Cranberry-Orange Relish

Some recipes are so unbelievably simple that you stare in disbelief at the directions, wondering if that’s really all you have to do to make the dish. This cranberry-orange relish is one of those recipes. You pulse orange segments and cranberries in a food processor, mix in sugar and refrigerate the relish. That’s it. You know you have a winner when the most complicated part of the recipe is cutting up an orange.

This is an uncooked mixture, which is why it’s considered a relish and not a sauce. Sauces also tend to be a lot smoother than relishes. This recipe can be a great substitute for cranberry sauce, or you can serve it alongside more traditional holiday dishes. Whichever you choose, you’ll want to make this recipe part of your yearly holiday menu.

Ingredients for Cranberry-Orange Relish

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

• Cranberries: Fresh or frozen will do. If you use fresh cranberries, be sure you wash them first.
• Navel orange: You’ll want to cut the orange into small wedges. Don’t leave it in very big pieces, like quarters.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar counters the tartness of the cranberries without changing the flavor of the fruit that much.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the fruit

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Place the cranberries and orange wedges in a food processor, and pulse them until they’re finely chopped and well mixed.

Step 2: Add the sugar and chill

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the sugar until it has been dissolved and everything is thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the relish for at least two hours to let the flavors meld.

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Cranberry-Orange Relish Variations

• Add chopped walnuts: A common variation of this recipe includes chopped walnuts.
• Try cinnamon and/or vanilla: If you want to change the flavor a bit, add a little cinnamon and/or vanilla extract. Both will add subtly warm flavors to the dish.

How to Store Cranberry-Orange Relish

Put leftover cranberry-orange relish in an airtight container, and refrigerate it for up to three days. You can make the relish up to two days ahead of when you plan to serve it too, and store it as you would leftovers until you’re ready to use it. Just remember that those days count toward the three-day refrigerated shelf life if you have leftovers.

Can you freeze cranberry relish with orange?

Yes, you can freeze cranberry-orange relish for up to three months. Portion the relish into freezer bags or into silicone freezer molds. If you’re using bags, carefully press out the air as you seal the bag, and place the bags flat on a baking tray. Freeze the bags, then store them in a stack or upright. If you use freezer molds, when the relish is frozen, wrap each block in freezer-friendly wrap and place the blocks in a freezer bag.

Cranberry-Orange Relish Tips

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Do you remove the orange seeds or leave them in?

Remove as many seeds as you can when you cut up the orange. The same goes for any part of the stem left on the orange; that should come off easily.

What do you serve this cranberry and orange relish with?

In addition to using this as a side for roast turkey and other fall and winter holiday dishes, you can spoon leftover relish on toast for a snack, use it as a spread on sandwiches, stir it into  plain yogurt and even use it as a mix-in for baked goods or ice cream.

Can you reduce the amount of sugar?

No and yes. Cranberries are very tart; if you’ve never had unsweetened 100% cranberry juice, try some and you’ll see why this cranberry-orange relish recipe calls for so much sugar. So if you want the recipe to be generally sweet with little tartness, you do need all that sugar. If you don’t mind more tartness, you can experiment with reducing the amount of sugar.

Can you use different types of oranges?

You can use different types of ripe oranges if you have them. The flavor of the dish will probably change a bit, as each variety of orange tastes a little different. This recipe calls for navel oranges because it’s usually made for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and peak navel orange season is around late fall to early winter in the northern hemisphere.