Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (2024)

By: Author Diana Hansen

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Create this fresh cranberry relish with nuts for your holiday gathering. People will think it is the best relish they have ever tasted.

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (1)

I make a raw cranberry salad with oranges and apples for Thanksgiving every year. My friends and family always request it.

I usually double the recipe and share it with friends and neighbors. They await this for their meal each year. Yes, that is a lot of cranberrychutney since this recipe makes 8 cups.

This is truly the best cranberry relish with pecans that I have ever had! It is also tasty when you make it with walnuts, but it works without nuts at all, too.

Cranberry Relishwith Nuts Recipe

You will love this cranberry sauce recipe because:

  • no cooking is involved
  • can be made with or without nuts
  • you will get so many compliments and requests for the recipe
  • goes well with all sorts of dishes

Plus it is the perfect use for a bag of cranberries.

Fresh Cranberry Chutney Ingredients

Gather the following ingredients for this recipe:

  • a bag of fresh cranberries
  • two different apples (Granny Smith and Fuji)
  • an orange
  • mandarin oranges
  • can of crushed pineapple
  • sugar

The inclusion of pecans or walnuts is optional.

How to Make Fresh Cranberry Salad

This Thanksgiving recipe is so easy to make! It is the perfect make-ahead side dish, as the flavors blend together nicely when made a day or two in advance.

  1. Chop the cranberry in a food processor and place in a mixing bowl.
  2. Core and the apples, then process them into small pieces. Move to the bowl.
  3. Peel and section the orange and chop it in the food processor for a very short time.
  4. If using fresh mandarin oranges, peel and section, then add them to the orange above. Otherwise, drain the can and add directly to the mixing bowl.
  5. Add the entire can of crushed pineapple to the bowl.
  6. Stir all the fruit together until well combined.
  7. Mix in the sugar.
  8. If using nuts, chop and stir them in.
  9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The same preparation technique is used for Cranberry Salsa.

The diagram below shows you how I make this recipe layer by later in a 2 Qt Glass Bowl. This is the bowl I refrigerate the relish in.

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (2)

This is what the recipe looks like, all stirred up. Can you believe how much of the red from the cranberry comes through when it is mixed? Yum!

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (3)

Crazy for Cranberries

Cranberry season is one of my favorites of the year. I cannot seem to get enough cranberry. I have also made Cranberry Pepper Jam.

This cranberry-orange apple relish goes with just about anything. I have added it to a salad, eat it for breakfast, and put it alongside various casseroles. You can even eat it with Cranberry Muffins.

My sister and I text each other whenever we find a new food or dish that goes well with it. It is not too tart or sweet, so it goes with many different foods.

I made several batches of this in November and December. This Fresh Cranberry Relish is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What would you eat this cranberry orange pineapple relish with? Check out my Cranberry Apple Crisp.

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (4)

Yield: 8 cups

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (5)

This is the best cranberry relish, made with fresh cranberries, pecans, and other fruit.

Prep Time20 minutes

Total Time20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)
  • 1 fuji apple
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 orange or tangerine
  • 1 small can of mandarin oranges or 2-3 fresh mandarin oranges
  • 1 can crushed pineapple
  • 1/2 – 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pecans

Instructions

  1. Rinse off the cranberries and apples.
  2. Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor.
  3. Core the apples and place them in the food processor. Chop the cranberry and apple together.
  4. Peel the orange and pull the sections apart and place it in the food processor. Chop for a very short time.
  5. Pour the cranberry mixture into a 2 Qt glass bowl that has a lid.
  6. Drain the mandarin oranges and add them to the bowl.
  7. Dump the can of crushed pineapple into the bowl.
  8. Stir all the fruit together, combining well.
  9. Add the sugar to the bowl and stir.
  10. Optional: finely chop the pecans and stir them into the cranberry relish.
  11. Refrigerate. Stir once a day.

Notes

This recipe tastes best if made at least 24-48 hours before eating.

