Cranberry orange elixir is a simple drink made from blended cranberries and ginger, fresh orange juice, raw honey, and two droppers of B12. It takes 10 minutes, serves two, and works with frozen cranberries all year, with cinnamon sticks and cloves added for the holidays.
Key takeaways
- Cranberry orange elixir combines blended cranberries and ginger with fresh orange juice, raw honey, and two droppers of B12, and it serves two in about 10 minutes.
- Frozen cranberries work as well as fresh, so the drink does not have to wait for cranberry season.
- According to Medical Medium® Information, the anthocyanin in cranberries protects liver cells, which is why cranberries stay in my freezer all year.
- Squeeze the oranges right before you make the elixir, because packaged juice will not give you the same benefits.
- The B12 goes in after straining, together with the orange juice and the raw honey.
- Adding cinnamon sticks and cloves turns the drink into a festive version without any alcohol.
- According to Medical Medium® Information, extra B12 helps protect the nervous system from adrenaline, which matters when you carry a heavy mental load.
Why cranberries stay in my house
Cranberries are one of those foods that seem to disappear for most of the year. Thanksgiving comes around and suddenly they are everywhere. A little cranberry sauce at Christmas, maybe a few more recipes, and then we forget about them again.
In my house, cranberries stay.
I keep bags of them in my freezer and make cranberry water every week because they are such a powerful food for the liver. This cranberry orange elixir is another way I love to use them.
The cranberries are blended with fresh ginger and water, then strained and mixed with freshly squeezed orange juice, raw honey, and two droppers of B12. It is very simple to make.
When the holidays come around, I add cinnamon sticks and cloves. It makes a lovely festive drink without any alcohol.
Why I love this cranberry orange elixir
Women carry so much in their minds: the children, the meals, work, appointments, and everyone’s schedules. I know this one well. It took years for my own husband to understand just how much of our family I was carrying around in my head.
That mental load can tire us out even more than the physical work of the day. When we are carrying that much, the body keeps running on adrenaline.
According to Medical Medium® Information, extra B12 helps protect the nervous system from that adrenaline. I like taking it alongside fresh oranges and raw honey, because they give the brain and nerves the glucose they need.
Healing ingredients in this cranberry ginger drink
Cranberries
“The anthocyanin in cranberries is multifaceted, as it does more than one job for your liver. Not only does it prevent oxidation in cells; it helps prevent cells from dying in general of toxic overload. It also removes and breaks free a variety of troublemakers, including those inherited from long past in the family line. The harsh fruit acid in cranberries that causes the mouth to pucker strips the cell membranes off pathogens, most especially bacteria.”
Anthony William, Blog
Cranberries also hold a tremendous amount of vitamin C, and it is a special kind that the liver uses to strengthen its own immune system.
They are wonderful for the gallbladder too. Cranberries help dissolve the gunk that builds up in the liver, so it does not get pushed back into the gallbladder, and they are one of the best foods for dissolving gallstones.
Cranberries also help the body clear out estrogens that come from outside sources, like plastics, pesticides, and pollution. These hormone-disrupting chemicals are behind many of the health problems women struggle with.
Cranberries are also a real support in times of stress.
Oranges
Freshly squeezed orange juice gives this drink its brightness and natural sweetness.
Oranges are full of calcium the body can actually use. It is absorbed right away, and it helps protect the nervous system and the heart. It even helps build strong bones. The vitamin C and bioflavonoids in oranges protect the heart as well.
Oranges are good for the liver too. The natural sugar in the orange is what lets the liver draw in that calcium and vitamin C and gain strength from it.
They also contain glutathione, which is activated by the flavonoids and limonoids in the fruit. Together they help fight off viruses and help disarm toxic heavy metals in the body.
Fresh orange juice is a predigested food, so the body can take in all of this right away, without having to work for it.
“Oranges are an ideal ‘fast food’, easy to transport, delicious to eat, and provide a steady form of energy throughout the day.”
Anthony William, Blog
There is an emotional side to oranges as well. Orange juice is like liquid sunshine. When you are feeling low, or you have not had much sun, oranges can bring some warmth and light back in.
Squeeze your oranges right before you make the elixir. Orange juice loses most of its vitamin C within about 30 minutes of being squeezed, so packaged juice will not give you the same benefits.
Ginger
Fresh ginger gives this drink a little warmth under the tart cranberries and sweet orange.
