No holiday would be complete without cranberry relish. Growing up it was the jellied version that looked so neat sliding out of the can, wiggling on the plated until you cut it into slices.
Then, there was the dreaded ground cranberries with crushed pineapple swimming in cool whip. The texture just didn’t do it for me.
So it was with a heavy heart I couldn’t pass up cranberry relish my first Christmas with my soon to be husband’s family. I put that small polite spoonful on my plate and prepared to mix it with the mashed potatoes. To my surprise, it was the best cranberry relish I’d tasted. The cranberries were cooked to a soft texture and the walnuts added just the right amount of crunch.
Plus, there’s nothing better than a leftover turkey sandwich with a nice big scoop of cranberry relish.
Easy and Absolutely Fabulous Cranberry Relish
Nancy J Nicholson
(This really is my mother-in-law, we really do share names and we really do share birthdays. How weird is that?)
1 – 24 ounce bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup toasted English Walnuts*
1 – 12 ounce jar orange marmalade
juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 350°. Pour sugar over cranberries in 9 X 13 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 350° for 1 hour.
Mix toasted nuts into berries. Stir in orange marmalade and lemon juice. Place in refrigerator to cool. Makes approximately 3 cups.
* To toast walnuts, spread on top of the foil covering the cranberries during the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
What’s your favorite cranberry dish, or do you just skip to dessert?
I’m one of those plain cranberry people. Boil water and sugar, put in the cranberries and watch ’em pop. I love listening to that sound. =) Will send your MIL’s recipe to my mom though, she loves to experiment!
Carrie, let me know what your mom thinks, I hope she likes them.
Me skip dessert ! I only eat the canned jelly sauce. So far I have not had a chunky variety I like. I think maybe I will try your MIL’s recipe. I actually sounds good! My favorite Cranberry recipes are Cranberry Nut bread (Recipe on the back of the Fresh Ocean Spray Cranberry bag. ) And the Cranberry Jells. Super easy and yummy!
Here it is: I can jelled cranberries, 1 C. sugar, 3 small boxes raspberry jello. Mix in sauce pan cook until all is dissolved. Pour into 8X8 greased pan. Let set 1-2 days. Cut into small squares, roll in sugar. Let set/dry about a week… they keep well in an airtight container. ENJOY
Thanks Carol, we’ll give them a try when we find the ingredients again. I’m sure you’d like this recipe, though there are whole cranberries here it feels a lot more like the jellied cranberries. Enjoy!
I’m going to try it. Sounds fab! What a coincidence re the names and birthday … wow!
Enjoy Patricia!
Oh, yum. I love me some cranberries. Not so much from the can anymore, but that was my favorite growing up. I think since I’ve had fresh cranberries, I can’t tolerate the canned stuff. Who knows? I’m definitely going to try this recipe. It looks delicious.
Merry Christmas, Nancy and MIL Nancy! That really is quite the coincidence. ; )
Tameri, I hope you enjoy this super simple recipe. I agree, I used to love the canned stuff, not so much anymore.