Having canning withdrawal this winter? Make some cranberry orange relish to enjoy all year long.
Do you have a bag or two of cranberries taking up space in the freezer? Many of us do. I seem to buy a few extra bags each November: some become homemade sauce for Thanksgiving, and the rest end up frozen. Cranberries will keep in the freezer for a while, but they are best used sooner rather than later. Making cranberry orange relish is a simple way to transform those frozen berries into something ready to enjoy now and later.
Cranberries Aren’t Just for Thanksgiving
If your only experience with cranberries is the holiday side dish, try cranberry orange relish. Its bright, tart flavor livens up winter meals when fresh produce is limited. Use it with pork chops, roasted meats, baked chicken, or alongside baked beans and casseroles. It also makes an attractive condiment for cheese plates, sandwiches, and grain bowls.
Get Your Winter Canning Fix
Winter doesn’t offer as many canning projects as late summer and fall, so if you’re itching to preserve something, using up freezer cranberries is a great option. While you might make spiced apple rings or applesauce in colder months, cranberry orange relish gives you another easy, low-effort preserve to brighten meals through the season.
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 1 1/2 bags)
- 1 large navel orange
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 – 1 cup sugar, to taste
- Wash the orange. Cut it, unpeeled, into 6–8 pieces and remove any seeds.
- Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until evenly chopped. Transfer to a large saucepan.
- Process the orange pieces in the food processor until evenly chopped, then add them to the cranberries.
- Stir in the water and sugar. Use less sugar for a tarter relish or more if you prefer it sweeter.
- Simmer over medium heat until the cranberries are soft and hot, about 5–10 minutes.
- Ladle the hot relish into clean half-pint jars if you plan to refrigerate or freeze.
- This relish freezes very well. It will also keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Update:
Although water bath canning was once suggested, this relish is best preserved by freezing. Its relatively low sugar content makes long-term shelf stability in jars less reliable, and canned batches can lose color and brightness over time. For the freshest flavor and appearance, freeze the relish in airtight containers or jars designed for freezing.