I love it when readers share photos of my recipes! Upload one here on Pinterest.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

32

Serving Size:

1/4 cup

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 165Carbohydrates: 1.34gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Best Cranberry Relish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish? ›

There is an important difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish and that is that cranberry relish is made from raw ingredients blended in a food processor (it's more fresh and tart tasting) and cranberry sauce is cooked and often much sweeter than relish.

How can I thicken my cranberry relish? ›

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)." If you don't have maple syrup or think its distinct taste may overpower your cranberry sauce, you can also try swapping that out for more neutral agave syrup or brown rice syrup.

What is cranberry relish made of? ›

There's no cooking involved, just using a grinder or a food processor to grind up and mix together raw cranberries, tart green apples, a large seedless orange, and sugar. It's amazing how good it is! Great with roast turkey, or for leftovers on turkey sandwiches.

How do you cut the tartness out of cranberry sauce? ›

Add A Splash Of Vinegar

Their sharp tang counteracts bitter flavors without having to add extra sugar. While citrus is a natural pairing for cranberry sauce, bright, savory vinegars like sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar play well with the bitter-tart berries.

What brand is the best cranberry sauce? ›

Best Whole Berry: Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

For those who prefer a whole berry sauce, Ocean Spray was the clear winner. Not only did editors love it for the freshness, texture, and flavor, but several also noted that it was the most visually appealing of the bunch.

How to make cranberry relish less tart? ›

And one last overlooked remedy for cranberry sauce: a pinch of salt. While you won't taste it, salt helps equalize the sweet-tart flavor of your cranberry sauce while making it a better pairing for the rest of your savory sides and, of course, the turkey.

How to enhance cranberry sauce? ›

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Why is my cranberry sauce seedy? ›

Why is my cranberry sauce so seedy? Cranberries do have seeds inside them. Sometimes, when using frozen cranberries, if it does not cook long enough, the seeds may not break down. This can cause the sauce to taste seedy.

How to make cranberry taste better? ›

If you'd prefer, you could use simple syrup, coconut sugar, cane sugar, sugar-free sweetener, maple syrup, or raw honey. You could also omit the added sugar and make an unsweetened cranberry juice if you'd prefer. Fresh Citrus: oranges and lemons add sweet and acid to balance the cranberries tartness.

Why do you open cranberry sauce upside down? ›

But why? Ocean Spray says this is to get the cranberry sauce out in one intact piece. “The rounded part of the can that looks like the bottom has an air bubble in it,” Ocean Spray's representative explains. The bubble is there so you can “break the seal the sauce makes with the can.”

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

You must cook the sauce for at least 10 minutes at a full boil for the pectin to react with the sugar and create the proper gelled texture. It is also important to let the cranberry sauce cool at room temperature. Moving it to the refrigerator too soon may also affect the gel.

How to thicken cranberry relish? ›

The sauce will thicken as it cools. If you want a cranberry mold that holds its shape, continue to boil the mixture so that more pectin is released from the fruit, additional water evaporates, and the sauce becomes thick enough to set into a firm gel.

Is cranberry relish good for you? ›

Nutrition Spotlight

The flavors of oranges and cranberries sing joyfully together! Their health benefits also complement each other as well! This relish provides an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C that will leave your belly full and body happy!

How much cranberry relish per person? ›

How Much Cranberry Sauce Do I Need Per Person? If you're making fresh cranberry sauce, plan on at least 1/4 cup per person—more if your family really likes cranberry sauce. I usually make about 1/2 cup per person and find I have plenty left over for a few days of slathering cranberry sauce over everything.

What are the two types of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

Is cranberry relish served hot or cold? ›

Typically served chilled, our recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead.

What to eat cranberry relish with? ›

Simple Appetizers

Top your favorite cracker with whipped cream cheese and a dollop of Cranberry Relish for the ultimate speedy starter. If you have a little more time you can try this Three-Ingredient Cranberry Relish Appetizer with white cheddar cheese.

What is another name for cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce
Alternative namesCranberry jam
TypeSauce or jam
Place of originNew England
Main ingredientsCranberries, sugar, water
Media: Cranberry sauce
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