Fresh Cranberry Apple Relish
A perfect balance of sweet and tart, this fresh cranberry apple relish is delicious and it only takes a few minutes to put together! Dig in with a spoon for a snack or serve it alongside a meal!
What is in this bowl of beautiful, festive deliciousness, you ask?
Well, let me tell you. It is my new favorite way to eat and enjoy and love fresh cranberries. And it is soooooo good. So good.
The ingredient list is minimal but fierce in flavor (especially if you observe cardinal rule #1 below). Sweet crisp apples. Tart tangy cranberries. Juicy fresh orange and zest. And a little sugar to offset the zing of the cranberries.
And even though it looks like the appropriate thing to be making, eating and posting in November, let me assure you that this sweet-tart fresh cranberry apple relish is not meant for the Thanksgiving table alone. It makes a perfect snack (kind of like a super charged and chopped fruit salad) or side dish alongside many a meal.
I didn’t fully realize how much I would love this cran-apple relish when I first read the recipe (sent to me by an awesome MKC reader – thanks, Katelyn!). But despite its simplicity, it is a true testament to the old adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Actually, that philosophical statement (about as deep as I’ll get to today) is ONLY true if you observe the accompanying rule: DO NOT EAT THIS RIGHT AWAY.
No, no. Please, for all that is good and right, let this little fresh cranberry apple relish number hang out in the refrigerator for a while. Like, at least two hours, but honestly, I’d suggest a full 24 to really reap the benefits of flavor explosion.
Of course, I didn’t observe this rule. I actually dug right in after making it. I know, I know. Who else is going to be able to establish the rules and bear testimony of their necessity if not the one who breaks them first?
And when I first tasted a spoonful, I was totally underwhelmed. So I shoved the bowl to the back of the refrigerator and forgot about it (which isn’t a surprise if you’ve seen the inside of my fridge lately – it’s a little bit scary and a lot crowded). When I discovered it again two days later, I almost dismissed it, but in the name of no leftovers left behind, I gave it another taste, and holy-moly-angels-singing was it amazing.
I should have minimized my reaction a little, because, well, you can guess what my screeching from the kitchen caused to happen. Yes, the masses came running to see what all the commotion was about (I’m surprised they are even phased by my exclamations anymore), and it was too late to hide the bowl in the depths of the fridge chaos again.
Thanks to this forced sharing situation, we all dug in, and every single person except Brian, who still hasn’t recovered his sense of taste post-surgery, poor guy, declared it a two thumbs up blog-worthy success.
We’ve made several batches now. It’s a favorite after school snack and side dish for dinner. And all I’m saying is, you’re going to want to capitalize on fresh cranberries while they are in season, because this fresh cranberry apple relish is a winner. I’m definitely making it for our Thanksgiving feast, too!
One Year Ago: Simple Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey {Oven Bag Method}
Two Years Ago: Quick and Delicious Chicken Noodle Soup
Three Years Ago: Slow Cooker Roasted Garlic Beef Sandwiches
Four Years Ago: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie
Five Years Ago: Black Bean Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust
Fresh Cranberry Apple Relish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) fresh cranberries, about 3 cups
- 2 medium crisp sweet apples, cored and quartered (peeling is optional)
- 1 large orange, zested (reserve the zest!), peeled, and separated into segments (see note) – or one can of drained mandarin oranges
- Zest of one orange, about a tablespoon
- ¼ to ⅓ cup (53 to 71 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped. Scrape into a medium bowl. Repeat the processing/chopping with the apples and orange (I process these two ingredients together but you can chop them separately) until they are coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl with the cranberries.
- Stir in the orange zest and sugar and mix until the ingredients are well combined. Refrigerate for at least two hours (although it’s best made a day or two ahead – it only gets better with time!)
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from a recipe sent to me by a reader, Katelyn G. (thanks, Katelyn!)
Am planning on making this but curious as to what you serve/eat it with? Cinnamon chips?, crostini?, please advise..
also, could frozen cranberries be used instead of fresh?
thank you!!!
I have not tried this with frozen cranberries – I think it will change the overall texture of the relish, but you could try it. We eat this as a side dish with turkey or chicken, but you could definitely serve it with cinnamon tortilla chips or the like.
Oh so delicious! Ate it straight with a spoon.
I haven’t made this yet, but it sounds soooo good. I have tonnes of cooking apples, could I use them in this recipe? And how long does this keep in sterilised jars? Thanks
I haven’t tried canning this (it wouldn’t be shelf stable) but it will keep well in the fridge for a week probably.
The recipe I use is similar but I use two 14oz pkgs fresh cranberries, two large whole navel oranges, two gala apples without the seeds, one 20 oz can crushed pineapple not drained, one large box of jello, have used cranberry, cherry or strawberry. Can add a little sugar if you like it sweeter. I put all the fruit thru the food processor to chop it up as finely as you want. I have even put chopped walnuts or pecans in it.
