Cranberry Morse

We never had an abundance of cranberries, so cranberry morse was more of a treat than an everyday drink. Still, to regain strength and during vitamin deficiency, we often bought cranberries at the market and made morse from them at home. Cranberry compote turns out not very rich, so the berries were mixed with raspberries, cherries or currants. But a mix of cooked compote and juice was loved by everyone. Sometimes cranberries were ground with sugar, strictly for medicinal purposes.

Morses are considered traditional refreshing drinks of Eastern Europe, and the method is described in books from the 16th century. Similar drinks exist in most European cuisines, though. In its simple form, it is berry juice diluted with sweetened water. Any available berries can be used: strawberries, raspberries, currants of all kinds and so on. Morse from cranberries and lingonberries is the most common, though.

Berry morse can be made in different ways. The simplest is to dilute the juice with sugar water and then chill it. More common recipes call for pouring boiling water over the berries and steeping for several hours or days. This is how “lingonberry water” is made, which is mentioned in literature. Other recipes suggest mixing a decoction of the berries or pressed pulp with freshly squeezed juice, which makes the tastiest drink.

Nowadays morses are quite often produced industrially, using fermentation. So these drinks may contain a small amount of alcohol. Besides, store-bought morses quite often contain colorings, essences and flavorings. Apart from serving as refreshing drinks, morses are used in various cocktails. Interestingly, tomato juice with pulp, used for red borscht, is considered a vegetable morse.

In morse, honey or molasses is often used instead of sugar, and a berry decoction instead of water.

By and large, morse, compote and uzvar are related drinks. The difference lies in the ingredients and the method. When we make compote, we simply boil fresh fruit, add sugar and chill. Uzvar is made mainly from dried fruit steeped in hot water. Morses are a variation of berry compote or sweet water mixed with juice or pulp. Cranberry morse turns out equally well with fresh or frozen berries.