Ginger relaxes the nerves when they are tense and go into spasm. It also helps with digestion, and it is one of the foods that can help when you are feeling exhausted.
“It is known to greatly aid in digestion and assimilation and is widely regarded to help prevent colds, flu, motion sickness, and vertigo. Ginger can also help to alleviate menstrual cramps, nausea, heart burn, migraines, sore throats, exhaustion, fatigue, and constipation…”
Anthony William, Blog
Ginger is also anti-inflammatory and a natural painkiller, so it is helpful for anyone dealing with aches in the joints, muscles, or nerves.
Fresh ginger root is the most potent form, so it is the best choice here over powder.
Raw honey
Raw honey adds just enough sweetness to balance the cranberries.
Raw honey is much more than a sweetener. It is antiviral and antibacterial, and it also provides glucose for the brain and nervous system.
Raw honey has not been filtered or heated, so it still has all of its enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. That is what makes it so different from the regular honey on most supermarket shelves.
“Raw honey contains vitamins such as B-complex and Vitamin C as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.”
Anthony William, Blog
It is good for the gut as well, because raw honey carries its own probiotics that help keep the beneficial bacteria strong.
Stir the raw honey in after the cranberry mixture has been strained.
Vitamin B12
“Nearly everyone is deficient in vitamin B12 today. Even if you get a blood test that shows your vitamin B12 levels are normal, that doesn’t mean it’s usable B12 that’s absorbing where it needs to in your body.”
Anthony William, Blog
This recipe uses Vimergy B12, which contains both adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin. Each form supports different parts of the body, and you need both of them.
“For starters, methylcobalamin is good for your eyes, hearing, heart, nervous system, and adrenals. And adenosylcobalamin is good for your central nervous system, spleen, pancreas, liver, and endocrine system. It’s critical to have both of these types of B12.”
Anthony William, Blog
“The liver relies on this B vitamin and stores large quantities of it, delving into it continually as part of regular organ function.”
Anthony William, Blog
B12 is also one of the Core 7 supplements, so it is worth keeping on hand.
How to make cranberry orange elixir
Cranberry Orange Elixir
Equipment
- fine-mesh strainer
- Pitcher or large jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen organic cranberries
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup freshly squeezed organic orange juice
- 1 inch knob organic ginger peeled
- 2 to 3 tbsp raw honey or as needed
- 2 dropperfuls Vimergy B12
Optional for a festive version
Instructions
- Blend the fresh or frozen cranberries with the water and the knob of ginger, then strain.
- Add the orange juice, raw honey, and B12 to the strained liquid.
- Mix well until the honey dissolves. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves if you are going for a more festive drink.
- Chill and enjoy.
Notes
The B12 goes in after straining, together with the orange juice and the honey.
More cranberry recipes you might enjoy:
Keep cranberries on hand all year
Cranberries do not have to wait for Thanksgiving. Keep a bag in your freezer and you can make this cranberry orange elixir any time of the year, just as it is or with the cinnamon and cloves when you have people over.
If you enjoy healing holiday drinks, my Wild Blueberry Mocktail is another one I love making.
If you make it, leave me a comment and let me know if you made the simple version or added the cinnamon and cloves. You can also tag me on Facebook or Instagram. I love seeing what you are making in your kitchens.
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
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Cranberry orange elixir FAQ
Is cranberry orange elixir an energy boosting drink?
I make it as an energy-lifting drink for the days when the body is running on adrenaline. The fresh orange juice and raw honey give the brain and nerves glucose, and the B12 is there to support the nervous system, according to Medical Medium® Information. It is a drink made from foods and one supplement, and it is meant as support, not as a stimulant or a treatment.
Can I use store-bought juice in this cranberry orange drink?
The recipe calls for freshly squeezed organic orange juice. Orange juice loses most of its vitamin C within about 30 minutes of being squeezed, so packaged juice will not give you the same benefits. A citrus juicer makes the squeezing quick.
How do I turn the cranberry ginger drink into a healthy holiday mocktail?
Add 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 cloves when you mix in the orange juice, raw honey, and B12, then chill the drink. It makes a festive drink without any alcohol, which works well when you have people over. Frozen cranberries work in the recipe, so you can make it any time of the year.
How much B12 goes in this vitamin B12 drink?
The recipe uses two dropperfuls of Vimergy B12 for the whole batch, which serves 2. Stir it in after straining, together with the orange juice and raw honey. Follow the directions on your own product label, and ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about supplements.
