An Easy, No-Cook Alternative to Classic Cranberry Sauce

This fresh cranberry-orange relish couldn’t be any easier to make. It’s nothing but fresh cranberries, a juicy navel orange, and sugar, and believe it or not, you don’t even need to peel the orange! And, it goes just as well with roasted turkey (or chicken, or pork) as the more traditional cranberry sauce recipes that have been cooked.

Tips for Buying and Storing Fresh Cranberries

• Availability: Fresh cranberries should be available in your local grocery store from late September through the end of December. Check the bag as best you can and avoid any that contain visibly shriveled berries or red juices coating the inside of the bag.
• Storing: You can refrigerate fresh cranberries for up to 3 weeks and if you’d like to keep them longer than that they can be frozen. Before freezing, rinse and dry them thoroughly and pack them in a tightly sealed freezer bag. You can use them straight from the freezer for most recipes (no defrosting necessary).
• Prepping: You’ll want to sort your cranberries before using them, discarding any that are mushy, shriveled, or white (unripe). Give them a quick rinse in cool water before using them. And, for this recipe, it’s best to lay them out on a kitchen towel and blot them dry before using.

How to Make Easy Cranberry-Orange Relish

This is an overview of how this dish is made. Detailed measurements, ingredients, instructions, and times are available in the printable version of the recipe below.

1. Rinse the cranberries in a colander, let drain, then spread onto a kitchen towel and pat dry.
2. Wash the orange, trim a slice about 1/4-inch thick from each end, then cut it into wedges.
3. Place the orange and the cranberries in the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.
4. Add granulated sugar to the mixture and pulse two or three times to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
5. Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Note: This recipe is a remake of our Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce, originally published in 2016. Photos, recipe instructions, and editor’s notes have all been updated.

Easy Cranberry Orange Relish

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Fresh cranberries, a sweet navel orange, and granulated sugar are all you need to make this zesty relish that's perfect to serve with roasted turkey, chicken, or pork.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time : 20 mins

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Ingredients 

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries, (1 bag / 3 cups)
• 1 large navel orange, preferably organic
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus more if desired

Instructions 

• Rinse the cranberries in a colander, let drain, then spread onto a kitchen towel and pat dry.
• Wash the orange, trim a slice about 1/4-inch thick from each end, then cut it into 8 wedges.
• Place the orange and the cranberries in the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Note: If your food processor is small, work in two batches.
• Add the sugar to the mixture and pulse two or three times to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
• Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Recipe Notes

What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Orange Relish

• Mix 1/4 cup of sauce into a softened 8-oz block of cream cheese and serve as a spread for crackers.
• Mix 3 tablespoons of sauce into 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, or cottage cheese for a light breakfast.
• Blend 2 parts of the sauce with 1 part ketchup as a condiment for turkey burgers.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Easy Cranberry Orange Relish

Amount per Serving

Calories

102

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.2

g

0

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.01

g

0

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.04

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.02

g

Sodium

 

2

mg

0

%

Potassium

 

84

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

26

g

9

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

21

g

23

%

Protein

 

0.5

g

1

%

Vitamin A

 

92

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

22

mg

27

%

Calcium

 

15

mg

2

%

Iron

 

0.2

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.