This raw cranberry relish is a fresh alternative to cranberry jelly or store-bought canned cranberries. The recipe originated with my great-grandmother, but has become known as ‘Momma Coop’s cranberries’, named after my mom. After a big turkey meal shared with friends and family, there is usually at least one request for the recipe. And I’ve had guests take some home with their leftovers and enjoy it with yogurt for breakfast the next morning. It is a great addition to a festive feast, however you like to enjoy it.
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 large seedless orange
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup orange liqueur like Grand Marnier
½ tsp ground cloves
You want to use the outer rind and the inner fruit of the orange, not the white pith that is bitter. Here is a helpful video on how to zest and section an orange. They show a grapefruit in the video, but the techniques work for an orange too.
Zest the orange using a microplane to remove the outer orange rind. Transfer zest to food processor. Cut around the outside of the orange to remove the white pith from the fruit. Then section the orange to remove fruit segments by cutting the membrane on both sides. The juicy fruit pieces should release easily. Discard membrane and white pith. Transfer orange segments to food processor.
Add cranberries, liqueur, cloves and 3/4 of the cup of sugar to the food processor.
Pulse until you have a coarse relish and the mixture is evenly blended. Taste for sweetness and add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar as needed. The total sugar needed will depend on how naturally sweet your orange and cranberries are.
Transfer to a glass storage container and refrigerate. Make one to two days ahead in order to allow the flavours to meld and to allow the relish to develop its beautifully cranberry colour.
This relish keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and is great with holiday leftovers.
KitchenCoop 