Citrusy Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry sauce – homemade or canned is another battle during Thanksgiving. and so is whether this is a chutney or is it a chunky sauce. I am not here to take sides around sides (pun alert!) instead if you make this fruity chutney, I want you to enjoy it, and save some for later to add to a sandwich with leftover turkey and stuffing.
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups/ 600 ml
Ingredients
12 oz/340 g fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw))
2 cup/480 ml unsweetened pomegranate juice
¾ cup/150 g packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes such as Aleppo, Maras, or Urfa
¼ cup/60 ml fresh orange juice
Zest of 1 large orange
Instructions
- Bring the cranberries, pomegranate juice, brown sugar, coriander, and red pepper flakes to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the cranberries burst open, and the mixture begins to thicken, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula to prevent burning. Remove from the heat, transfer to a heat-proof air-tight container and stir in the orange juice and zest. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt if needed. Cover with a lid and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 day preferably 2 days. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Make the chutney 2 to 3 days ahead of time. It will taste much nicer and lose its bitterness, in fact, I insist.
- By its very nature, cranberries are bitter and extremely tart. The bitterness comes from a class of bitter-tasting substances called flavonoids while their sour taste comes from citric acid. Their taste improves with the addition of a sweetener that masks the bitter-tasting substances.
- Don’t try to swap in cranberry juice for the pomegranate, it makes things very bitter, and you will end up having to add a lot of sugar to mask the bitter taste.
- I don’t add the orange zest during cooking but at the end after cooking. This reduces the risk of losing the essential oils during simmering and the final chutney is very fragrant.
- The chutney will thicken due to the pectin from the cranberries, stir carefully to avoid burning. If you find it too thick, stir in 1 to 2 Tbsp of water.
- If you want to make it look pretty, garnish it with a little bit more orange zest (like I did in the photo) before serving. Oh and get this citrus zester, I love it, it makes my food photos and dinner tables look very fancy that I think might Martha Stewart proud (I’m very clumsy)!
- Diet: Gluten Free
