minutes, steep 15 minutes, strain and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Cranberries are loaded with pectin (it's why cranberry sauce sets), so the trick to a pourable syrup is restraint. Use a little extra water, stop cooking soon after the berries burst, and don't mash them through the strainer.
The result is a tart, jewel-red syrup that makes any glass of bubbles, gin or soda look festive. Frozen cranberries work just as well, so stock up in November.
Tastestart cranberrybrightslightly bitter
The recipe
Cranberry Syrup
Ingredients for 12⁄3 cups400 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, fine-mesh strainer, swing-top bottle, labels, ice cube traysmall saucepan, fine-mesh strainer, swing-top bottle, labels, ice cube tray
Method
-
Combine
Add the cranberries, sugar, water and orange zest (if using) to a small saucepan.
2 cups200 g cranberries1 cup200 g granulated sugar1¼ cups300 ml water1 strip orange zest
-
Simmer until they pop
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes, just until most of the berries have burst. Stop there: longer cooking releases more pectin, and the syrup can set like jelly in the fridge.
-
Steep
Take the pan off the heat and let it steep for 15 minutes.
-
Strain
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer and let it drip. Don't press the berries; the pulp is pectin-rich and makes the syrup thick and cloudy.
-
Bottle
Let it cool, then bottle, label and refrigerate.
Storage. Cranberries are very acidic, which helps this syrup keep: up to 3 weeks refrigerated in a sealed bottle. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months. Make it in November and use it through New Year's.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 29 kcal, 7.5 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Cranberry spritz
½ oz (15 ml) syrup in a flute, topped with 4 oz (120 ml) prosecco or Champagne. Garnish with a few sugared cranberries.
Cranberry Moscow Mule
2 oz (60 ml) vodka, ½ oz (15 ml) lime juice and ¾ oz (22 ml) cranberry syrup over ice, topped with 4 oz (120 ml) ginger beer.
Cranberry Old Fashioned
¼–½ oz (7–15 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon and 2 dashes orange bitters. Stir with ice and garnish with an orange peel.
Cosmopolitan
1½ oz (45 ml) citrus vodka, ¾ oz (22 ml) orange liqueur, ¾ oz (22 ml) lime juice and ½ oz (15 ml) cranberry syrup. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe.
Holiday sparkler
1 oz (30 ml) syrup and ½ oz (15 ml) lime juice topped with 5 oz (150 ml) sparkling water or ginger ale, with a rosemary sprig.
Breakfast
Drizzle over pancakes, oatmeal or Greek yogurt.
Gear for this recipe
W&P Peak Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Also the best way to freeze syrup in small portions so you thaw only what you need. Flexible silicone pops cubes out clean.
Best for Freezing syrup portions
Otis Classic 16 oz Swing-Top Glass Bottles (6-pack)
Best for Storing and gifting any syrup
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Reusable Chalkboard Jar Labels with Chalk Marker
Best for Labeling bottles and jars
More gear for this recipe (1)
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- If the chilled syrup thickens or sets, warm it gently with a tablespoon or two of water until it loosens.
- Don't toss the strained berries. With a spoonful of sugar they become a quick cranberry sauce or toast topping.
- Frozen cranberries go straight into the pan, no thawing. Buy extra bags in season; they keep for months in the freezer.
- Cranberry is quite tart. Taste while the syrup is warm and stir in up to 50 g (¼ cup) more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
Variations
Spiced cranberry
Add 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 star anise and a few slices of fresh ginger to the simmer. Use it in mulled drinks and hot toddies.
Cranberry-rosemary
Steep 2 sprigs of rosemary for the last 10 minutes. Gin and prosecco love it.
Cranberry-orange
Use 150 ml water and 150 ml fresh orange juice, plus two strips of zest. Brighter and a little less sharp.
Questions people ask
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes. Add them straight from the freezer; they pop just like fresh, maybe a minute later.
Why did my cranberry syrup turn into jelly?
Cranberries are high in pectin. Cooking too long, or pressing the pulp through the strainer, extracts enough to set the syrup. Rewarm it with a splash of water to loosen it, and next time stop cooking once the berries pop.
Can I make cranberry syrup with cranberry juice?
Yes. Warm 240 ml (1 cup) unsweetened 100% cranberry juice with 200 g (1 cup) sugar until dissolved. Avoid cranberry juice cocktail, which is already sweetened and diluted.
How long does cranberry simple syrup last?
Up to 3 weeks refrigerated. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months.