Step 1

Place the 2 cups of water and lemon juice into a scrupulously clean blender container. Add the 4 cups of cranberries.

Step 2

Blend on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. If your blender is very powerful, 2 minutes may be sufficient. I blended mine for the full 3 minutes. You want to arrive at a thick liquid with no solid chunks. Place the lidded blender container in the refrigerator overnight to steep.

Step 3

Remove the container in the morning. Strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Press to remove all juice. Discard any solid material, or use it to make jam (see my other recipe).

Step 4

Add the sugar (or Stevia, Splenda, or honey) to the juice and heat gently over medium heat just until the sugar or sweetener is dissolved. This will not take long, especially with the calorie-free sweeteners. Do not boil this liquid, just warm it up to aid the dissolving of the sugar.

Step 5

Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cold water. You may add more or less water, depending on your tastes. Less water will yield a sweeter cranberry juice. I used 1 1/2 cups, and it was perfect for me.

Step 6

Transfer the cranberry juice to a drink pitcher, and chill in refrigerator before serving. You can also add ice cubes to speed the chilling process.