This Cranberry Orange Relish is a Thanksgiving Tradition

     This is a recipe that has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  As a kid I was not very fond of this Thanksgiving tradition and refused to eat it for years.  But as the years have passed my taste buds have grown to enjoy this treat.   It is a staple part of our Thanksgiving table spread, along with the turkey, oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. This recipe is made with fresh cranberries. Cranberries are a great berry for a healthy urinary tract (helps to fight off bacterial infections in the bladder). They are also an anti-oxidant that is linked to cancer prevention.

     Although cranberries can typically be found in cranberry sauce in the form of a jelly, and many times served in the shape of a can. Although I will confess that I do enjoy cranberries this way at times. I prefer fresh cranberry relish made with all fresh ingredients.

Ingredients are:
2 cups of washed cranberries
1 whole orange – sliced into quarters (with skin on)
1 – 1 ½ cup of sugar

    Place cranberries and orange through a grinder. You can use an attachment to a stand mixer or a stand-alone grinder. I have also used a food processor in a pinch – but be careful not to over process or you’ll be drinking the relish instead of eating it. After the berries and orange is ground, mix in the sugar and allow the relish the macerate. This will allow the fruit to soften and the remove the bitterness of the cranberry and orange pulp.

     Cranberry relish is great served with turkey and mashed potatoes. I also like to add a bit of cranberry relish to my turkey salad – which is a great way to use up left-over turkey. Or I just place a small spoonful on top of a slicked turkey sandwich.

     Another great addition to the recipe is to add a couple of tart apples.
Peel and core the apples and grind up while grinding the cranberries and orange. This changes the look and texture of the relish a bit, but is excellent as well.