Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a delicious cranberry chutney recipe to accompany a succulent turkey and scrumptious roast vegetables. The same goes for Thanksgiving. Whilst many people are happy to buy readymade cranberry sauce, a growing number choose to add the wonderful taste of homemade cranberry chutney to their festive dinner table.
Making your own cranberry chutney is easier than you think –and might even be the special holiday gift idea you’ve been looking for! Why not try one of the following easy cranberry chutney recipes?
Traditional Cranberry Sauces
Although often referred to as a sauce, cranberry sauce is usually much closer in texture to a jelly or relish and in its simplest form can be made by boiling cranberries in water with sugar until the mixture thickens.
Ingredients:
- 24oz whole cranberries, washed (either fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
Directions:
Mix sugar and water together in a saucepan until sugar dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks and bring to the boil. Add cranberries and reduce heat to simmer gently. Stir occasionally over a 10 minute period or until the cranberries start to “pop” (meaning the berries will expand and the skin will burst). Remove from heat and leave to cool at room temperature, then store in refrigerator. Easy!
Spiced Orange and Cranberry Chutney Recipe
Interestingly, the first recorded use of cranberry chutney came in 1864, when General Ulysses S. Grant ordered it served to his troops during the siege of Petersburg. Although popular as an accompaniment to American Thanksgiving Turkey, cranberry chutney is also widely used at the Christmas dinner table, especially in the U.K. and other parts of Europe.
Ingredients:
- 16oz whole cranberries, washed (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup peeled and sliced apple
- 1 cup mixed raisins
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions:
Combine the orange and sugar in a saucepan and mix until dissolved. Bring to the boil and add in all the other ingredients! Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are soft and cranberries have “popped”. Cool at room temperature and then store in refrigerator (up to one week).
An Easy Homemade Gift
There are endless cranberry chutney recipes available online and in recipe books, but hope fully these will get you started! Homemade cranberry chutney is so delicious and easy to make; you’ll never want to go back to using store bought chutney. And you’ll be sure to want to share your new discovery with friends and family. For a special Christmas or Thanksgiving gift, why not spoon your chutney into jars and add a pretty fabric top and decorative label.
Historical References:
Katie McDonald - Katie McDonald is a British zoologist who spends most of her time in Malaysia. After a variety of jobs including nine years working in ...
