This easy to make cranberry mors recipe is a gently tart and deeply comforting Russian drink that is pretty, rejuvenating, healthy and packed with nutrition.
Every Saturday morning, my grandparents join my parents at the local health complex. While my mother goes to her spinning class, and my father tries his luck in a tennis match, my grandparents pull on their swimsuits and swim some laps at the pool.
My grandfather, a former forestry professor and a lifelong health enthusiast, usually spends an hour in the water. But my diminutive grandmother only does about 10 laps.
After that, she dries off, and makes her way to the steam room. There, she sits and sweats for another half an hour, diligently applying different ointments and scrubs, in the hopes that the heat, oil and water will work their combined magic to take years off her skin.
My mother always joins her eventually, and the two of them share a silent few minutes in the sauna. Sometimes, when I am home, I go with them.
There, in the little room where strangers pour water on hot coals to make them sizzle, and where you have to work just as hard to catch your breath as you did to shed some pounds on the stationary bicycles, the sweat beads dripping off our foreheads seem to take with them years of familial angst and anxiety.
The pressure and guilt go away, and in their place a delicate camaraderie is created. Reassured by the hissing of the coals and the soft light of the glowing embers, the women of my family sit in an easy, comfortable silence, sweating the weight of the years together.
After we leave the sauna, my grandmother always pulls out an old, bent thermos from her Mary Poppins-like bag, and forbids us from going home until we drink all of it. The concoction in it changes slightly; at times, it is hot, having just been made this morning, and on other days, it has had time to cool and mellow.
But usually, it's a variation of a mors drink. Specifically, this mors recipe.
What is a Russian Cranberry Mors Exactly?
And while the spices and additional flavourings vary, the base of that drink is always the same: it is a homemade, tart cranberry mors drink, a Russian invention dating back to at least the 16th century, meant to ward off the common flu and cold, while cementing the benefits of the steam treatment and exercise that we had just undertaken.
It is one of the most thirst-quenching drinks I have ever tasted, and its pleasant tartness always makes me feel rejuvenated on a hot summer day. When I make it at home, during the cold days of the fall and winter, I also feel that it provides me with a little bit of an extra defence against the many microbes floating around in the air.
Or it could take me back to that hot sauna room, where my mother and grandmother still spend their Saturday mornings, and I truly feel invincible.
How to make your own Russian Cranberry Mors at Home
Ingredients
- Cranberries: Serve as the tangy and vibrant base of the drink, imparting a refreshing tartness that balances the sweetness. Using fresh cranberries in the recipe provides a vibrant tartness and juiciness, contributing to the refreshing flavor profile of the mors when the cranberry skins burst. On the other hand, dried cranberries offer a chewier texture and a slightly sweeter taste, adding a subtle hint of sweetness to the drink.
- Cold Water: Provides the essential liquid component, allowing the flavors of the cranberries and spices to infuse.
- Orange or Lemon Zest: Adds a bright citrusy flavor and aroma, enhancing the overall complexity of the mors.
- Cinnamon Stick: Infuses the mors with warmth and subtle spice notes, contributing to its comforting and aromatic profile.
Any or all of the following spices according to preference:
- Spices (optional): Offer depth and complexity to the mors, with variations such as cloves, cardamom pods, allspice, star anise, and grated ginger. These spices can be adjusted according to personal preference, allowing for a customized flavor profile.
- Agave Syrup, Honey, or Sugar: Acts as a sweetener to balance the tartness of the cranberries, providing a harmonious sweetness to the drink. The amount can be adjusted to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
- Other Fruit (optional): Provides an opportunity for additional flavor and variety, allowing for experimentation with different fruit combinations such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, and pears.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Directions for mulled cranberry cider recipe
Wash and Prepare fruit
Wash fresh cranberries and any other fruit you may be using.
Combine cranberries, orange (or lemon) zest and cold water in a medium-sized pot or strainer.
Prepare and blend spices on stove-top
Tie any spices you are using in a small cheesecloth pouch. If you don't have any cheesecloth, don't worry, just add the spices to the pot as they are.
Bring the contents of the saucepan to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and remove from heat about a minute after it comes to a boil, to preserve the vitamins. Let cool between 30 minutes to an hour.
Once cranberry concoction has cooled down, remove the cheesecloth pouch. Pour mors through a tight-mesh colander into a one-litre jar, taking care to squeeze all the juice out of the berries and fruit with a wooden spoon. Discard the pulp.
Sweeten your cranberry mors and serve
Next, taste and sweeten. Stir in the honey, agave syrup, or sugar. Let stand overnight or for a few hours, for the flavours to mend and come together.
Serve cold, in room temperature, or heated gently in the microwave (I prefer it cold).
Storage for these spiced cranberry mors juice
Once your orange spiced cranberry mors is ready, it can last a while in the fridge as long as you store it properly. Pop it into a sealed container and place it in the refrigerator, where it can stay perfectly delicious for up to 5 days.
If you're looking to extend its shelf life even further, consider freezing it. Transfer the mors into an airtight container and tuck it away in the freezer, where it will remain in good shape for up to 3 months. When you're ready to drink it again, simply thaw it out in the refrigerator.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Russian Mors, My Mulled Cranberry Cider Drink Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 litre cold water
- 1 the zest of an orange or lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
any of the following spices, according to prefrence:
- 3 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 allspice
- 1 star anise
- 1 inch of grated ginger
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice or lemon, optional
- 3 tablespoons agave syrup honey, or sugar (more or less, to taste)
Instructions
- Wash cranberries and any other fruit you may be using.
- Combine cranberries, orange (or lemon) zest and cold water in a medium-sized pot.
- Tie any spices you are using in a small cheesecloth pouch. If you don't have any cheesecloth, don't worry, just add the spices to the pot as they are.
- Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil, and remove from heat about a minute after it comes to a boil, to preserve the vitamins. Let cool between 30 minutes to an hour.
- Once cranberry concoction has cooled down, remove the cheesecloth pouch. Pour mors through a tight-mesh colander into a one-litre jar, taking care to squeeze all the juice out of the berries and fruit with a wooden spoon.
- Taste and sweeten with agave syrup, honey or sugar. Let stand overnight or for a few hours, for the flavours to mend and come together.
- Serve cold, in room temperature, or heated gently in the microwave (I prefer it cold).
Mom says
It' so really))) thank you ,my darling))
Sarah says
Hi! I'd love to see the kombucha recipe that uses the leftover pulp from this, I hope you post it soon.
kseniaprints says
Oh boy, it’s been a while since I made kombucha (I moved and didn’t want to bring my SCOBY across the country). But in principle, you just need 1/4-1 cup of the pulp, and mix it in with your kombucha tea on the second “brewing”. Let me know if you need more details!