Cranberry Chutney

This fruity chutney has been my favorite cranberry condiment for more than twenty years. It's cranberry for grown-ups, thick with that wonderful sourness of fresh cranberries plus dried fruit and toasted nuts, deepened with a splash of brandy. And it's a season-spanning chutney, good for Thanksgiving but also as a side or hostess gift during the weeks before and after Christmas.

Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Great for Gifts. Potluck & Party Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

A Mix of Tradition + Something New

Thanksgiving tables call out for cranberries, especially when turkey is the main course. While canned cranberry sauces are easy, a few simple recipes can make the difference between "convenient and delicious" and only "convenient".

For Thanksgiving this year, consider serving a duo of cranberry condiments.

For the traditionalists in the family, the first choice is your home’s customary cranberry dish, whatever it is. If it's a can of jellied cranberry? Go for it, it's tradition. But then stretch to something new.

May I suggest Cranberry Chutney both for the table and for a homemade food gift for teachers, neighbors and friends? My friend Cindy says she invites me to Thanksgiving dinner, knowing I'll bring an extra jar just for her!

And one cranberry lover, who shall remain anonymous, has been known to take a spoonful or two or three straight from the fridge. Cranberry Chutney is that good!

But What Is "Chutney" Exactly?

Chutneys are some times thought of as savory jams, fruit relishes or ... but these aren't quite right. To my mind, chutneys belong in a category of their very own.

We do know that chutney originated in India, particularly mango chutney, and migrated the globe with British colonialism.

So let me try to work out what makes chutneys stand out from the crowd.

• Chutneys are condiments that enhance or complement another dish. (Other condiments? Ketchup, mustard and mayo, say.)
• Chutneys usually include at least one fruit, including fruits treated like vegetables (like tomatoes) and dried fruit.
• Chutneys err to the savory side, even with fruit and added sugar.
• Chutneys are usually chunkier than fruit jams and thicker than fruit sauces and drier than fruit salsas.
• Chutneys often rely on spices and vinegars for their flavor profiles.
• Chutneys are cooked down, softening the ingredients and melding the flavors together almost into one.

The Cranberry "Course"

LOL apparently I have a "thing" for cranberry condiments, relishes, sauces and compotes. But the thing is, each one is wonderful and is special and useful in its own particular way. In fact, in a usual year, I'll make at least three and usually four of these between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day.

Let's take a look, shall we?

• Cranberry Chutney, recipe below. Over the years, I've come to use this less for Thanksgiving itself and more for food gifts for friends and family. That's because it keeps for several weeks.
• Cranberry Orange Relish with Fresh Ginger You know that old-fashioned recipe where you grind fresh cranberries with a whole orange? This is it! I've updated it with the addition of fresh ginger, so so good, especially if your timeline allows making it at the very last minute with frozen cranberries. Icy good! Like a cranberry icee!
• Fresh Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Apple This sauce uses an apple's natural pectin to thicken the sauce and its natural sweetness to, uh, sweeten, the cranberries.
• Cranberry Applesauce Applesauce all dressed up for the holidays, bright red in color, beautiful on a plate.
• Homemade Whole Cranberry Sauce for the Slow Cooker This has become my favorite cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving itself but it's easy to make ahead of time. And it keeps! It's very handy to have on hand throughout the winter months. It's also most like the canned whole-berry cranberry sauce, just way way better!
• But Wait! There's One More! Believe it or not, I have one more cranberry recipe to share, it makes for amazing leftover turkey sandwiches.

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RECIPE for CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time-to-table: several hours
Makes 4 cups

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

• 12 ounces (340g) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 1 cup (190g) dried apricots, diced (or other diced dried fruit)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (about 1/2 knob, maybe be omitted but lovely)

• 2 tablespoons brandy, dark rum or another spirit (may be omitted but again, lovely)

GARNISH, OPTIONAL
• Additional toasted pecans and cranberries

Place the water and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, rinse the cranberries, removing any bruised or bad berries. Add the berries to the syrup and return the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the cranberries begin to pop.

Add all the remaining ingredients (except the brandy) and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens.

Add the brandy and simmer another 1 - 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool before serving or storing.

Can be made ahead of time, keeps for several weeks. Makes a great hostess gift!

ALANNA's TIPS Cranberry Chutney should be made at least a few hours in advance so the rich flavors have the chance to meld. But it also keeps so don't hesitate to make it days, even weeks ahead of time. My four-quart Dutch oven is the perfect size for making either a single batch or a double batch of Cranberry Chutney. Do choose a cooking pot that's big enough to allow room for the cranberries to puff up and pop a bit as they cook. These days, a bag of cranberries holds about 12 ounces of berries. But I've been cooking long enough to remember when the bags held a 16 ounces, a full pound. For a big cranberry taste, go ahead, use a full 16 ounces without scaling up the rest of the ingredients. Cranberries are the least expensive ingredient so using relatively more cranberries also makes for a less-expensive Cranberry Chutney, especially for gifts or large gatherings. Dried apricots are my favorite dried fruit, no added sugar! They can be quite sticky, I use kitchen shears to snip the apricots into tiny bits, much easier than a knife.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per 1/4 cup: 107 Calories; 3g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 21g Carb; 2g Fiber; 6mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 3 & SmartPoints 5 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5

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More Long-Time Thanksgiving Recipes

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

more
~ Thanksgiving Recipes, Menus & More ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ My Very Best Thanksgiving Vegetable Recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

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Crazy for Cranberries? Me Too.

more
~ cranberry recipes ~

• THE RECIPE Fresh Cranberry Bars A chewy almost-blondie molasses and spice bar with bursts of juicy cranberry, topped with a scattering of sugar "snow".
• ANOTHER TAKE Snickerdoodle Bars Snickerdoodle flavors with the firm, chewy texture of blondies.

• THE RECIPE Fresh Cranberry Cake Best made a day ahead.
• ANOTHER TAKE Fresh Cranberry Bars A chewy almost-blondie molasses and spice bar with bursts of juicy cranberry, topped with a scattering of sugar "snow".

• THE RECIPE Cranberry Walnut Bread Special for the holidays, a barely sweet yeast bread studded with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.
• ANOTHER TAKE Hot Cross Buns Sweet buns traditional for Easter

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ cranberries ~
~ raisins ~
~ pecans ~
~ dried apricots ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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This Recipe Has Moved

Cranberry Orange Relish has moved to a new page,
please see

~ Cranberry Orange Relish with Fresh Ginger ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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