Spiced Cranberry Chutney
Spiced Cranberry Chutney, a tangy sweet condiment, will fill your kitchen with the aromas of the holidays. Aromatic spices are cooked with fresh and dried fruits along with orange juice, cider vinegar and rum to create a bright and chunky chutney that pairs wonderfully with turkey and other poultry, goes well with roast pork or ham, it is great on sandwiches and is also a delicious accompaniment to go with your favorite cheese board when entertaining.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled if you want to put it into canning jars and process or it can be frozen so that you can enjoy the flavorful condiment throughout the year. Experiment with your own combination of fresh and dried fruits such as apricots, cherries, figs or dates. You can use pineapple juice instead of orange and lemon zest instead of orange zest. Want to change the flavor profile even more, use pineapple juice instead of orange juice. If you don’t care for candied pineapple, try candied orange or candied lemon peel. Perhaps you like a spicy chutney, if so add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes to the chutney. Want a little crunch, add some toasted pecans or walnuts. This recipe is very easy to adapt to your own taste and that of your family and friends.
Cranberry Chutney
- 1 12oz. bag fresh cranberries
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 oz. container candied (aka glace or crystallized) pineapple chunks, chopped
- 1 – 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 orange, jested plus its juice (1/2 c.)
- 1/2 c. cider vinegar
- 1 c. light brown sugar, packed (additional for a sweeter taste)
- 1 c. golden raisins
- 1/4 – 1/2 c. water
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 c. dark rum such as Captain Morgan or Meyers (optional)
Combine the cranberries, onions, pineapple, garlic, orange zest, orange juice and vinegar in a stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil over medium hight heat, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the cranberries burst and soften, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat, add the rest of the ingredients, stir well. Return to the heat and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. The chutney will be slightly runny but thickens when cool. Place into a serving dish and refrigerate until ready to serve. Making it a couple of days ahead, will let the flavors meld.
The chutney will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a month or frozen for about 6 months.
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You are going to love this cranberry chutney. It is so easy to prepare as you only have to chop a few ingredients and put everything into one pot to slowly simmer. Give it a few quick stirs and it quickly comes together. It is a great dish to add to your holiday table as it can be prepared a day of two in advance, as a matter of fact the flavors will improve. Once you have tasted the sweet tart goodness of this spiced cranberry chutney, you will want to serve it often. Enjoy!
What a gorgeous chutney for the coming Christmas holiday season!
Thank you Kay, we really like this sweet and savory chutney.
I love the add of pineapple here. The chutney looks so vibrant and delicious, Karen.
Thank you Angie, I’m glad that you like the addition of the pineapple in this chutney recipe.
That’s a perfect seasonal dish with a twist. Happy thanksgiving Karen!
Thank you for your nice compliment and wish. Sorry to be getting back to you so late.
No problem – I’m sure you were busy entertaining.
You know me well, thank you.
Delicious looking sauce and perfect for the holidays.
Thank you Jovina, I’m glad you like my chutney recipe. I think it will go well with lots of foods during the holidays.
This looks wonderful — so festive and flavorful. I DO like some spice, so I’d add those pinches of red pepper flakes. Or maybe just a touch of cayenne. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
Thank you John, yes I think a touch of spiciness goes well in this chutney.
You are the best when it comes to recipes I like to try. Since I’m crazy for chutney, this is another that I’ll add to my list of Karen’s recipes.
Thank you Lulu, I feel honored that you have a list of “Karen’s recipes”. 😘
What a yummy sounding condiment to your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy your upcoming holiday over that way.
Sorry to have taken so long to thank you for your wish and compliment Ron. I do think the chutney is a nice condiment to use with many of our holiday dishes.
I cannot wait to make this chutney. I once had a venison quesadilla when visiting Banff, Alberta, Canada and it was served with cranberry chutney. It was superb and I’ve been wanting a good recipe for the chutney ever since. Thanks Karen!
Happy Thanksgiving too,
Roz
I’m sorry to be thanking you so late for your lovely compliment and wish Roz. I do hope you enjoy the chutney if you have the opportunity to make it.
Love the flavors in your chutney. Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
I’m happy to hear that you like the chutney Ronit. I must apologize for being late in acknowledging your wish. Thank you we did have a delightful Thanksgiving spending several days with our family.
Totally understandable. It’s not always easy to keep up with the comments. Happy Holidays! 🙂
Thank you for understanding.
I never seen cranberries combined with pineapple but it makes sense because the cranberries are tart and the pineapple are sweet. What a great addition to my cranberry recipes.
