Drinks
Cranberry mors
Mors is a traditional Russian berry drink, and cranberry is the most popular version. It is loved for its bright sweet-sour flavour, quenches thirst in summer and is a favourite remedy in cold season. A proper mors is never boiled for long: first the juice is pressed from the berries and chilled, then the pulp is simmered briefly with water and sugar. The liquid is strained, cooled a little and only then is the fresh juice stirred in. That keeps more vitamin C and the lively taste of the berries. It comes out clear and ruby red, nothing like the bottled kind.
Method
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Pick over and rinse the cranberries. Thaw frozen berries at room temperature.
Crush the berries with a masher or blitz them, then press through a fine sieve to extract the juice. Cover the juice and chill it.
Put the pulp in a pan with 2 litres of water and bring to the boil.
Add the sugar and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring until it dissolves.
Take off the heat, cover and leave for 15-20 minutes, then strain through a sieve.
When the liquid has cooled to warm, stir in the pressed cranberry juice.
Taste and add more sugar if needed. Chill, or serve warm.
Tips for success
- Never boil the juice; heat destroys vitamin C and the fresh berry flavour.
- Pressing the juice through a double layer of muslin is quickest.
- If the mors is too sour, dilute it with cooled boiled water rather than adding lots of sugar.
- Use enamel, stainless steel or glass; cranberries react with aluminium.
Serving and storage
Serve chilled with ice and a mint leaf, or warm with a slice of lemon in cold weather.
Keep in a glass bottle or jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Variations
- Cranberry and lingonberry: swap half the cranberries for lingonberries.
- With ginger: add 2-3 thin slices of fresh ginger to the simmering pulp.
- With orange: simmer the zest of half an orange with the pulp and add its juice to the finished mors.
Calories and macros
Per serving (about 269 g):
Per 100 g: 34 kcal, P 0.1, F 0, C 8.6. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›
