075 / 75 · Crisp, Tangy and Warm Sides
Cranberry Orange Spoon Relish
About 2 cups/480–550 ml relish;8 small spooned side portions · Active 20 min · Total 2 hr 45 min
Print recipe · PDFCranberries simmer with orange pieces, juice and a measured amount of sugar until some berries burst and the mixture thickens. It chills into a spoonable tart relish rather than a firm jelly. This is a small refrigerated companion to a savory meal, not shelf-stable jam or a canning recipe.
Use sound berries and prepared citrus
Sort fresh cranberries, discarding soft spoiled fruit and any stems, then rinse. Frozen plain cranberries can go into the pan directly without a counter-thaw. Wash the orange before grating its zest, taking only the colored outer peel. Peel and remove seeds and tough central pith before cutting the stated small pieces. Measure the juice separately rather than assuming one orange always supplies the same amount. These prepared states make the cooking range more useful than a vague instruction to add a whole chopped orange.
Leave some berry texture
A gentle simmer lets cranberries pop while a few remain recognizable. Stir along the bottom as the sugar dissolves and the fruit thickens. There is no need to boil the pan until it sets like a candy or to crush every berry smooth. It will become thicker as it cools. Keep the small saucepan at a controlled simmer because hot fruit and sugar can spit if stirred roughly. The measured water gives the berries a start without flooding the finished relish.
Cold storage is part of the recipe
Transfer to a shallow heatproof container and use an external ice-water bath to remove heat promptly, keeping bath water out. Refrigerate, then allow enough time for the relish to become thoroughly cold before serving. The sugar and acidity contribute flavor but do not establish a tested preservation process. No sealed hot jars or pantry shelf belong to this method. Put out a small side bowl with a clean spoon and keep any reserve cold, taking a few tablespoons beside the main dish rather than treating the batch as eight large desserts.
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh or plain frozen cranberries (300 g), sorted and rinsed if fresh
- 1 small orange, washed, then peeled, seeded and cut into small pieces (100 g prepared flesh)
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (2 g), taken before peeling
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml), seeds removed
- 1/4 cup drinking water (60 ml)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (80 g)
- Ice and cold water for an external cooling bath, not mixed into relish
Set out
Saucepan, at least 2 qt/1.9 L, Spoon, Fine grater, Knife and board, Shallow heatproof refrigerator container with cover, Large bowl for external ice-water bath, Refrigerator
Allergens
No major allergens inherent in the listed base ingredients; check frozen-fruit labels. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put cranberries, prepared orange pieces, zest, juice, drinking water and sugar in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
- Lower heat and simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until many berries burst and the mixture lightly thickens while a few berry shapes remain. It will thicken further cold; do not reduce to a stiff paste.
- Transfer to the shallow heatproof container. Cool promptly in an external ice-water bath 10–15 minutes, stirring with a clean spoon and keeping bath water out, then refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Cover once cool.
- Chill at least 2 hours and until thoroughly cold before serving eight small spooned side portions. Keep the reserve refrigerated and use a clean spoon.
A relish serving is small
Divide the roughly two-cup batch into eight small side portions. Its tart-sweet spoonful is meant to contrast with a savory plate, with reserve relish kept covered and cold.
A useful detail
The 165-minute estimate includes citrus preparation, simmering, a brief cooling bath and at least 2 hours refrigerated chilling. Slower cooling can lengthen it. This is a refrigerator relish, not tested jam, canning or pantry storage.
Another way
- Use 100 g prepared mandarin segments instead of orange flesh, removing seeds and tough pith. Keep the measured zest, juice and short refrigerated storage guidance.
Keep it well
Refrigerate promptly after the brief cooling bath, always within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days. Freeze promptly cooled small portions for up to 1 month for quality and thaw in the refrigerator. Do not can, hot-seal for pantry storage or extend its deadline because sugar or citrus is present.