Last updated on July 1st, 2016
I love cranberries. I love them in a cocktail. I love them in a tart. But I especially love them in a garlicky, gingery, orange-zesty chutney!
You can put Cranberry Chutney on almost anything. It’s particularly lovely on chicken, duck, and pork.
Hosting a cocktail party? Put the chutney in a crystal bowl, and let guests spoon it onto crackers.
How I make this glistening bliss:
First, peel a pair of garlic cloves…
And mince them.
Then grab a piece of fresh ginger…
And peel it and grate it.
Next, obtain a big, handsome orange…
And zest it.
Tip: If you have a microplane-zester (I purchased this one), you can complete this and any other zesting job in about 20 seconds.
Now cut the orange in half, and squeeze the juice from each half. You’ll need 1/2 cup of juice for this recipe.
Our preliminary work is complete. Let’s cook this chutney!
First, pour a glug of olive oil into a bright green sauce pan. Heat the oil over a low flame.
Then add the garlic and ginger…
And stir them about with the spatula your friend Sue sent for Christmas.
Let the mixture cook until the garlic is soft but not colored — about 2 minutes.
Then stir in the orange zest, as you ponder why, exactly, my hand looks a little…blue.
Maybe it’s colder in this house than I realized.
And speaking of cold! Outside, the temperature here is currently -9°F .
Don’t be jealous.
Also stir in the orange juice…
And some brown sugar, which can be light or dark.
Then stir in a couple cups of cranberries…
And 1 tablespoon of good ole apple cider vinegar.
You could stir in some salt and black pepper now, too, or wait until you’re ready to serve. I decided to wait.
Bring the works to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have popped — about 10 minutes. The mix will thicken rather dramatically as it cools.
When completely cool, you can store the chutney in an airtight container for at least 1 week. You can serve it cold, or heat it on the stove-top or in the microwave.
I served my chutney atop some juicy, pan-fried pork chops the other day. The combination was a colossal hit!
As you have seen, Cranberry Chutney is incredibly easy to make. Sally forth and make some, okay?
Here’s a printer-friendly copy-and-paste version of the above:
Cranberry Chutney
Kevin Lee Jacobs (www.kevinleejacobs.com)
Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cups of sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger
The zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Optional: kosher salt and grinds of black pepper — to tastePour the oil into a medium saucepan, and heat it over a low flame. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook just until the garlic softens — about 2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic color.
Stir in the orange zest and juice, the brown sugar, cranberries, vinegar, and the optional salt and pepper. Cook over a medium flame until the mixture bubbles, and most of the cranberries have popped — about 10 minutes.
When completely cool, the chutney can be stored in an airtight container for at least 1 week.
Serve over grilled chicken or pork. Or, spoon over crackers for a cocktail snack.
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Delores Short says
Going to make yummie cranberry chutney—love your wonderful recipes–Thank You
Catharine R. says
Who knew that cranberries and garlic were a perfect pair? Well, I guess you did, Kevin! Can’t wait to make!
gina says
I love it when those cranberries pop pop pop
Kate w says
Did you peel your ginger?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Kate – Yes — peel the ginger before grating. Hope you’ll make this chutney!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummy! I love cranberries.
Margy says
Love this idea of the ginger with the cranberries, I try to eat healthy ginger a lot , this is a must for the next few days .thank you Kevin
Maggie says
Kevin! How did you ever guess Cranberry Orange Chutney was on my mind? And the combo of ginger and garlic is one of my all time favorites! I’ll have to make this before the day is out! You are just too wonderful! Loves ya!
Denise T says
We have freezing rain here in northwestern NJ right now, and I am recovering from a nasty bought of sickness and need something easy to do. I’ve had cranberries & oranges in the fridge for awhile now and your recipe looks great.
The winter sowing went well so far. I still have some more to do as I find containers. So far I have just under 60 jugs out there.(I need to fill a lot of new beds we dug & am starting plants to sell to raise $ for our community garden)
Have you been watching gardening videos? I have been watching a lot of British gardening shows on Youtube and getting psyched up for the spring. I can’t seem to get enough of them.
Barbara Zakrzewski says
I have recently introduced my daughter to your website, and have encouraged her to try your delicious recipes. She loves a cranberry and orange relish that we made at Christmas, and I am sure she would love this chutney recipe. All of your recipes I have tried have been delicious. I look forward to your newsletter in my mailbox each week.
linda says
Perfect post for me today. Saw I have a bag of fresh cranberries that are needing to be used. Do love cran-orange relish so this will be a new one to enjoy! Thanks.
Suzanne K says
I saw a tip for peeling ginger a while back… use the tip of the serrated grapefruit spoon! It gets into all the nooks and crannies and the little serration edges are great to peel. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sound good.
Sheri says
I’m drooling.
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
Sue has great taste in spatulas.
Nolie says
Definitely on board for this one! Always have cranberries and ginger in the freezer.
Gretchen says
Just happen to have a big bag of fresh cranberries in the fridge along with ginger root and since it’s a dismal rainy day today – this sounds like a perfect answer to gray-day blahs. thanks Kevin. Love your weekly visits and all the goodies you bring.
Michelle says
Looks incredibly yummy – could you freeze this? It would be so nice to have on hand to add to so many dishes, making a boring weeknight dinner something special. Thanks again for the recipe Kevin – I always look forward to your blog posts!
Sheree Ashapa says
I read the recipe and just finished making this yummy chutney. I plan on enjoying it later today on baked brie served with water crackers. Or, maybe I’ll eat it right now! Thank you for the recipe.
Michelle says
Oh Brie and crackers with this chutney – fantastic idea! YUM
betsy says
I can’t stop looking at the pan seared chops topped off with the cranberry chutney. I must make some TODAY.
betsy
Allison K says
You had me at chutney!
LynnB says
Quick question. I’ve never seen fresh cranberries here in Australia. Do you think I could reconstitute dried ones (craisins) to make this? It looks and sounds so delicious I’m reluctant to miss out!
Margaret Leach says
The part in the recipe about “it’s -9 here don’t be jealous”? Well they don’t sell that particular ingredient in SanDiego, believe me, I’ve looked. Although, I did find some ” neener neener we have snow” online, and I was wondering if that would be a good substitute??
Hawaii_Lynette says
We don’t have fresh cranberries as often as most of you do in the “BIG Island” but I woud love to show off and share this recipe with friends and family. Will dried cranberries work? I’m sure fresh mangoes will work but I really want to do it your way.
Lynette
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi LynnB and Hawaii Lynette – I can’t guarantee the results, but you could certainly try this chutney with dried cranberries. Reconstitute the fruit in hot water for 15 minutes. As a general rule, 3/4 cup dried cranberries equals 1 cup fresh.
Dayl Martin says
Hi Kevin – Do you include cranberry chutney in your Christmas dinner? I want to make a delicious cranberry sauce to go with both turkey and ham this year ….. Should I go with the yummy chutney or do you suggest a different fresh cranberry recipe?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Dayl Martin – In my humble opinion, this chutney is divine for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any time of the year. But the decision is entirely yours!
Dayl says
Perfect Kevin – thanks for all of your sharing and inspiration!