Yes, you absolutely can dilute canned cranberry sauce to make a cranberry-flavored drink, similar to juice, although it won't be exactly the same as pure, commercially-bottled juice.
Canned cranberry sauce is essentially a concentrated mixture of cranberries, sugar, and water, often with pectin to give it a jellied or thick sauce consistency.
Here is a simple way to get a juice-like beverage from it:
Method to Make Cranberry Drink
* Heat and Loosen: Put the canned cranberry sauce (either whole berry or jellied) into a saucepan.
* Add Water (or other liquid): Add water. A good starting ratio would be about 1 part cranberry sauce to 2 or 3 parts water (e.g., 1 cup of sauce to 2-3 cups of water). You can adjust this to your desired consistency and flavor strength. You could also use sparkling water for a cranberry soda or tea/herbal tea for a warmer drink.
* Simmer and Stir: Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce completely dissolves into the liquid. It will be thinner and more liquid.
* Strain (Optional): If you used whole berry sauce or prefer a clearer juice without the remaining cranberry solids or pulp, pour the heated liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into a bowl. Press down on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.
* Taste and Adjust: Taste the resulting liquid.
* If it's too thick or strong, add more water.
* If it's too tart, you may add a little extra sugar, honey, or another sweetener.
* Chill and Serve: Let it cool, then refrigerate until chilled.
The final result will be a sweet and tart cranberry-flavored drink that can be enjoyed straight or used in mixed drinks.
