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Cranberry Orange Relish

Cranberry orange relish made by pulsing fresh cranberries and unpeeled orange into a finely chopped, not-pureed texture. Chilled with sugar and a splash of orange liqueur for a bright, slice-and-spoon side-ready topping.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
chilling 4 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry Orange Relish
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 large navel orange unpeeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange liqueur or orange juice
  • 0.25 tsp salt pinch of salt
  • 0.25 fresh mint for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 food processor

Method
 

Chop the fruit
  1. Pulse the fresh cranberries and orange chunks in a food processor until finely chopped but not pureed, pausing to scrape down as needed. The mixture should look like small pieces with visible orange zest flecks, not smooth pulp.
Sweeten and rest
  1. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar, orange liqueur or orange juice, and the pinch of salt. Mix until the sugar looks mostly dissolved and the relish turns glossy.
  2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at 4°C/40°F for at least 4 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld. The relish should thicken slightly and taste brighter after chilling.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir well before serving so the liquid distributes evenly through the chopped cranberries. The texture should stay finely chopped rather than watery.
  2. Garnish with fresh mint right before serving for a fresh green contrast. Add the mint leaves loosely so they look vibrant on top.

Notes

For best texture, pulse in short bursts and stop as soon as everything is finely chopped but still clearly chunky—over-processing turns it into puree. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because cranberries can soften and weep when thawed. For a lower-sugar option, replace some or all of the sugar with a 1:1 substitute sweetener intended for chilling (check package guidance).