What Makes This Recipe So Good
Oh, this relish is GOOD. Tart cranberries, crisp apples, and citrusy orange are pulsed together for a bright, vibrant, flavorful relish, then a little sugar is added to play up the sweetness of the fruits. A pinch of cinnamon ties the dish together with warm, autumnal flavor. There’s zero cooking here! Cranberry relish is made entirely in a food processor. Just pulse everything together, then transfer it to a bowl and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. That’s it! So simple, but SO amazing. It’s SUPER versatile. Serve it with toasted baguettes or crostini with a little cream cheese (or without), dollop it on the side of roasted turkey (or chicken) and stuffing, or add a spoonful on top of oatmeal, waffles, or yogurt. If you’re looking for holiday recipes you can make ahead of time, you’re in luck! Cranberry relish will keep in the refrigerator up to 7 days as long as you store it in an airtight container. You could even freeze it up to 2 months!
Key Ingredients
Cranberries – Fresh or frozen cranberries will both work in this relish. If you use frozen, you don’t have to thaw them first. Apple – I really like a tart apple in cranberry relish, but you could use a sweet apple if you prefer. Peeling it is totally optional. I used a green apple and left the peel on for a little pop of color.Orange – Leave the peel on the orange! It adds a ton of flavor to the recipe and you really won’t notice the actual peel after you’ve chopped everything up. Just pulse the oranges separately from everything else first to help the peel break down better. If you’re worried about the white pith being too bitter in the cranberry relish, you can zest the orange first, then cut the pith away and process the flesh.Sugar – The fruits are pretty tart on their own, so you’ll need a sweetener of some sort to balance things out. Our recipe calls for traditional granulated white sugar, but you could use any sweetener you like. Granular Swerve, coconut sugar, and honey would all work – just adjust the amount you use and taste after chilling, so you don’t go overboard. For a richer, warmer flavor, use brown sugar instead of white, or use a mix of the two.
Chef’s Tips
Don’t, don’t, don’t skip the chill time! One hour minimum. It gives the flavors time to develop and deepen, making the cranberry relish sweeter but also more tart and much more rich than if you serve it immediately. Be careful not to overdo the pulsing. You want the fruits to be chopped, not puréed. This dish should have a chunky relish consistency, not a liquidy sauce consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this cranberry relish! You’ll just need some patience. Use a super sharp knife to chop the orange, cranberries, and apple into very, very fine pieces. Transfer the fruits to a bowl and stir in sugar and cinnamon as directed below. Chill and serve! If you’re not getting a good, chunky blend, try halving the mixture and pulsing it in 2 batches. A smaller amount of fruit in the processor bowl at a time will help with precision.
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