Okay, here’s my story about making cranberry orange relish, inspired by the Ocean Spray recipe.
So, the holiday season was rolling around, and I wanted to try something new for the dinner table. I’ve always been a fan of cranberry sauce, but this year I thought, “Why not kick it up a notch?” That’s when I stumbled upon this cranberry orange relish thing, which apparently is the uncooked, fresher cousin of the traditional sauce. Sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a go.
First things first, I gathered my ingredients. I grabbed a bag of fresh cranberries from the store—Ocean Spray, of course, since that’s what everyone seems to recommend for this recipe. I made sure to pick up a couple of nice, juicy oranges too. And obviously, sugar, because who likes tart cranberries straight up? Not me.

Getting Started
- Wash everything: I started by washing the cranberries and the oranges thoroughly. You never know what kind of stuff they’ve been through before getting to your kitchen.
- Zest the oranges: Next up, I zested one of the oranges. I just used a simple grater and went at it until I had a decent pile of orange zest. I love the smell of fresh orange zest—it instantly makes the kitchen smell amazing.
- Juice the oranges: After zesting, I juiced both of the oranges. I just sliced them in half and squeezed out all that goodness into a bowl. I made sure to get rid of any seeds that fell in.
Now, for the fun part—smashing the cranberries. I don’t have a food processor, which is what most people use. Instead, I used my blender, which worked like a charm. I threw the cranberries into the blender, added the orange zest, the orange juice, and a good amount of sugar. I started with about half a cup of sugar, figuring I could always add more later.
I pulsed the blender a few times, just enough to break down the cranberries but not turn everything into a complete liquid. I like my relish to have some texture, you know? After a few pulses, I took a peek and a taste. It was still pretty tart, so I added a bit more sugar—about another quarter cup. Perfect!
Putting It All Together
Once I was happy with the taste and texture, I poured the mixture into a bowl and stuck it in the fridge. The cool thing about this relish is that it actually tastes better after it sits for a while. The flavors really get a chance to meld together.
I made this relish the day before our big holiday dinner, and let me tell you, it was a hit! Everyone loved the fresh, zesty flavor, and it was the perfect complement to the rich, savory dishes on the table. My family was super impressed, and honestly, so was I. It was so simple to make, and it tasted like I spent hours in the kitchen. We’re definetly doing it again next year!
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