Thank you Gerlinde, I’m happy you are going to be adding my chutney with cranberries and pineapple to your recipe list.
Karen, I am trying a new sign in to your blog .
Hi Gerlinde, I got both of your comments…were you having trouble signing in to my blog?
That certainly looks delicious. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I know whoever is invited to your table for dinner will be treated to one delightful meal. Your skills in the kitchen keep the rest of us striving. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words Judy, they mean a lot. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving spending several days with family in South Florida. I hope your day was special as well.
This is another winner Karen. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Thank you for your lovely compliment and wish Penny. We had a wonderful few days with family. I hope your Thanksgiving was nice as well.
I am making this one! How would it be substituting candied ginger for the pineapple? I am not fond of candied pineapple.
Hi Liz, so very sorry to be getting back to your question. I think using candied ginger in the chutney would be great…I thought about it as well but went with fresh ginger since I had it. Let me know how yours turns out if you make it. 😊
This is a wonderful recipe! I hope you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Thank you Lisa for both your compliment and wish, I have to apologize for not getting back to you sooner.
this sounds wonderfully tangy and delish karen. yum. a shame we can’t get fresh cranberries here but frozen will do:) I often wonder why they don’t try growing them in tasmania? it’s cold enough:) Love your christmas platter too. cheers sherry
Hi Sherry, frozen cranberries would work just as well as fresh for this chutney. I’m glad you like how I served it. The serving piece was my grandmother’s and the plate underneath was from a dear friend so they are real treasures. ☺️
We love a great cranberry chutney!! And this is just the thing that was missing from our menu!
Thanks Karen!!
Thank you Anna and Liz, if you decided to prepare the chutney, I hope you all enjoyed it.
Would love to dollop this delicious spiced cranberry chutney on so many things. Also fantastic on sandwiches the next day with the turkey.
Thank you for your nice compliment Bobbi and I agree with you about the chutney being delicious on a sandwich.
Tis the season for cranberries! Happy Thanksgiving Karen!
Jenna
You are right Jenna and I need to put some cranberries in the freezer soon.
Wonderful!
Cheers,
Carolyn
Thank you Carolyn, I’m glad you like the recipe.
Lovely color and texture! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving as well David. Thank you for your wish and compliment.
This sounds lovely…I’ve been looking for recipes with cranberries. Your pics are beautiful!
Sending warm wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jane❤️
Thank you for your wish and lovely compliment Jane, sorry I was so late in getting back to you.
I do miss cranberry sauces and chutneys, especially on Thanksgiving. I am the sole lover of these dishes in our family. Boo. I need an excuse to make some!! Yours sounds terrific!!
Hi Liz, It is hard when you like something that your family doesn’t. Perhaps you can freeze a bag of cranberries make the chutney when you entertain friends…it would be delicious with lots of dishes.
I love a good chutney! I usually can a few jars to get me through the winter. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Inger, how nice that you can a few jars of chutney, it goes well with so many dishes. I wish I didn’t sell all my canning equipment from when we had the orchard but I have so little storage at our new home.
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you like the chutney recipe Cathy, I think this is a recipe that you wouldn’t have to adapt. Thank you for your nice compliment.
This looks fabulous, Karen! I did a spicy cranberry sauce this year and we loved it but it was nothing so elaborate as this! It’s going on my list for Christmas!!
Mollie
I appreciate your kind words about my chutney recipe Mollie, thank you very much. I hope you will enjoy the chutney as much as we did. 😁
🙂 Hope you have a fabulous holiday!! )
What a wonderful recipe! My first thought is that I’d be eating it like a side dish, not an accompaniment the way most relishes are served. LOL! It’s a thought! 🙂 Delicious!
I know what you mean Debra, the chutney is too good to only have a bite or two. 😀
This recipe sounds so good I’d make it “as is” the first time, then play with the options. Thanks for all of your suggestions! Your serving dishes are gorgeous as well. It was fun reading through your comment section, too — venison quesadillas are duly noted with this chutney as a topper. 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Karen.
Thank you, I’m glad to know that you liked my chutney recipe Kim as well as the suggestions for other versions. Do you just love all the comment, they always give me inspiration to keep creating new recipes.
This looks delicious, Karen. We don’t get fresh cranberries around here, do you think frozen would do?
Amalia
xo
Hi Amalia, frozen cranberries will be perfectly fine in this recipe. Thank you for your nice compliment and I hope you enjoy the chutney as much as we did.