Why you’ll love this cranberry relish
This recipe is a Thanksgiving staple in our house. My mom made it when I was a kid and now I make it every year. It’s much less sweet than your traditional cranberry relish, which is why we love it. The bright, tart flavor is a nice reprieve from the heavy, rich foods on a typical Thanksgiving plate.
This cranberry relish is super easy to make – just 3 ingredients – and it can be prepped up to several days ahead of time, making your Thanksgiving day just a little less crazy. This is why I also love making my make ahead turkey gravy, too.
More Thanksgiving recipes: homemade stuffing / easy turkey brine / dairy free pumpkin pie / mini pecan pies
Ingredient notes:
- Cranberries – Use fresh or frozen whole cranberries. Fresh cranberries will give you the best texture and flavor, but frozen cranberries are a good alternative if fresh ones are not available to you.
- Orange – I’d recommend using navel oranges because they are seedless and the whole orange will go into the relish.
- Sugar – We like to keep the sugar low in this, but if you prefer sweeter, you can add up to 1 cup of sugar.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish?
Cranberry sauce is traditionally cooked with a smooth consistency that is served chilled or at room temperature, while cranberry relish is an uncooked and chunky with a much more tart taste often including other fruits like citrus. Cranberry relish is traditionally served chilled.
How long does homemade cranberry relish last?
Homemade cranberry relish typically lasts up to 2 weeks when stored properly in an airtight container and refrigerated. For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to 2 months.
More cranberry recipes: cranberry chicken salad / cranberry margarita / cranberry salsa / spiced cranberry sauce / easy cranberry bars
Ingredients
- 1 12- ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 1 orange - quartered
- 1/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Make the relish. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until almost smooth, but still slightly grainy. Transfer contents to a serving bowl or storage container.
- Chill and serve. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Serve chilled.
