Make cranberry dish early; you’ll surely be thankful

By Sherrel Jones

Published: November 26, 2008

Make the cranberry dish today, and you can check off one more Thanksgiving task from your preparation list for tomorrow’s feast. The extra standing time allows the sugar to bring out the natural juices in the berries. The tart, sweet, tangy taste of cranberry relish or sauce provides an important contrast to the richness of turkey, dressing and gravy.

A fresh, quick-to-make cranberry relish adds color to the Thanksgiving menu. BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

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Jellied or whole cranberry sauces in a can don’t compare to sauces or relish made from fresh berries. Cranberry orange relish can be pulsed quickly in the food processor. The relish has only three ingredients: Cranberries, two whole navel oranges (with no seeds) and sugar. Allowed to mellow overnight, the relish is ready by dinnertime. Berries simmered with fresh ginger and sugar make a glistening sauce that is both a fine sidekick to the turkey and a perky spread on holiday breads and rolls.

Choose the best cranberries by examining the bag or container carefully for mushy or molded berries. Discard any soft, wrinkled or damaged berries. Be sure no gooey residue has collected under the container and that the berries seem firm and of uniform color.

If the fresh berries are questionable, check the freezer case. Frozen berries can be used by washing in cool water to defrost them before preparation. The thawed berries work just as well as fresh berries in recipes, but it is still important to check the berries carefully. Any leftover berries or relish can be frozen for later use.

Keep relish on hand in the freezer to jazz up everyday chicken and dressing or to make gelatin salads. Make cranberry gelatin salad with one cup of relish stirred into a recipe of cranberry or raspberry Jell-O. Add a few pecans and celery for crunch and a snappy new take on the cranberry side dish.

Stir cranberry relish into quick breads or your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. Add one-fourth cup relish along with a half cup dried cranberries for moist and chewy cookies. Dried cranberries intensify flavors of cranberry recipes and make super snacks. Add concentrated cranberry juice to recipes to enliven the flavor of relish or sauce. Chopped apples, celery, crystallized ginger or nuts bring more texture and crunch to relish.

Thanksgiving is a great time to place homemade cranberry sauces or relish in family heirloom dishes. Happy Thanksgiving.

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