Cranberry Relish

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

12 Comments

5 from 5 votes
16 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
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Cranberry Relish is the fresh version of the classic Thanksgiving Day favorite Cranberry Sauce punched up with some orange, lemon and ginger for a fresh, citrus flavor with bite.

I always make a batch of Easy Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving dinner, but this year I thought I’d add an old fashioned Cranberry Relish to my holiday table. It’s really easy to make, and it compliments almost any Thanksgiving dish.

If you like this easy Cranberry Relish recipe, check out some other tasty Holiday Recipes.

Fresh Cranberry RelishCRANBERRY RELISH

Cranberry Relish isn’t the traditional option most people reach for when planning their holiday meals, but then again, why add another thing to your list of recipes you need to cook? Instead of going the traditional cranberry sauce route, try making Cranberry Relish. This is one of the easiest cranberry recipes you’ll ever make, and you don’t just have to use it on the turkey, it’s delicious on pretty much every Thanksgiving side dish.

This old fashioned Cranberry Relish is full of orange, lemon, ginger and fresh cranberries, which not only gives it a complex, delicious favor but a great texture. Fresh Cranberry Relish only takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and doesn’t involve any stove or oven, so it is truly a game changer on busy holidays.

Cranberry Relish is a perfect dish to prep the day before to cut down on the stress of making everything all at once on Thanksgiving day, right before your guests start showing up. Making it ahead of time also gives the relish time to fully combine all the wonderful flavors.

That is the best part! I tested this recipe for prepping ahead and it is just as delicious as much as five days ahead of time! Consider this a full speed ahead on getting a jump start on Thanksgiving day prep.

CLASSIC HOLIDAY DINNER RECIPES

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY RELISH

  • Cut orange and lemon into wedges; peel and remove any seeds.
  • Add the orange, lemon, ginger, cranberry and sugar to the food processor.
  • Pulse until finely chopped.
  • Add to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
  • Good for meal prepping up to five days ahead of time.

VARIATIONS ON CRANBERRY RELISH

  • Nuts: Make Cranberry Relish more festive by garnishing with nuts by like chopped pecans, walnuts, or cashews.
  • Topping: Cover a block of cream cheese with the Cranberry Relish for a festive dip or  top some crockpot oatmeal with it on Black Friday morning for a healthy, hearty breakfast that will give you all the energy you need for shopping.
  • Other Variations: You can add finely diced granny smith apples, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon or even a splash of cointreau to make your Cranberry Relish just how your family likes it.

CRANBERRY RELISH FAQS

  • What’s the difference between Cranberry Relish and cranberry sauce? Cranberry sauce is most commonly made with cranberries, sugar, and orange juice and is cooked. Cranberry Relish is an uncooked dish with more ingredients in it that give it a fresher feel with a more complex taste.
  • What can I do with Cranberry Relish? Cranberry Relish is great on pretty much all Thanksgiving foods, like mashed potatoes, casserole, and sweet potatoes, but it’s also delicious on leftover turkey sandwiches or your favorite healthy breakfast foods like oatmeal and a yogurt.
  • How did I get this deep red color all over the cranberries? In testing this recipe I found that making it 2 days before allows for the best red color all over as well as the best flavors.

OTHER HOLIDAY SIDE DISH RECIPES

HOW LONG IS CRANBERRY RELISH GOOD?

  • Serve: You really shouldn’t leave Cranberry Relish at room temperature for longer than about 2 hours.
  • Store: Cranberry Relish can last in the fridge for up to 1 weeks as long as it’s properly sealed up, but tastes best for about 5 days if prepping ahead for your holiday meal. Keep it in plastic wrap or an airtight container to prevent moisture from seeping in. You also want to serve it cold or at least chilled rather than room temperature.
  • Freeze: In an airtight container, the Cranberry Relish will stay good for around 2 months in the freezer.

Holiday Cranberry Relish

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Dinner, then Dessert

Cranberry Relish

Cranberry Relish is a rich Thanksgiving staple, made with navel oranges, lemon, fresh ginger root, and sugar. 
Yield 16 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Cranberry Relish in white bowl
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 large orange
  • 1 medium lemon
  • 12 ounces cranberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root , chopped

Instructions

  • Cut the orange and lemon into wedges, then peel and remove any seeds you find.
  • Add the orange, lemon, cranberries, sugar and ginger to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword: Cranberry Relish

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About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. What an awesome idea!! Never had this before until making it and it was SO good! A fun twist for Thanksgiving too!

    Reply