Cranberry juice, unsweetened

Unsweetened cranberry juice is sharply tart on its own, which is why it is more often diluted with water or blended with sweeter juices, or used as the tart backbone of a cocktail like a cosmopolitan. In the kitchen it also works as a base for pan sauces, glazes for roasted meats, or simmered down with sugar into a homemade cranberry sauce, since its acidity balances rich or fatty dishes, and a splash of it can brighten up a vinaigrette in place of some of the vinegar.

At just 46 calories per 100 g it is a low-calorie way to add tart flavor to drinks or sauces, and it provides 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C per 100 g. Sodium is negligible at 2 mg per 100 g, and the 12.1 g of sugar and 12.2 g of carbohydrate per 100 g are naturally occurring from the fruit rather than added. Because it is low in calories relative to sweetened juice blends, it is a straightforward swap when a recipe calls for cranberry flavor without wanting the extra sugar of a sweetened version, though its natural tartness means many people still prefer it cut with water or another juice.