Cranberry, Pear, & Orange Relish
Cranberries, pears, and oranges shine in this healthy-and-delicious Thanksgiving side.
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The leaves are down, the wind is blowing, and the fireplace is getting a workout. But for me, November is just a lead-in to the food holiday of the year—Thanksgiving.
One of my all-time favorite seasonal side dishes is a Cranberry, Pear, and Orange Relish. It gooses a turkey, makes a ham shine, and dazzles alongside a cornbread stuffing. And it’s even better for leftovers—combine it with sliced turkey, sliced avocado, and watercress between two pieces of multi-grain bread, and you have a healthy sandwich that delivers maximum pleasure.
did you know … Fruits are a terrific and healthy companion to savory dishes. They add flavor without adding fat—and you can impress your guests with your gourmet flair!
Ingredients
- 2 12-oz. bags fresh cranberries
- 3 semi-ripe pears, preferably Comice or D’Anjou
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 2 large navel oranges
- ¼ cup organic honey
- 2 Tbs. sugar
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
Preparation
- Rinse cranberries, and place in heavy saucepan. Peel and core pears with sharp knife, then cut into half-inch dice. Toss with lemon juice.
- With vegetable peeler, remove rind from one orange with a shallow cut, being careful to take only the orange part, not the white pith underneath. Using very sharp knife, cut ring strips crosswise into a thin julienne. Measure out 2 Tbs., and discard the rest.
- Cut away pith from peeled orange, and entire rind from remaining orange. Working over a bowl, cut segments from both oranges between membranes, allowing segments and juices to fall into bowl.
- Add julienned rind, orange segments, and juice to saucepan with cranberries. Add pears, honey, sugar, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until cranberries soften, about 15 minutes.
- When cranberries are soft but still mostly intact, increase heat to medium-high, and boil, stirring constantly, 3–4 minutes, until some liquid is reduced and relish reaches desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 200
- Carbohydrate Content 52 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 0 g
- Fiber Content 9 g
- Protein Content 1 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0 g
- Sodium Content 0 mg
- Sugar Content 35 g