Christmas

Cranberry, Onion, and Ginger Chutney

by:
October 21, 2016
4
4 Ratings
Cranberry, Onion, and Ginger Chutney
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Makes 4 pints (but easily halved)
Author Notes

The cranberry and orange are familiar and classic, but the candied ginger adds heat and excitement, the sweet raisins balance the tang of the fruit and the cider vinegar, and the mustard seeds create little textural explosions. I toast them, along with dried turmeric and fresh and ground chile, as I sauté the onions (a lot of onions) and before I add in the cranberries and the ginger, so that their flavors can permeate the sauce as it cooks.

Most often, I serve this chutney in the winter months as a complement to cheese—the stronger the better (try a gorgonzola picante or a sharp aged sheep’s milk cheese). But it's a great complement to that pride of Thanksgiving, a beautiful, properly roasted turkey. —Sara Jenkins

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 3 cups diced onions
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1 fresh cayenne chile
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 quarts cranberries
  • 1 cup candied ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 cup seedless raisins
  • 2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 1 pound dark brown sugar (2 1/2 cups)
Directions
  1. In a large sauce pan, heat the vegetable oil. Sauté the onions, mustard seeds, ground cayenne, fresh cayenne, and turmeric, and cook, stirring often, until translucent.
  2. Add cranberries and candied ginger. Sauté about ten minutes. Add salt, raisins, vinegar, orange zest and juice, and brown sugar and cook on low heat for about an hour and a half, stirring from time to time, until thick and sauce-like in consistency.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Marit Grimstad
    Marit Grimstad
  • Dee Greeley
    Dee Greeley
  • Sara Jenkins
    Sara Jenkins
  • Jeff Potter
    Jeff Potter
  • Alix Davidson
    Alix Davidson

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15 Reviews

Monica K.
Monica K. November 28, 2019
Tastes like sweet vomit. :/ bummed because it sounded great.
 
rebecca S.
rebecca S. November 18, 2018
I substituted dried figs for raisins, reduced apple vinegar and sugar by 25%.
 
Marit G.
Marit G. February 25, 2018
Yellow or black mustard seeds?
 
jayaymeye
jayaymeye November 22, 2017
Just made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. It's delicious! Vinegar adds a nice dimension so that it's not so sweet.
 
KAM
KAM November 10, 2017
What would be a good substitute for a fresh cayenne chile, or do these chiles also go by another name when fresh?
 
Dee G.
Dee G. January 8, 2017
Question: Is the measurement for the cranberries 2 qts. by weight or by volume?
 
Juli S.
Juli S. November 19, 2016
I'm not sure it would work as the candied finger has a lot of sugar, but if you want to use up your ginger take a look at the bridge creek fresh ginger muffin recipe (I think it is a food 52 genius recipe ) - really good!!
 
shemarlew
shemarlew November 19, 2016
I have a ton of fresh ginger in my fridge I am trying to use up, could I substitute it for the candied ginger in this recipe?
 
Ascender
Ascender November 20, 2016
I've used both fresh ginger and fresh turmeric in cranberry relish in the past. Taste the chutney when it is finished and add a little sugar if it is lacking sweet balance.
 
Anne
Anne November 16, 2016
Sounds absolutely fantastic. Where I live in Western Australia it is hard to find fresh cranberries. Are you able to substitute dried for fresh?
 
Juli S.
Juli S. November 8, 2016
This is delicious! A - Can it be frozen?, and B - I'd like to give as gifts -- should I just use well-sterilized Mason or Weck jars?
 
Sara J.
Sara J. November 8, 2016
I dont see why not but I think you can easily put it in well sterilized mason jars, if you process them they will be shelf stable
 
Jeff P.
Jeff P. November 19, 2016
I'm not sure if it'd be shelf-stable -- while it looks to have plenty of sugar and enough vinegar to keep the pH low enough, might it be possible that it'd still support microbial growth?
 
icharmeat
icharmeat June 2, 2017
If it has been processed properly, the microbes in the jars will have been destroyed, so until you open a jar for the first time, it should be shelf stable- after that, it still should repulse many a bug but it will have a sunset date so use it in a reasonable amount of time. Use 1/4 pint jars to start until you know how fast it will be consumed.
 
Alix D.
Alix D. November 28, 2020
Could you confirm that the recipe has been tested as safe or is close enough to another NCHFP tested recipe for water bath canning? With so many onions it doesn't look like it's acidic enough. Other tested or similar recipes either have a lot more fruit or a lot more vinegar.