8 large relish-lover servings

Ingredients:

16 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t grated ginger

Spoon Mage™ Notes:

If you prefer, sub in orange zest for the juice and replace the juice with water.

Or sub in Grand Marnier for the juice.

If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1/8 t ground ginger.

If you really hate sweet relish, reduce the sugar by half, but taste it before removing it from the stove in case you regret that. As long as it is still warm, the sugar will incorporate.

Or, replace sugar with honey or your favorite sugar substitute.

Directions:

Rinse the cranberries in a mesh colander. Place the cranberries, water, orange juice, sugar, and ginger in a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring as the mixture warms up. The berries will begin to pop – yes like popcorn! They cook up fast, so do stay mindfully next to the stove. The longer you cook the relish, the more the berries pop, and the smoother the sauce will be. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the texture looks beautiful to you. It does not matter that it may be fashionable to leave the berries largely whole – if you like it smooth, cook it that way. It’s one of the perks of being the cook.

Remove from heat and let the berries cool naturally in the pot. The sauce will thicken a bit. This is one of those holiday meal elements that can be made ahead of time. Pour the relish into a sealed container and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. To serve, place it in a pretty serving bowl and enjoy.