Skip to main content

Cranberry Raisin Relish

Everyone needs a good, basic cranberry relish for the holiday table.  I make mine every single year to enjoy with our turkey and other sides, but I truly like to have it slathered onto a buttered biscuit, roll or piece of cornbread.  It's that mix of sweet and salty that truly makes a relish like this mouthwatering.  My version, however, doesn't contain a lot of sugar like most recipes.  I think it's nice to have a bit of the tart flavor from the cranberries with every bite.


The packages of fresh cranberries that one gets at the grocery store have cooking tips and recipes on the bags, which one can easily follow, but if you add a bit of something here and there, the relish takes on more depth and flavor.  From year to year I experiment with different dried fruits for added texture, but the two ingredients which never change are freshly grated orange zest and the cinnamon stick.  

If I travel to California for the holidays, I'm in charge of the relish (actually, they put me in charge of everything!).  People reach for this relish throughout our dinner and by the time we're done I can assure you that none is left.  It's that good!

As I write this entry, I've just finished this year's version and it's sitting on a cooling rack above the marble dough counter.  Since this keeps for quite a while, I love making it at least one to two days ahead of Thanksgiving.

Make yours tonight!  

 Ingredients

  • 12 oz {340 g.} fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup {80 g.} golden raisins
  • zest of 1 orange 
  • 1/2 cup {120 ml.} freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup {120 ml.} pure maple syrup (grade B is good}
  • One 3" cinnamon stick
Yield: approximately 3 cups relish



In a large saucepan, add all of the ingredients and set over medium heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the cranberries begin to pop.  

After several minutes the mixture should thicken considerably and most of the cranberries should be split and broken down.  It's good to leave some whole for texture so don't overcook the relish.  Turn off the heat and remove it to a clean bowl to cool down to room temperature.  

When it has cooled wrap it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator until your dinner is ready.  Cranberry Relish will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Bring it to your table in a compote or pretty bowl and set a spoon next to it so that people can help themselves.  

Simply Delicious

Comments

  1. I love cranberry sauce with all sorts of meat, and also I sometimes add a spoonful to red cabbage when I braise that - yummy if you have any left over!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Red cabbage added to this would be marvelous. I think I may have to try that for my Christmas dinner. If I do, I'll be sure to blog about it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang