By Susan Voisin 54 Comments
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Take a break from your regular, sugary cranberry sauce with this zesty blend of cranberries, oranges, apples, and walnuts.
I emailed my mother to get her cranberry relish recipe, the one my husband and I descend on like a pair of hungry fruit bats each year. She emailed me the recipe, but what she sent didn’t quite match my memory of the dish because I thought it had apples in it. By the time I got the recipe, she and my dad were on the road to Texas, to visit my sister. And though my parents finally broke down and bought a pre-paid cell phone, they rarely turn it on, so I was stuck.
I decided to make it with the apples, just because I couldn’t see what it would hurt. My mom said to prepare this a couple of days ahead of time because it gets better over time, so I made it this afternoon.
Wow! I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep our hands off of it until Thursday. I suppose that relish was traditionally meant to complement the turkey (or add flavor to it if you ask me, not a turkey lover even in my omnivore days). But to me it makes a great side dish. Or even a dessert. I can just imagine it over some vanilla soy ice cream. Mmmm. Stop me before I descend on the fridge!
UPDATE: I took my version of this cranberry relish to my parents’ house for Christmas, and my father told me he had never added apples because he likes to make a lot and freeze it. But he admitted that my relish with apples was delicious. Success!
Speaking of Thanksgiving–if you’re looking for more vegan Thanksgiving recipes, check out my master list of Thanksgiving recipes! There’s everything from main dishes (like Thanksgiving Loaf) to side dishes (like Green Bean Casserole) to desserts (like Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake).
5 from 11 votes
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The Brown Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe
The secret to this unique relish is using whole oranges--skin and all. Try to find organic ones.
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 minute minute
Total Time 16 minutes minutes
Servings 8
Author Susan Voisin
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 organic navel orange scrubbed and cut into 8 pieces
- 2 apples peeled and cut into 8 pieces
- 1/4 to 1 cup natural sugar
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Wash the cranberries and remove any stems, bad cranberries, or inedible stuff you find. Put half of the cranberries, orange (unpeeled), and apple into the food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Some larger pieces are okay, but nothing big enough to choke on. Pour into a bowl and process the other half of the fruit. Put it into a bowl, add the sugar to taste, and mix in the pecans.
Refrigerate it for a day or two to allow the flavors to develop. Quick! If you start now, it’ll be ready by Thanksgiving.
Notes
After I posted this, my father let me know that they never put apples in it because they like to freeze the leftovers and were not sure that the apples would freeze well. So feel free to leave out the apples, though I think they add sweetness and allow me to cut down on the amount of sugar I use.
Nutrition Facts
The Brown Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 89Calories from Fat 31
% Daily Value*
Fat 3.4g5%
Sodium 1mg0%
Carbohydrates 15.7g5%
Fiber 2.2g9%
Sugar 12g13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Kristine
November 24, 2009 at 2:45 pmJust wanted to chime in and say this will be the third Thanksgiving that your family's relish will be on our table. We just love it. The first two years I served it alongside with the usual cooked relish, as I knew some members might not like raw and some wouldn't like orange. This year, we don't care who doesn't like it and this is the only one on the table. My batches make a generous two pints, and I just ate the amount that didn't fit it the jars on top of Greek yogurt. Truly amazing flavors, even when freshly made. Thanks so much for contributing to our family traditions!
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Anonymous
December 15, 2009 at 10:19 amI made this for Thanksgiving. It was a perfect cranberry relish. It was so good that I ate it by itself as a salad. Yummy!
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KnittinNurse
December 17, 2009 at 11:07 amBeen making a relish that is virtually the same for years. We use a can of frozen apple juice as sweetener, tangerines and whatever apples are on hand. I tend to try to forage for fruits for the holiday meals and happen to have a tangerine tree. This year I will add persimmons to the mix too!. In any case, I also use agar agar to make it thicker- we get long strings of it from an oriental food market- cut up and melted in the warm “stew”, it thickens up very nicely. EXPERIMENT and make your’s one of a kind!
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Kristen
November 26, 2010 at 2:29 pmI made this on Monday for our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday….it was great! So much better than boiled cranberry sauce. I would probably use a small orange next time, but otherwise it was perfect. I used 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar and after a few days in the fridge, it was plenty sweet. Thanks for a great recipe!
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January 10, 2011 at 6:02 pm I just wanted to say I made this recipe for Christmas and it was absolutely delicious. I never thought I liked cranberry relish before I made this. I used 1/2 cup sugar. What a great way to use the bounty of Cranberries we have in Oregon! I will be using this recipe every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanks for the recipe!
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Laura
November 21, 2011 at 10:51 pmThis looks so good! Do you think date paste would be an okay substitute for the sugar?
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November 21, 2011 at 11:39 pm Yes, I think it’s worth a try. 🙂
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katiekay7
November 20, 2012 at 1:50 pmi am nervous about uncooked… won’t the cranberries be too sour? is there a way to find sweeter cranberries? the one time i made a cranberry sauce it was cooked in sugar but so incredibly sour.
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katiekay7
November 20, 2012 at 1:51 pmalso will the apples go brown / look yucky if i make this two days early?
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November 20, 2012 at 1:53 pm The orange helps keep the apples from going bad. I’ve kept it for several days and haven’t noticed any change. And the cranberries are tart, but the added sugar can be adjusted to taste so that it can be quite sweet if you want it to be.
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Steph
November 20, 2012 at 3:28 pmThanks so much for this recipe! I just made it and put it in the fridge. Although I peeled off the orange skin because I was afraid to leave it on 🙂
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shelley
October 11, 2013 at 6:42 amI don’t use apples, I use mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple in addition to the cranberries!
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LadyLoveshercats
November 15, 2013 at 12:04 pmI am surprised that the peels are left on the orange. How does this taste. I have always heard that orange peels are bitter. I want to make this for my families Thanksgiving, but I need assurance that the unpeeled orange is a good idea. Thanks for this website, it is wonderful.
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November 15, 2013 at 12:36 pm Somehow the orange peel works. My family has been making it this way for years, and everybody loves it. I would only use oranges that have a regular to thin rind, though, like a naval orange.
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Jennifer
November 19, 2013 at 7:32 pmI am curious as to what you have the relish with? I see that some added it to salad (or just had the relish as a salad) but is this to be used instead of cranberry sauce? Thanks for the recipe 🙂
~Jenn
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November 20, 2013 at 8:29 am I just serve it like cranberry sauce as a side dish alongside the typical Thanksgiving dinner: mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, and something “protein,” like tofu, seitan, or lentil loaf.
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Lynn
December 2, 2017 at 9:35 pmWe eat it on biscuits, dressing/stuffing, turkey, and pita chips as an appetizer. It’s great on everything.
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jackie
November 21, 2013 at 1:21 pmNot sure about this, but could you use agave instead of sugar?
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November 21, 2013 at 1:24 pm Yes, just add it to taste.
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Karen
November 28, 2013 at 12:06 pmI made this relish for Thanksgiving and it was perfect! My apples and orange were very sweet so I only needed 3 tablespoons of sugar. Everyone love it and it was healthier than my usual cooked cranberry recipe that uses at least 1 cup of sugar. Thanks!!!!!
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Cheryl
November 16, 2014 at 2:51 pmI am so very thankful to have found this recipe!! My mother used to make this, and now has Alzheimer’s, so I thought the recipe was gone for good. Thank you for posting!! This is my very favorite!! Happy Turkey Day to you and yours!!
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Susan
November 24, 2014 at 7:11 pmhi susan,
is there a certain kind of apple you use? one that is sweeter?
thanks,,,,,i look forward to making this 🙂
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November 24, 2014 at 7:34 pm I like Fugis and Honeycrisps, but really, you could use whatever apple is good in your area. Hope you enjoy it!
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Susan
December 8, 2014 at 12:27 pmOMGOSH!! 🙂 this is so amazing! the whole family loved it for Thanksgiving. I’m making another batch now ! Thank you for such amazing recipes!
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Connie Fletcher
November 26, 2014 at 11:54 amThis is the first time I’m making this….oh, boy! It’s really delish…and it hasn’t even marinated in it’s own juices yet…..TRULY INSPIRING!!!
And, Susan, you are in my prayers….I will keep you there until the words “ALL CLEAR” come across the miles!!!!Thanks for all you do, and your courage to share your story!
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Kathy G
November 30, 2014 at 7:49 pmok, I made this for Thanksgiving and loved it so much I made more today! I just stand there eating it out of the bowl! 2 questions: 1 do you think you could freeze this? And second, I wonder about adding some fresh ginger for a kick.
Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!
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November 30, 2014 at 11:37 pm It freezes well without the apple, but I’ve never frozen it with the apple because I was afraid it would become mushy. You could always add apple after defrosting. And I think ginger is a great idea. Glad you loved it!
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Susan
December 8, 2014 at 12:42 pmhi susan…..just curious, is there anything to use instead of sugar that would blend in the food processor? have you tried anything? thinking without something, it may be too bitter/tart???
i love the recipe….it’s amazing! just trying to avoid sugar!
thanks!
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Robyn
December 13, 2014 at 6:06 pmThis is very close to the cranberry relish I got addicted to about 20 years ago and have made every year since. My recipe omits the nuts and adds in frozen unsweetened raspberries. I only use one granny smith apple.
I never worried about freezing leftovers – what leftovers?Reply
Laura
January 18, 2015 at 10:04 pmDid I miss something – it says cooking time 1 minute but I don’t see any cooking in instructions.
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January 18, 2015 at 10:29 pm There’s no actual cooking; the 1 minute represents the amount of time it takes to process in the food processor,
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Tina
November 24, 2016 at 8:42 pmI discovered this recipe last year at Thanksgiving and was thrilled because it was exactly what my Grandma made so many years ago and I never got the recipe. I made it again this year and we were, once again, delighted with it! I began watching my carbs this year, so this time around, I used a little less than 1/4 cup of Xylitol and though it’s more tart than sweet, we like it that way and loved having a lower carb version–I’m sure I used close to a cup of sugar last year. Thank you so much!
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Chessie
December 24, 2016 at 3:46 pmSusan, I make this relish every year and it is always a hit. As I was preparing it today, my housemate exclaimed that it’s the best thing I make! All credit goes to you, of course. It’s a winner of a recipe.
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December 24, 2016 at 5:27 pm Since it’s a family recipe, that makes me so happy! 😘
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Alison Cover
September 20, 2017 at 5:00 pmI’m doing a vegan cooking class for Holiday meals. May I use this recipe if I include your website and name etc? It’s for a class at our church. I’m not making any money, it’s not a business.
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September 20, 2017 at 5:55 pm Of course! All I ask is you don’t publish it.
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Viola
November 12, 2017 at 1:59 pmI’ve used this recipe for years-it came to me from my father-in-law who grew up in MA where it was a staple for holidays. I have changed it to include chopped celery for crunch and sometimes a little cream or creamy coleslaw dressing for a different flair.
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Amy Aukema
November 20, 2017 at 9:02 pmI just made this relish tonight, for Thanksgiving, and I can’t believe how good it is! I was eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe–It is a total keeper. 🙂
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Jeff Stonberg
November 22, 2017 at 9:18 amLOOKS GOOD!
What is the serving size?
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Nancy Farley
November 22, 2017 at 11:02 pmI’ve been making this recipe since I was 11 years old,it was my chore each Thanksgiving and Christmas , but I make it all the time now, it’s not for special meals it’s any time I need a fix, 🙂 I’m now 77.
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Lori
November 27, 2017 at 2:40 pmI made this for Thanksgiving 2017 and in addition to the above ingredients I added a tsp or so of cinnamon and a touch of burbon (about a tbsp), went by taste as I didn’t want the extra flavor to stand out. It was exceptionally tasty.
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KLS
November 29, 2017 at 10:29 amMy husband and I pared down our Thanksgiving cooking this year, so I skipped the cranberries. I saved this recipe though, and just made it today as a fruit salad to enjoy. I omitted the sugar, just because, but would probably leave it in for most palates. Thanks for another great recipe!
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December 8, 2017 at 6:58 pm I made this delicious recipe. I only added 1 Apple but I added flaked coconut at the end. Very delicious!
Thanks!Reply
Hope Alwardt
December 25, 2017 at 12:37 pmWow. This is so good and fresh! Whipped it up in no more than 15 minutes! Followed the recipe but used DIY date paste I had previously made instead of the sugar. No sitting to enhance flavors with mine. Made enough though we’ll have leftovers to top dessert or oats. Thank you, Susan!
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Susan Wright
November 21, 2020 at 4:14 pmthere is only two for us also but thank you
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Ladyglo
November 27, 2020 at 6:05 pmMade this for the first time this thanksgiving and it is delicious! I did zest the orange and remove the white pith and tough veins instead of using the whole orange. It was so good right out of the food processor and even better as it cured overnight. Can’t wait to try it on a turkey panini with mustard and cheese!
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Kim B.
February 21, 2021 at 7:36 amthis is absolutely the Bomb! We have been making a salad that my Mom introduced to Thanksgiving from the early 80’s. I finally made this( it has intrigued ,as I love raw good food, me for years) and I am so glad I did! Thx, Susan!
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Donna Hopper
November 9, 2023 at 4:22 amHi Susan,
Just two questions: can I use frozen cranberries? And how far in advance can I make this? A week?
Thanks. So glad you’re back. Happy thanksgiving!Reply
Susan Voisin
November 11, 2023 at 6:01 pmFrozen cranberries are fine. I wouldn’t make it any earlier than a week. You can also make it ahead and freeze it.
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