{Grandma’s Cranberry Chutney} + the Secret Ingredient Grandma Didn’t Use

Everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving side dish, but almost no one says the cranberries. After you try this cranberry chutney, you may have a new favorite. With no cooking, it is quick and easy to make. It might actually take you longer to clean up than to make it. The cranberry chutney is best at room temperature so it travels over the river and through the woods quite well with no special treatment. Put some in a little mason jar with a bow and you have a simple hostess gift. The batch makes about a quart and keeps in the fridge for several weeks, meaning you can make it at Thanksgiving and eat with with your Christmas ham too (it is delicious with ham)! Eating this chutney throughout the winter months gives your immunity a nice boost too.

 

 

This recipe came from my grandma, Sipporia, whom everyone just called Skip. It is simply a mixture of ground whole fruits (apple, orange + Wisconsin cranberries) and sugar to taste. Since I began making this in my own kitchen, I have added a secret ingredient that Grandma didn’t use. I like a stronger orange taste, but adding and additional orange can make the chutney bitter from the extra peel. The solution: orange juice concentrate at full strength. It gives the chutney a zippy orange taste with no bitterness.

At different times, I have used my Kitchen Aid stand mixer with a grinder attachment and later a food processor to mince the fruit. My favorite appliance to use though, is my juicer. It is fast and easy to use and makes a fine mince. I just have to blend together the pulp and juice together again as they come out of the juicer separately. It takes me longer to wash up all the juicer parts than it does to grind the fruit — but it is still quick and easy.

The apples, oranges, and cranberries you select will have varying degrees of sweetness so I recommend starting with one cup of sugar. Add up to 2 cups total if more sweetness is desired. I personally like a little tangy-ness from the cranberries so I don’t sweeten it too much.

 

 

Here’s what you need to make this delicious chutney for your own holiday table.

 

{Grandma’s Chutney Ingredients}

• two 12 oz. bags of fresh cranberries
• two apples, cored and sliced
• one orange
• up to two cups sugar
• orange juice concentrate to taste
• an appliance to chop fruits: juicer, Kitchen Aid stand mixer with grinder attachment, food processor

 

{The Steps}

• Wash and core apples + slice into pieces that will fit in your machine
• Wash and slice orange into slivers (don’t peel)
• Wash cranberries + discard any soft ones
• Put all fruits through your grinder, or juicer, or pulse in food processor until you have finely diced fruits. If you have used a juicer, blend the pulp and juice back together in a mixing bowl
• Add 1 cup granulated white sugar; add more as needed, up to 2 cups
• Optional: add 1 -2 Tablespoons of orange juice concentrate at full strength
• Blend all ingredients together
• Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks

 

 

 

If you try Grandma’s Cranberry Chutney be sure to come back and let me know.

You can use up the rest of your orange juice concentrate with our favorite hot winter drink called wassail. It’s perfect for Christmas and you can find the recipe here.

 

 

Enjoy and keep warm! ~ Sara