Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup

Cranberry Orange Simple Syrup 

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker 

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup orange peels from about 2 medium oranges

1 cup water

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar

Preparation

In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave cranberries and water on HIGH for 2 minutes.  Carefully remove bowl from microwave.  Mash cranberries to extract as much juice as possible.  Set aside to cool.

Place orange peels into a 2 1/4 cup mason jar or other glass container with a lid.

Strain juice from cranberries.  Pour cranberry juice over peels. Close jar with the lid and let steep at room temperature for eight hours or overnight.*

Add sugar to an 8 oz. bottle or jar.  Strain cranberries from juice.  Reserve a few peels.  Cut peels into narrow strips.

Add cranberry orange juice to sugar in bottle.  Close tightly with the bottle top.  Shake bottle until sugar dissolves.  Add orange peel strips.

Store in the refrigerator.