Wednesday 7 January 2015

Cranberry Relish

Gentle Reader ~ Will you accept my sincere apology? I showed you a picture of my bowl of perfect porridge topped with that oh! so delicious ~ my go to recipe ~ of fresh Cranberry Relish ~ and I didn't share the recipe ~~~ my head hangs in shame ~~~



So, I shall put that right immediately!

I think the reason I overlooked this was I shared it on my companion page over on Facebook and promptly forgot to share it here ~~~ no excuses though, and I am very sorry ~~~ It is so very easy and really tasty and I'm sure it is quite good for you too if you reduce the sugar, or don't think about it too much, but we all need a little sugar in our day sometimes ~~~ 

Here is the recipe ~~~

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh cranberries
3/4 cup ***brown sugar {I reduce this to 1/2 cup sometimes, depending on how I will use the relish}
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 grated orange peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice {or use port for special occasions}
1 grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of allspice and ground cloves {again, I often double up on the spices just because I love them so much}
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts {optional}

Method

In a food processor bowl {do not use a blender} process all the ingredients except the nuts, until the berries are roughly chopped.  Stir in the nuts, if using.  Pour into a clean glass jar {food safe polythene is fine} and store in the refrigerator.

***I use a very dark brown molasses sugar from Traidcraft, but any brown sugar is good.

This keeps for a good two weeks and improves with keeping.  It also freezes well.  I don't keep it just for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Right now, I have several boxes made up in the freezer to keep me supplied through much of the Winter as I use it often for a topping for my porridge {oatmeal}



I also mix it in with home made, or shop bought, mincemeat and use it in mince pies and mince meat cookies or tray~bakes ~ they are just so good, especially if you use pastry for the bottom of the pie and marzipan for the lids!  You just have to use your imagination and experiment and you will see how versatile this little jar of yumminess can be!

If you want to give as gifts, use pretty jars that are  sterilized and add some pretty ribbons for presentation.   The porridge, by the way, looks so dark because the sugary juices from the Relish have melted over ~~~ yum yum happy tum!



I know we all have our own favourite porridge recipes too, and mine is to make the porridge using half a cup of oats to a cup of almond milk, adding more almond milk as needed to get the consistency I like best.

Food fit to keep a hungry gardener going all morning from breakfast until lunch ~~~ because ~~~

~~~A Gardener's Work is Never Done~~~






18 comments:

  1. Your cranberry relish looks good, I have been wanting to try different relish recipes, I will have to add this to the list. We all love oatmeal here and this would make a delicious topping. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello April ~ I'm afraid it may be a little late for the cranberry season {which is over in the UK now} but certainly worth keeping this one as it is very good and so simple. Another favourite topping of mine for porridge is ~ wait for this one ~~~ puréed mango and yoghurt with a pinch of ground cumin! I was really surprised at how good it was! ~~~Deb

    ReplyDelete
  3. Debs,we still have cranberries in our grocery stores in the US. I must get to the store to try this deliciousness. It sounds like just the right topping for oatmeal on these cold days of winter! Thank you for new inspiration for the morning meal. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ah! then I don't feel so late after all! In the UK, they come into the stores, usually around the end of November {I got some last year just in time for Thanksgiving} and are over by Boxing Day! I wish we had a longer season here, I love fresh cranberries! ~~~D

      Delete
    2. Thank you, Debs, for this wonderful sounding recipe! Can't wait to try it!! I love porridge with fruit, and we use almond milk, too! I'll pick up some bags of cranberries and try this!

      Delete
  4. Oh, Deb! Your Cranberry Relish sounds so delicious. It's a beautiful topping for your winter porridge. What a lovely breakfast on a cold morning! Many thanks! ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is indeed, Dawn, a delicious start to a Winter's day! ~~~D

      Delete
  5. Yum! Thank you for the recipe! It looks scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm so glad you shared the recipe here. It sounds easy to make and it sounds delicious, too. I will grab some more cranberries at the store and give this a try. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As easy as it is yummy, Darlene ~ so pleased you still have cranberries available! ~~~D

      Delete
  7. How nice you can pull a jar out of your freezer for a cold winters day!... thank you for sharing your recipe, looks so yummy!... xoxo... Julie Marie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is very handy to have in the freezer ~~~D

      Delete
  8. I love cranberries so will have a go at your recipe, they look so pretty in the jar.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Fondly Michelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It looks even prettier all gussied up for giving ~ but I left it too late to photograph the gifts! ~~~D

      Delete
  9. Hi Deborah; I'm visiting because of what you wrote on Sue Garrett's blog - I thought I could make you just a little happier by leaving you a comment! Up till now I have been unaware of your blog, but I am actively looking out for some different blogs to follow, so I shall explore further...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mark ~ really put a smile on my face! I'm making gradual changes to this journal, and as Spring comes there will be a swing back to more gardening, mostly vegetables and raised bed/container growing with recycling too ~~~D

      Delete