Thanksgiving Countdown: Cranberry & Apple Relish

Every year, my mom and I are on a mission to have me make tons of homemade jams and treats to give out for the holidays.  She’s the financial backer while I do all the hard labor in the kitchen–I don’t mind.

Really, I don’t.  Don’t look at me like that!

In the last conversation I had with her a few days ago, I told her I was switching gears from all the late summer fruits to autumn flavors such as Brandied Apple Butter.  She asked, why not make a cranberry relish? And wouldn’t you know, I thought that was brilliant.   I have a deep love of cranberries that goes all the way down to the shameful admission that I wouldn’t even turn down the canned jellied cranberry sauce.  However, it seems that here at El Rancho Destructo, I am the only one who feels this way, so I usually make my cranberry sauce the way I like it:   Jezebel Sauce (cranberries with horseradish and dijon stirred in).  I decided I should make a batch of something cranberry, so with a few bags in hand, I pulled out things that I knew would be delicious and came up with something that even Choo thinks it could turn him to the Dark Side of these tart little berries.  Granny Smith apples, oranges, red wine and dried cranberries knock this sauce out of the park–and I really think the dried cranberries are what make this special, by bringing up the intensity of the cranberry flavor with very little of the tartness associated with the fresh ones.

I can’t tell you how easy this one is, too–throw everything into the pot, simmer it for a while, and DONE.  How easy is that?

Cranberry & Apple Relish

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup red wine
3/4 cup sugar
1- 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest, finely grated
2 tart apples such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled, cored & chopped


Add all ingredients into a large saucepan and on medium heat, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Simmer until fresh cranberries have burst and apples are tender, but have not lost their shape.
Pour into bowl, cover and chill.

*Note:  if canning this sauce, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice.