Cranberry Orange Relish
on Nov 06, 2020, Updated Dec 14, 2023
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Homemade cranberry orange relish takes your holiday meal to another level, and it takes all of 15 minutes to make.
It is really, really easy to open a jar of cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. Jellied, or with whole cranberries, and I get it; there’s a lot to do for this meal, and making one more condiment might not feel like the thing to do. But when you look at this recipe, and when you imagine your family and friends helping themselves to the most beautiful ruby red cranberry orange relish ever, and then realizing that you (YOU) made it yourself, well that’s worth it.
Make Ahead Cranberry Orange Sauce
And look at the prep and cooking time: 5 minutes to pull together, 8 minutes to simmer, and then it sits in the fridge and waits for the big meal. Plus it can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. Is that not worth your time or what?
This relish has a nice tangy sweet pop of orange, which is the perfect companion to the tartness of the cranberries. Some sugar makes it sweetish, but not cloyingly so.
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What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Relish
Leftover cranberry orange sauce or relish is tailor made for leftover turkey sandwiches. Also perfect with chicken, and once I realized how perfectly it goes with all kinds of roast pork I understood that cranberry sauce is not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t pair beautifully with slices of roast lamb or lamb chops as well.
This is more of a relish than a sauce, chopped and chunky. You could puree it in the food processor if you prefer a more consistent texture. It won’t get totally smooth, but that fine. And that’s what shouts “homemade”. Not that you aren’t fully within your rights to point that out yourself.
Homemade cranberry orange relish takes your holiday meal to another level, and it takes all of 15 minutes to make.
What to Serve with Cranberry Orange Relish:
A Thanksgiving Menu
- Easy Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Sauteed Haricot Verts with Red Onions
- Roasted Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Pie
- The Best Streusel Apple Pie
- Homemade Apple Butter
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Cranberry Orange Relish
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 3 cups (1 12-ounce bag) whole fresh cranberries
- ½ cup sugar
- Strips of peeled zest from one orange
Instructions
- Place the water, orange juice, cranberries, sugar and orange zest in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer until the cranberries have burst, and the mixture has thickened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until it is chopped but not pureed.
- Transfer to a container, cover, and chill for at least 8 hours, and up to 5 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
