While cranberry sauce is already pretty easy to make, it does require some time on the stovetop. Change things up this year by making this fresh cranberry relish! It’s made with fresh cranberries, and there’s no cooking involved. It tastes so good that this dish will quickly become a regular among your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This cranberry relish recipe starts with a bag of fresh cranberries. You’ll also need a whole orange (with no seeds), an apple, maple syrup, and a pinch of cloves. Pecans or walnuts are added for crunch, but you can omit these if you need a nut-free recipe. If you’d rather use brown sugar, honey, or another sweetener, this recipe is easy to experiment with. Start with half the amount of sweetener, then add more to taste.
How to Make Cranberry Relish
Start by preparing the navel orange. It may sound surprising, but you won’t be removing the orange rind for this recipe. The orange zest adds tons of flavor! I cut off the orange’s ends (you can see what I sliced off below) before slicing, but traditional relish recipes don’t always do this. Traditional versions are also made with a grinder, which I don’t own. So, we are improvising! Next, remove the core and seeds from the apple. You don’t need to dice the apple; just a few chunks will do. Rinse the cranberries and remove any berries that look soft or mushy. Add them to the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade, along with the orange and apple slices. Season with the cloves and maple syrup, then secure the lid. Pulse the mixture several times until the the fruits are broken down into very small pieces. Be careful not to over-process, or you’ll end up with mush. With that being said, you are in control of the final texture. If you want it to have a runnier texture, keep processing! Give the relish a stir, then add in the pecans and secure the lid one more time. Pulse again, until the nuts have broken down and are evenly distributed throughout the relish. Transfer this cranberry orange relish and any extra juices to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. You can prepare this up to 5 days in advance if necessary. The flavor pairs well with your favorite holiday sides, like roasted turkey, ham, stuffing, and sweet potatoes. Looking for more cranberry recipes? Try my Easy Cranberry Sauce, Leftover Cranberry Sauce Crumble Bars, or Cranberry Vinaigrette. If you try this Cranberry Relish recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I’d love to hear what you think!
