This cranberry relish is a blend of fresh cranberries, apple, orange and sugar, all mixed together to form a sweet and tart condiment. Cranberry relish is a unique and welcome addition to any holiday meal!
Cranberry sauce is often on holiday dinner menus, but have you ever tried cranberries in relish form? This fresh and chunky sauce pairs perfectly with roasted turkey and glazed ham.
I always make a traditional cooked cranberry sauce, but then I stumbled across the idea of uncooked cranberry relish in a magazine and was intrigued. Turns out, this is a delicious, refreshing addition to Thanksgiving and it couldn’t be any easier to make.
What is cranberry relish?
Cranberry relish is a condiment made from uncooked crushed cranberries and sugar. Apples and oranges are often used as flavoring agents and this sauce also sometimes contains nuts such as walnuts or pecans. This relish differs from cranberry sauce because cranberry sauce is cooked and has a different consistency.
How do you make cranberry relish?
The first step is to chop your cranberries. I find that a food processor works best for this step. You’ll want to carefully pulse your cranberries into small pieces without actually blending them into mush. I find that hitting the pulse button about 8-10 times does the trick. After the cranberries are chopped, you’ll want to chop your apple and orange in a similar fashion. Add sugar, then let everything sit until the flavors are well combined.
What is cranberry relish used for?
Cranberry relish can be served alongside roasted meats such as turkey or ham. It can also be spooned over a block of cream cheese and served as a dip with crackers. I also enjoy a spoonful of relish with vanilla yogurt, or as a topping for pancakes or waffles.
Can relish be made ahead of time?
This relish can be made up to 3 days before you plan to serve it. You’ll want to make your relish a minimum of one hour before you plan to serve it so that there’s time for the flavors to meld. Store your relish in a covered container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Can cranberry relish be frozen?
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe because the fruits will release a lot of liquid when thawed and you’ll end up with a watery relish.
Cranberry Relish Variations
This is a basic recipe for relish but there are so many different ways you can flavor this condiment.
- Ginger: Add 2 teaspoons chopped crystallized ginger.
- Pear: Substitute pear for the apple.
- Pineapple: Add drained, crushed pineapple to the relish.
- Nuts: Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the relish.
- Spice: Add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Celery: Add 1/4 cup finely chopped celery.
Once you get a taste of this amazing sweet and tart condiment, you’ll be hooked and it will become part of your regular holiday menu. Some of my family members even prefer this relish over cranberry sauce and I have to admit, they’re both super delicious!
More holiday recipe favorites
- Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Butterflake Rolls
- Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Cranberry Relish Video
Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 apple cored and cut into quarters
- 1/2 orange seeds removed and end trimmed off
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- fresh cranberries and orange zest for garnish optional
Instructions
- Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer the cranberries to a bowl.
- Add the apple to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the apple to the bowl with the cranberries.
- Add the orange to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the orange to the bowl with the cranberries and apples.
- Add the sugar to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days.
- Serve, garnished with cranberries and orange zest if desired.
Diane says
Just trying this for Thanksgiving. I’ve tried another where you add pomegranate . Can’t wait to try tomorrow
Julia says
What did you serve it with!?
Becky says
Too much sugar as written, for my taste. Thankfully I started by adding just half. I’ll let it sit for a couple hours and taste again. It might need a couple more tablespoons, but certainly not half a cup!
Other than that… Yum! Maybe it’s a good thing that the grocery store was already out of cranberry relish when I stopped in this morning. Thanks for coming to my rescue!
TwirlyGirly says
This is the closest recipe I’ve found online to the way my mother made it. In my mind, it’s just not Thanksgiving without it! My mom’s recipe uses 1lb. fresh cranberries (this is another example of a product now sold in a smaller quantity [12 oz.] at the same price as the original quantity [1 lb/16 oz]), 2 apples, 2 oranges, and ½ lemon. Sugar 1½ – 2½ cups according to taste. My mother used a hand-crank meat grinder for the fruits; I use a food processor, but I don’t like the way I end up with such unevenly chopped pieces. I recently bought an electric meat grinder to make my own ground beef, so this year I’m going to try using it instead of the food processor to make the relish. The relish lasts for a couple of weeks in the fridge if stored in an air-tight jar. It is FABULOUS on sandwiches made with leftover turkey!
Brent says
I only had frozen cranberries (which I thawed first), and this was still amazing. So easy to make, and wonderfully fresh tasting. It’s even better the next day too!
Clayton Sprague says
We have had this exact recipe in our family for more than 40 years and is a treat anxiously looked forward too every fall. However we do often freeze it for up to a couple of months because it’s easy to make and we use the 1 lb bag of fresh or frozen cranberries. We use a food grinder for our consistency, so glad others have enjoyed it!
Amber says
This was an absolute it at Thanksgiving. I used an Asian Pear and grated candied ginger, My dad said I should market it until I explained that it is fresh so it only keeps about 3 days at its prime and would pretty much only sell at Thanksgiving so I would need 9,000 people to work 1 day. He said ‘Never mind, just make it for me.’ Anyways I have made fresh before but this was truly the best.
Carla says
Do you peel the orange before chopping it?
Sara says
No you do not peel it!
Sarah McIntyre says
I did peel mine and it turned out ok. I didn’t think to leave the peel on.
Lyle Solem says
Do you peel the orange before chopping it?
Sara says
You do not peel it!