I made this for Christmas dinner and it was delicious!! I swapped out one of the apples for half of a fresh pineapple that I needed to use and we thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Memories of many years ago, my grandmother and then my mother getting out the hand crank grinder every year at thanksgiving and christmas. A little more orange and sugar but you nailed it, just like I remembered. I made a batch this year at thanksgiving and discovered the joy of putting some on a ritz cracker with some cream cheese. Delish!!!! Thanks for the recipe and happy holidays
I’ve been making this cranberry dish nearly all my life (I’m 74). I use a grinder for the cranberries (frozen are easiest to grind) and apples. When I was a kid, I used the old fashioned hand grinder secured to a wooden stool; effective but quite messy. Now I use my Kitchen Aid grinder attachment. I tried it with the orange one year but I was not a fan. I make it at least a day ahead. It’s great with pork, ham and, of course, turkey. It also is a great spread for sandwiches!
I just made this to serve on Thursday, and I think something went wrong with the orange or the orange zest because it tastes bitter. Do you think that the bitterness will calm down over the next couple of days or should I start over?
Do you think you may have grated too much of the white part of the orange rind instead of just the vibrant orange part of the rind? That can create some bitterness. I don’t think the bitterness will mellow over time so you might need to make a new batch.
It’s possible. I’m bad at zesting things in general. Okay I’ll make a new batch today, thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving!
A relative served something similar to this at Thanksgiving last year and I have to admit, after one bite I was hooked! I love cranberry sauces and relishes of all sorts, but had never had one quite like this. It’s delicious! I have a batch hanging out in the fridge that I’ve been ‘sampling’ for the last three days. {grin} I’m hosting Thanksgiving for the first time at our house this year and plan to serve this instead of my go-to cooked variety of sauces. Super flavorful and I love the texture!
I just made this and right away it was delicious. I added just a little more sugar, apple and an extra orange. I know I’m going to be taking little bites from now until Xmas dinner. Hopefully there is some left. Lol
This was so good. Call me crazy but I even liked right after it was made. Could have eaten the whole bowl with a bag of chips right then and there. I served this for Thanksgiving along with my regular homemade cranberry sauce, cranberry chutney, and our family’s favorite cranberry, walnut, sour cream jello salad.
Thanks for the review, Juliet!
This cranberry relish is delicious! Not that I doubted, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much the flavors really do get better the longer they sit. I used Pink Lady Apples because we LOVE them, and they went so well with the cranberry and orange flavors. My husband who originally said he only likes cranberry sauce “shaped in a cylinder, thinly sliced, and neatly arranged on a plate” kept eating this. Haha. I finished off the last of our relish for breakfast this morning (along with a bowl of your stove top stuffing. Yum!) I’m already looking forward to making this again for Christmas.
Thanks, Nicole – happy you liked this! And I laughed out loud at the way your husband prefers to eat cranberry sauce. Ha.
How do you think this would go with ham? Specifically your amazing shredded ham recipe. Would the flavors compete too much? I’m helping plan a dinner for our Relief Society Christmas party and would love to add something delicious and yummy like this.
I haven’t actually served those two together but I actually think the tart sweetness of the relish would be tasty with that ham!
Yum! This looks like the perfect spin off of the 2 cranberry side dishes I’ve made over the years. One question, do you think cooking it in a slow cooker on low for an hour or 2 would turn it into a warm cranberry sauce or do you think it’s really best kept and served cold?! I’ve made both warm and cold version over the years and can’t decide which route to go this year! THANKS! 😉
That’s a great question and I honestly don’t know. I suppose it could work warming it up – the apples will get softer (maybe like applesauce?) but if the texture isn’t a problem, you could probably go the warm route. Good luck deciding!
I was looking up the ingredients for the cranberry salsa when I saw this and decided that I could have both by splitting a batch of this and adding chopped jalapeno. I know there are other different ingredients in the salsa recipe, adding jalapeno to this worked for me.
Both versions are very good and so easy and gosh, they are dip, salsa, over or with pork/turkey/salmon/other fish. I just made pork chops in Instant pot with apples, balsamic and pumpkin pie spice (10 minutes after a quick saute of the chops and apples). I’m going to do the same with pork or chicken and throw some of this in as well.
Thanks, Mel!!
Those pork chops sound delicious, Liz!
I sweeten with honey and add chopped walnuts! Delish!
Delicious! Served alongside pork tenderloin for dinner. I’ll probably eat the leftovers straight out of the bowl with a spoon for breakfast!
YUM!
