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Cranberry Relish

Cranberry relish with bright, chunky cranberries and fresh orange peel, pulsed for a crisp-sweet bite. Chill until the sugar dissolves for a spoonable, fruit-forward texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 168
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry relish
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries Use fresh cranberries for best texture.
  • 1 orange, unpeeled, seeded and cut into chunks Keep the peel for a bright, aromatic relish.
  • 1 apple, cored and chopped Chop small so it pulses evenly.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Chill long enough for it to dissolve.
  • 0.25 cup chopped pecans (optional) Stir in just before serving to keep crunch.

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Method
 

Chop the fruit
  1. Pulse the fresh cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped, about 10 to 15 pulses, then transfer to a bowl with a visible chunky texture.
  2. Pulse the orange (unpeeled, seeded, and chunked) and the apple (cored and chopped) in the food processor until finely chopped, about 15 to 20 pulses, so the pieces look uniform and small.
Mix and chill
  1. Stir the orange and apple mixture and the sugar into the coarsely chopped cranberries until evenly coated and glossy.
  2. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight so the sugar dissolves and the flavors meld, until the relish looks thicker and the sugar is no longer grainy.
Finish
  1. Stir in the chopped pecans just before serving so they remain crisp and evenly distributed throughout the cranberry relish.

Notes

Pro tip: If the sugar seems slow to dissolve, chill overnight—stir once halfway through for faster dissolving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; it does not need freezing, but freezing may soften the fruit texture. For a less-sugar option, replace sugar with a like-for-like granulated sugar substitute intended for cold dissolving (check label for 1:1 use).