Fall is synonymous with cozy sweaters, colorful leaves and warm savory flavors, but it’s also the perfect time to incorporate the tartness of cranberries into your cooking. This small yet mighty fruit is a seasonal star for good reason—cranberries thrive in cooler climates and their peak harvest happens from late September through November. This is when cranberries are at their freshest, and their tart flavor is perfect for everything from sauces to baked goods and festive drinks.
Cranberries play a key role in traditional Thanksgiving feasts, as well, because they pair beautifully with savory dishes, making them a holiday essential for many people. Whether you’re stirring up homemade cranberry sauce or sipping on a cranberry cocktail, these berries are a delicious way to celebrate the fall season, so we didn’t really need much convincing to buy them, but content creator @ballehurns just gave us another reason to buy a bag of the mighty little berries.
In a TikTok video, Balle showed us how to make Cranberry Lemonade at home and it looks absolutely amazing.
Related: We Tried 10 Different Cranberry Sauces and the Winner Wasn’t the One We Were Expecting
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@ballehurns cranberry lemonade 🫙
♬ Mona lisa – MIHARU KOSHI
How to Make Cranberry Lemonade
Balle starts with one bag of cranberries that she puts in a pot. She then adds one cup of sugar and half a cup of water and cooks them until the berries reach a jelly-like consistency (aka cranberry sauce). Let them cool and then strain the juice into a bowl. Balle says to save the leftover cranberry pulp for toast. We think it would be great on some homemade biscuits—or your Thanksgiving table.
In a blender, add two peeled lemons, three limes, six cups of water and the cranberry syrup. Blend until it’s well-mixed. Serve in a frosty mug and enjoy! It looks so refreshing and the ideal drink to pair with your Thanksgiving feast, especially if you have kids at the table. It also seems like the perfect drink to pair with a long day of cooking in a hot kitchen. It’s cool and refreshing and won’t make you sleepy like a cocktail or glass of wine can.
Related: How to Make Canned Cranberry Sauce 10x Better, According to Ina Garten
How to Customize Your Cranberry Lemonade
One of the best parts about this recipe, aside from how easy it is to make, is that you can easily customize it.
You can add in some fruity additions, like raspberries, blackberries or strawberries, or change up the citrus fruit by using an orange and a lemon. You can also garnish the glass with fresh fruit, like lemon wedges.
This would also be a good recipe for using up some of the extra herbs you might have hanging around the kitchen. Mint would be a natural here, but rosemary would also be nice with the cranberries. You can blend it in with everything else or steep the herbs in simple syrup (a 1:1 mix of water and sugar). Let the mixture sit until it cools to room temperature, then strain out the herbs. Serve a pitcher of the herb syrup with the lemonade so guests can add it, if they’d like.
If you’re feeling fizzy, you could top the lemonade with soda water or ginger ale. A few commenters also suggested a more spirited take on the drink. They suggested adding vodka, but we could see gin working well her or make it a mimosa by topping it with Champagne, Cava or Prosecco. If you prefer a margarita, this is a great base for one. Just add in some tequila and a salted rim.
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Related: How to Make Homemade Lemonade Taste 10x Better