Mel, perfect timing on this recipe! Can’t wait to try it. My husband was just diagnosed with the “alpha-gal” allergy, a crazy allergic reaction caused by a tick bite to all mammal products (which includes Jello). So our favorite side salad of cranberry salad made with such was out. Until you came along. So bless you again!
Oh my goodness, Judy. I’m sorry for your husband! Hope he loves this one if you make it!
I’ll try this soon– but not for Thanksgiving. I live in a house with people who like the canned jelled sauce- the one with the can marks still visible. I might rebel this year and make it anyway. I’m hearing the Fiddler on the Roof “tradition” song in my head right now……
Hahaha. Good luck with that. 🙂
Aren’t the cranberries hard? Don’t they need to be cooked somewhat?
It is more like a salad. It was delicious!
They soften a little once the relish chills in the fridge – but they are still on the crunchy side (super delicious texture).
I’ve never made this… but I LOVE it. Last year when I got some leftovers ….
(hubby doesn’t like it darn! )
…. I decided to throw some in my plain greek yogurt that I make in my instant pot…. SO GOOD!
So good in fact that I divvied it up into small serving sizes and put it in the freezer to pull out, later, when I “needed” some!
I’ll be making a big batch this year, and I’m make sure to do it a couple of days ahead of time!
Thanks Mel!
I love this fresh Relish (salad) because every dish we seem to eat on Thanksgiving or Christmas tends to be cooked and unless I eat something raw with my meal, the whole thing just sits on my stomach like a rock. This salad presents well on a holiday plate and tastes amazing. It saves me from the digestive disaster of a fully cooked meal!
Mel! This is an absolute winner! I saw the recipe this afternoon and immediately added the ingredients to my shopping list, came home and made it. It’s about three hours later and I’ve already snuck multiple bites. I’ve needed a recipe just like this one! I have a decadent cranberry salad recipe but I generally only make it once during the holiday season because it’s very heavy and such a caloric splurge–but I can see making this throughout cranberry season as a weeknight side dish. Here in Florida, we don’t get weather that suits rich, hearty food. It’s nice to be able to use the fall apples and cranberries to make a bright and sunny complement dish. Thanks for sharing this one. It’s a keeper, I can tell already.
Yay! So happy to hear this, Tristin! I agree that it’s kind of refreshing to have some lighter but still really festive holiday recipes as go-tos.
This was a Thanksgiving staple at my house growing up. It’s so much better than other cranberry sides. I bought a grinder attachment for my KitchenAid for the express purpose of making relish for Thanksgiving. We grind up the orange peel and all and make it at least a day ahead and it is a hit everywhere I take it. My sister uses her food processor to make it but I like the grinder method.
Interesting about the grinder!
We also grind ours – in an old fashioned hand crank meat grinder. The texture is so perfect. <3
I bought a grinder attachment too! We also grind the whole orange, skin and all. 🙂
My mom has been making this for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. We usually add a bit more sugar, but it is amazing with turkey!! Love!!
Oh, I forgot- we also grind it a bit finer.
Glad to hear it’s a staple for you and your family, Amy!
Can I use frozen cranberries? Or would the texture be all wrong?
I used frozen cranberries when I made it this morning. I just chopped them while they were still frozen and the texture of the relish seems fine!
I just went for it too and it was great! My cranberries were from last year
Awesome that frozen cranberries worked!
Sounds like frozen cranberries will work!
I make a cranberry relish every Thanksgiving very similar to this. To save myself some time, i use canned mandarin oranges that are not in syrup. Also, I use sugar-free red and orange Jell-O powder instead of sugar. And I add about 1/3-1/2 c. Chopped pecans.
This is one of my FAVORITE holiday dishes. Smells so amazing while you are making it. (We just use a whole unpeeled clementine instead of an orange). Crazy good on crepes with whipped cream.
Wow, such a great idea to serve on crepes!
Would this be appropriate to stick in jars and give as neighbor gifts? Would it hold up ok?
Sure! I mean, it won’t be shelf stable but they could refrigerate the jars.
This is a classic-I am old and had it this way since childhood. We tend to make it sweeter and although I use my food processor now we always used a grinder when I was a child and it is superior but harder and messier.
maybe with some yummy cinnamon-sugar pita chips? Or as a side for turkey or chicken.
This may be a silly question but…how do you eat it? By itself? Dip things in it? It looks so good I can imagine some yummy possibilities, just curious how your family eats it! 🙂
Nope, not a silly question at all! We’ve just been scooping it into bowls and eating it, but Rebecca’s idea of pita chips is great. I’m going to serve it at Thanksgiving as a side to turkey, but it is fabulous with other meals, too. I made roasted pork tenderloin the other night and we had this as a side dish. Kind of unintentionally – just pulled it out of the fridge – but it was super yummy with the pork.
I’ve never been a fan of cranberry relish, BUT this one I’m going to have to try!
Hope you love it, Sam!