Tastes of the Season: Cranberry

What even is this? Berry? Poison? Who freakin' knows.

Cranberries are weird. They're tiny and bouncy and grow in water. They're tart and are only appropriately used between the months of October and December. Honestly, I've never really been a fan of them. However, as I was perusing my local grocery store on an empty stomach, I saw a pound of cranberries and immediately decided that these little strange balls might be palatable if I infuse these in some vodka. By the time it would be ready, it would be November and the perfect time for some festive cocktails.

First things first - it's time for vodka

The recipe to infuse vodka with this strange enigma fruit is really incredibly easy. To start, you'll need:

1. One pound of whole cranberries
2. 750 mL of vodka (it doesn't need to be expensive!)
3. A large air-tight, wide-mouth glass container (plastic will absorb color and liquid)
4. Will-power and patience
5. A sterilized final container 

-Pulse your rinsed cranberries in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped. You want to make sure that they aren't too small or else the berries may break down too much and become mushy over the two-week infusion period. 

-Combine your whole bottle of vodka and all of the chopped cranberries into your container. Here I specify using a wide-mouth container because I used a large glass bottle that has a TEENY TINY opening and it made loading up the berries impossible.. my kitchen remains covered in tiny bits of red (oops!).

-Seal up your container and set it aside for two weeks. And don't open it during that time period. Seriously. Don't do it. Put in a cool, dry place and shake it up once a day so things don't solidify. This was tough for me since I have no self-control, however, I promise that patience does pay off.

-After two weeks, strain your vodka into your sterilized container. Again, a wide-mouth container will help with this. I had to use chopsticks to poke out the vodka and I made a mess of the kitchen... again - sorry roomies! To sterilize: stick your jar or bottle in some boiling water and wait for it to cool before using (please be careful doing this, I'm accident prone and managed not to burn myself - don't disappoint me!).

-Make sure to refrigerate your vodka! Letting it sit out will lead to spoiled spirits and sad, salty tears.

Gorgeous ruby red nectar. Color of happiness. Color of love. Not at all the color of blood.

"Pro" Tip - Press your berries out so that any excess boozy goodness ends up in your glass and not in the trash. You waited for two weeks, don't let any drop go to waste.

Secondary "Pro" Tip - Save your leftover cranberries and turn them into ice cubes! Only fill your ice cube trays half way with the berries. Add some fun stuff like orange rinds or mint leaves to add some pizzazz to your punch. Or your cocktail. Or even your water, it's a free country. 

And that's it! You've got a versatile and beautiful spirit that is sure to get to white girl shwasty if you let it. And for those of you curious about the taste, it's mild and subtle. It doesn't scream cranberry, but you're certainly aware it's there. Here are some totally real, not-at-all-made-up testimonials from a few of my besties:

"I hate cranberries and this was the best drink I've ever tasted. Teele is a goddess" - Jason

"I'm too hot, hot damn. Say my name you know who I am." - Anna

Stay tuned for my four original recipes featuring this festive and fruity ingredient!

xoxo, Teele