It’s almost Thanksgiving and we all have dinner menus on our mind. Are you looking for a new twist on cranberry sauce? Here is a version made with fresh ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Orange juice and zest add sweetness and brightness to these tart cranberries.  The addition of crushed red pepper flakes provides a kick of spice and the sweet aged balsamic vinegar gives it depth of flavor. You can adjust the heat based on spice preference.

I’m always the one eating cranberry sauce in my family. I created this recipe as a way of getting my family to enjoy it too. It was a big hit. It’s a recipe made for grown ups because it is both sweet and spicy.

I’m a big fan of cranberries. I love to buy extra bags to freeze and use them in muffins and quick breads. I also like to make a big batch of this chutney and store the leftovers in the  freezer. It’s so handy to have on hand to slather on sandwiches or it works perfectly on a cheese and veg platter, as shown below.

Whatever your preference, give this version a go.  It’s easy to make and comes together in one pot.

Happy Thanksgiving ❤️

Cranberry Chutney

Top 8 Free

Makes about 4 1/2 cups

• 2 lbs (2 bags) cranberries, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups organic cane sugar. *See Notes
• 1 cinammon stick
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ¼ cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1- 1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, adjust based on desired heat level. *See Notes
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sweet aged balsalmic vinegar

Combine all ingredients together in a heavy bottom medium/large pot except for balsamic vinegar. Stir frequently and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes or until cranberries pop. Continue to stir so that sugar dissolves and does not stick to bottom of pot.

Take off heat. Remove cinnamon stick.  Stir in balsamic vinegar. Let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to sterilized mason jars to cool. Chutney will thicken once cooled. Store in refrigerator or freeze up to 6 months.

*Notes:

• Cranberries are tart and require a lot of sugar. This recipe makes a double batch of chutney, therefore, the sugar is doubled. However, for a less sweet chutney, reduce the sugar to 1 3/4 cups.
• If you would like to make a single batch, simply reduce ingredients by half. Adjust spices to taste.
• If you are sensitive to spice, start with 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste. You can also add more spice at the end. Flavors get better over time.
• I love this hand-held juicer to squeeze out small amounts of fresh juice from lemons, lime and citrus.

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