❄️ Cranberry Ice (Classic Old-Fashioned Frozen Dessert)
Cranberry Ice is a refreshing, tart, sweet, palate-cleansing frozen treat that sits between sorbet and shaved ice. It is perfect for holiday dinners, summer parties, or as a light dessert after a rich meal.
🍴 Ingredients
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2 cups (200–220 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
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1¾ cups (420 ml) water, divided
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½ to ¾ cup (100–150 g) sugar, depending on sweetness preference
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2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh preferred)
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Optional add-ins:
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½ orange, juiced + fine zest
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1–2 teaspoons cranberry or raspberry syrup
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A pinch of salt (enhances flavor)
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1 tablespoon vodka (helps texture, optional)
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🧊 Instructions
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Cook the cranberries
Place cranberries in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5–7 minutes, until berries soften and pop. -
Blend and strain
Remove from heat and use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree until smooth.
Strain through a fine sieve to remove skins and seeds. Press with a spoon to extract as much puree as possible. -
Prepare simple syrup
In another saucepan, heat the remaining ¾ cup water with sugar, stirring until fully dissolved. Cool slightly. -
Combine flavors
Mix the cranberry puree, simple syrup, and lemon juice together. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness. -
Chill the mixture
Refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours or until very cold. This improves texture. -
Freeze method options
A. Ice cream machine
Churn until slushy and semi-frozen, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm.B. No machine method
Pour into a shallow dish or metal pan and freeze. Every 30–45 minutes, scrape and stir with a fork to create fine ice crystals. Repeat 4–6 times until fully frozen and fluffy.
✨ Serving Ideas
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Spoon into chilled dessert cups or martini glasses.
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Garnish with:
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Fresh mint leaves
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Thin lemon or orange slices
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Sugared cranberries
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Whipped cream swirl
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A small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top (contrast)
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For adults, drizzle a little sparkling wine or vodka before serving for a festive cocktail-dessert fusion.
🍊 Flavor Variations
| Flavor Twist | How to Add |
|---|---|
| Orange-Cranberry | Add juice + zest of 1 orange |
| Ginger | Add ½ tsp grated fresh ginger while cooking |
| Spiced Holiday | Add cinnamon stick + 1–2 whole cloves while simmering (remove before blending) |
| Lime Refresh | Replace lemon with lime + add zest |
| Herbal | Steep fresh mint or rosemary in syrup, then discard |
Storage
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Store tightly covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
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If too hard, let stand 5–10 min before scooping.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder
* 2 tablespoons cold water
* 1 pound fresh cranberries
* 2 cups water
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 cups ginger ale
* 2 (2 liter) bottles ginger ale, chilled
DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and set aside.
2. Combine the cranberries and 2 cups water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook until cranberries burst. Remove from heat and stir in sugar until dissolved; mix the softened gelatin into the hot cranberry mixture. Pour the cranberries into a shallow freezer-proof container and chill until cold.
3. When cooled, mix in 2 cups ginger ale and place the mixture into the freezer. Freeze until slushy, about 4 hours. Stir twice during the freezing process to break up the ice crystals.
4. To serve, fill clear glasses 3/4 full with chilled ginger ale, and spoon some of the cranberry ice overtop. The thanksgiving recipe of cranberry is ready to serve immediately.
holiday-cranberry-relish
