Cranberry Walnut Relish

I love having cranberry relish as a side for the Holiday’s. Are you a cranberry “sauce” person or no? It is a nice complement to the dinner table. This recipe I came up with a few years ago when I could only find whole cranberries at the grocery store. It turned out perfect and it is so delicious. The tangy cranberry paired with the sweetness of the orange juice and the hint of spice makes for the perfect side dish. Plus it is pretty to look at and a great center piece for the table. Let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup orange juice – no pulp
1 bag of whole cranberries – washed well
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup walnuts – chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a sauce pan over medium low heat add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally until the mixture is reduced by half. This takes about 10 minutes. The cranberries will pop and become soft.
2. After 10 minutes and the liquid has reduced by half remove from the heat. Add in the vanilla and the walnuts. Stir and let come to room temp. When the mixture has cooled you can pour the mixture into a container and attach a lid. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

You can omit any of the spices if you do not like one or are allergic. You can also eliminate all the spices if you just want a more plain flavor of the cranberries. Either way is completely fine and both are really good. After you chill the mixture you can serve as is. If you like the sauce warm you can certainly heat this back up on the stove or in the microwave.

You can add in some pineapple tidbits for a more unique flavor profile. I do this as well. It just depends on how I am feeling that day. They are both so good. I hope you all enjoy!