As a kid I loved the jellied cranberry sauce in a can, but now find it a little too sweet. I’ve come to prefer the relishes made with fresh cranberries much more, although still find that many commercial varieties use too much sugar. Oregon produces a fair amount of fresh cranberries each year and with our regular delivery of organic produce we often see these great fruits arrive just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. A very tasty relish is very simple to make.
The Stuff
- 8oz fresh cranberries
- 1 large orange (e.g., Valencia oranges work great)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
The Making
Wash cranberries and remove any stems still remaining. Put in small saucepan on low heat.
Zest orange directly into cranberries. Juice orange, being careful to remove any seeds, and pour juice into cranberries. Simmer cranberries in juice until they begin to soften; some might pop, for about 15 minutes. As they begin to soften use a potato masher to squash the cranberries around to break them up.
Add maple syrup to the saucepan and mix in with the potato masher. Cover with lid and continue to simmer the mixture for another 20-30 minutes on low heat. Mash well again to break up all of the cranberries. You may need to simmer a little longer.
Serve in a lovely bowl and enjoy with your holiday feast!
Easy Cranberry Relish