You can have fresh cranberry relish at home using this recipe. This cranberry relish has oranges, apples, and fresh cranberries and tastes so good! I got the ingredients straight from Luby’s, but the amounts took several holidays to perfect. They gave me the recipe to feed 200 people!
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Table of Contents
Why this homemade cranberry relish is perfect for your holiday table
The tart taste of cranberry relish is the perfect contrast to heavy sauces and carbohydrates. That is why it isn’t easy to find a table anywhere in America that doesn’t have at least one version of it come the fourth Thursday in November. But you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to serve up this delicious side dish. It can and should be enjoyed throughout the year, just like it is at Luby’s cafeteria in Texas.
Luby’s no-cook cranberry relish starts with fresh cranberries and then adds apples, oranges, and a touch of sugar to round out the flavor profile. This recipe saves time because it actually improves in flavor when stored in the fridge overnight. Give this simple cranberry orange relish a try, and it will probably become a cherished family recipe.
What is the difference between cranberry relish and cranberry sauce?
When it comes to cranberries, some folks prefer sauce, others like relish, but many are confused about the two’s differences. There is a straightforward way to tell them apart: Cranberry sauce is cooked, while cranberry relish is not.
In fact, cranberry sauce is very similar to a jam or jelly as it is cooked on the stovetop with sugar and water until the cranberries start to break down. Sometimes a few spices and other flavorings are thrown into the pot, perhaps even a little pectin to help thicken the sauce. The cooking process and the larger amount of sugar in cranberry sauce recipes produce a sweet dish with just a hint of tartness.
On the other hand, tartness is the overriding flavor of cranberry relish. The fresh uncooked cranberries really come through and can surprise those who are used to eating cranberry sauce. Cranberry relish is definitely more of a ‘grown-up’ side dish; however, many former cranberry sauce fans grow to prefer the relish version over time.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need
- Fresh cranberries
- Apples
- Seedless Oranges
- Sugar
- Red food coloring
How to Make Cranberry Relish
- Insert a knife blade into the bowl of a food processor.
- Place cranberries in the processor bowl.
- Slice and cube apples, removing the core and seeds but leaving the peel on.
- Zest one orange then peel and section the oranges.
- Add apple cubes, zest, orange sections, sugar, and food coloring to the food processor bowl.
- Process until all is pureed and blended.
- Refrigerate overnight for best results.
Recipe variations – fancying up fresh cranberry relish
Although this recipe is perfectly fine the way Luby’s serves it, you may want to think about a few ways to really make it your own when you make it at home. Here are a few suggestions to help get your mind working:
- Add a cup of chopped pecans, 8 ounces of crushed pineapples, and 2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes.
- Combine a two cup of chopped walnuts with the cranberry relish before resting in the fridge overnight. Sprinkle more on top before serving.
- Increase the sweetness naturally by adding 2 cups of dried dates to the relish.
- A cup of chopped candied ginger adds a little spiciness.
Tips for making, enjoying, and storing fresh cranberry relish
You can use frozen whole cranberries for this recipe. But first, thaw the cranberries in a colander in the sink before using them in the recipe.
Store in an airtight container for up to five days in the fridge. You can freeze in a well-sealed freezer bag for up to a month. Let frozen cranberry orange relish thaw slowly in the fridge.
More than a side dish, you can eat cranberry relish in many ways. Try it on top of your waffles or mixed with cream cheese and spread on a bagel. Boost the flavor of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette by adding a few spoonfuls of relish to it.
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Holiday Salad Recipes
- Lime Jello Salad with Cottage Cheese
- Lime Jello Salad with Pineapple
- Orange Jello Salad
- Cranberry Salad
- Carrot Raisin Salad
- Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Copycat Honey Baked Ham
- Cranberry Butter
- Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
- Southern Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Cheesy Creamed Corn
Be sure to check out more holiday salad recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes right here on CopyKat.com!
Thanks to Pam Hite for sharing this recipe. She suggests this is Luby’s original recipe.
Luby’s Cafeteria Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole cranberries
- 2 oranges
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 apples
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 drops red food coloring
Instructions
- Using your food processor, dump cranberries in a container with a puree blade. Slice and cube apple, removing seeds but leaving the peel on. Add into a processor. Wash thoroughly one orange and scrape zest.
- Peel both oranges, section and add to mixture. Add sugar and food coloring. Puree until all is blended. Refrigerate overnight for best results.
John Fuller
Your recipe is great and tastes great. This is the way my mother and our family have been making cranberry relish since the early 1950s. I make 2 batches and the second one has
an ounce of ” Fireball Cinnamon Whisky” and no red dye as the berries we use from Northern
Ontario are quite red.and we use Ambrosia apples also.
Marsha
Are the cranberries suppose to be cooked before going into the food processer? Aldente?
Stephanie
The cranberries are raw.
Leone Heinold
The picture shows large pieces of cranberries but you say to puree? This sounds so very good! I will try this soon.
Stephanie
Yep, reshot the photos, everything is pureed.
Sheralyn Miller
I have a big supply of frozen cranberries on hand. Can these be used instead of fresh cranberries?
Thank you!
Stephanie
I think so.
mary
Yes u can use frozen cranberries as fresh ones … I rinse mine off and use them asap … the recipe I use them for I do not let them thaw … I grind them up frozen …
I did let 1 batch thaw and it was mush ………
bastisraul
Boil fresh cranberries for 8 min. before placing in food processor. Do not exceed 15 min, as it then changes the entire taste of the berries to a sour mash.