Cranberry and Dried Cherry Relish

Everyone has their traditional holiday recipes used time and time again and this cranberry and cherry relish is one of mine.  The sweetness of the dried cherries balances the tartness of the fresh cranberries perfectly. I've been making this relish for at least 15 years and have adapted it to include a little freshly grated orange zest and orange juice for additional flavor.  My family won't let me make any other cranberry sauce.

If regular cranberry sauce is a little too tart for you, give this recipe a try - it's delicious! And, don't even think about grabbing one of those cans! This is easy to make and can be made ahead of time too.

Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Relish

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Printable Recipe

Makes 3 cups.

1 packages (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen but I always use fresh during the holidays)
1 cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, cherries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until most of the berries have burst and liquid is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly on surface of relish and refrigerate.

Make Ahead: Can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated.

Cranberry Liqueur - Update

I finally strained and decanted the Cranberry Liqueur that I had made in November and had planned to use to toast the New Year. A little more than a week late but what a difference a week makes!
I first spotted the recipe at Inn Cuisine in November and since I am a big fan of cranberries knew I would have to try the recipe. FYI, Wisconsin is one of several Midwest states where cranberries are a major commercial crop.  

I started my batch of cranberry liqueur on November 18. The strained liqueur was a beautiful, rich red.

I made a spritzer for myself adding a splash of club soda to the liqueur.

My husband tried it full-strength in a cordial glass. I much preferred the unadulterated taste of the liqueur on its own. It was delicious!

 
You can find the original recipe for the Cranberry Liqueur at here at Bill Mill Bread and Breakfast. I have added my adapted version of recipe below.

Cranberry Liqueur

Recipe adapted from Big Mill Bread and Breakfast's Festive Cranberry Liqueur
Printable Recipe

1 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed & bad berries sorted out, discarding any bad berries*
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Rind of one lemon, cut into strips - being careful not to include white pith which can turn the liqueur bitter
2 cups quality orange-infused vodka

Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer sugar syrup for five minutes, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the cranberries, grated orange zest and lemon rind strips. Remove syrup from heat and cool. Pour the mixture into a food processor and pulse until the berries are just slightly chopped. Add orange-infused vodka and stir.

Pour into a large glass jar (I found mine at Target), cover and store in a cool, dark place for three weeks, stirring every few days. I stored mine in the refrigerator.

At the end of three weeks (longer if you can stand it), strain the mixture several times using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth until you see no berry residue. The vodka-soaked cranberries can be reserved for another use.

Pour liqueur into glass jars. Cover and store both the liqueur and the reserved pulp in the refrigerator.

Yield: 2 ½ to 3 cups liqueur.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

*If you can't buy fresh cranberries, frozen cranberries can be substituted. Just reduce the amount of water.

To your health!

Cranberry Liqueur for the Holidays

I love cranberries! It's not just the beautiful shades of my favorite color, it's the delicious sweet-tart flavor of them in relishes, sauces, juices, and cocktails that I enjoy. When I saw the recipe for Cranberry Liqueur at Inn Cuisine I knew I would be making it for the holidays - either to enjoy with the family or to give as hostess gifts. Both good ideas~

You start with fresh, whole cranberries, zested orange rind, simple syrup and vodka and you're just about ready to start your own liqueur. You could use frozen cranberries but, at this time of year when fresh cranberries are so readily available, why not use fresh berries?

My freshly-made batch of cranberry liqueur:

Today is day three, and the red color of the cranberries is already turning the liqueur a beautiful, ruby color:

By the way, I found this big, beautiful glass jar at Target for about $5.00. It holds a double recipe of the liqueur which I made.

I decided to add some long strips of lemon rind to my batch. The original recipe also calls for adding orange juice concentrate which I omitted as I had bought orange-infused vodka rather than plain vodka. I can't wait to taste the final result in about 3 more weeks!

If you also love cranberries and would like to try making your own Cranberry Liqueur, please visit Inn Cuisine to see the original recipe and there's still time to make your own Cranberry Liqueur for the holidays!

My adaptations:

~I doubled the recipe
~In addition to the grated orange zest, I also added the zest of one lemon (in long strips, making sure there is no white pith that could make it bitter)
~I used orange-infused vodka and omitted the orange juice concentrate
~I'm keeping my jar in the refrigerator while it's 'brewing'