Wash the fresh or frozen cranberries thoroughly. Also prepare any citrus fruit by zesting the orange or lemon. Gather your chosen spices.

In a medium-sized pot, combine the cranberries, the citrus zest, and cold water. Tie your chosen spices in a small cheesecloth pouch, or if you don’t have cheesecloth, simply add the loose spices directly to the pot.

Place the pot on the stove and bring the contents gently to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat after about one minute.

Allow the cranberry mixture to cool for 30 minutes to one hour.

Remove the cheesecloth pouch or strain the loose spices and cranberries using a tight-mesh colander into a clean one-liter jar. Press the berries and fruit gently with a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible.

Add the optional freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice if desired. Sweeten the juice with agave syrup, honey, or sugar to your taste preference. Stir well.

For best flavor, let the juice stand for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve chilled, at room temperature, or warmed gently in the microwave according to your preference.