Yep.
It is that time of year.
When even small-time food blogs like mine get 100s of hits per day, everyone looking for that one perfect recipe for the big feast.
Well, here it is, and you’re welcome.
Some folx do not care for cranberry relish, but they are wrong. In about an hour, you can eat like Julia wanted you to.
INGREDIENTS
Relish:
•36 oz fresh cranberries
•2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
•1-3/4 cup sugar
•1-1/2 cup orange juice
•1/4 cup lemon juice
•1/4 cup orange liqueur with brandy
Pulverized Zest:
•Zest of 2 oranges
•Zest of 1 lemon
•1/3 cup sugar
A note on the ginger: I buy mine frozen, in little one teaspoon cubes at Trader Joe’s, though I have seen them at other markets. Organic, really quite good, and they last forever in the freezer.
A note on the pulverized zest: I do not always take the time to do this, and the relish seems to always turn out fine, but if you have a mini food processor, why not bring it out and use it, then mebbe whip up a quick batch of Mayonnaise while you’re at it.
To pulverize the zest, wash the oranges and lemon, then grate the zest, the orange and yellow parts of the peel, into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
Add the sugar and pulse until the zest and sugar have come together into this brightly colored powder.
Wash the cranberries and pick through, discarding any stems or withered berries.
Note: big cranberry seems to have their sorting system down pat, because I have not come across any little woody stems in at least a decade. Withered berries, well, that is just part of the circle of life.
Add the sorted berries to a large pot with the remaining ingredients and stir in the pulverized zest.
If you really do not want to deal with the whole pulverize thing, go ahead and just tumble your zest and the extra sugar into the pot with everything else.
It’ll all work out fine.
Bring to a rapid boil over medium high heat, stirring often, until the berries burst, about five minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes or so, then, give it a taste.
Yum.
I like mine just as it is, with a tart bite that will go perfectly with my holidaze feast,
but…
if you think it a bit too tart, go ahead and stir in another 1/4 cup or so of sugar, and cook, again stirring often, for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and your relish is as you like it.
Transfer the relish to jars, then cover and stash in the fridge until needed.
This recipe will yield three pints of the good stuff, and I have found that if I make it now, it will last me through to the New Year, unless I find myself serving ravening hoards of 20-somethings, as I did last year.
Then, December is also a good time to make more relish.