Whether you’re preparing for an intimate meal or are expecting a house full, if you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, there are plenty of things you can do ahead of time. In fact, there are a few items that taste better done in advance. My cranberry relish is one of them. I make my relish at least a week in advance so that all the flavors can develop. It’s just like making refrigerator jam. Super easy, super quick and do-ahead.
You can add anything you like to this relish – raisins, nuts, chopped apples. My family likes it the way my grandmother and mom made it. Set it into an sealed glass container and you’ve taken one thing off your list.
This year I used organic cranberries which tend to come in 8 ounce packages instead of the standard 12 ounce. Here’s a recipe using 8 ounces of cranberries.
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Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
1 8 oz package fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. orange juice
tiny pinch of salt
1 cinnamon stick
- Place all ingredients into saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of the cranberries have popped. Cool and refrigerate. Remove cinnamon stick prior to serving.