Cranberry Pear Relish

You know it’s fall when those cranberry commercials pop up on the tv! Thanksgiving isn’t complete unless cranberry sauce is on the table and so I had to include something prepared with cranberries on our Regional Thanksgiving menu. I was actually surprised to learn that the state of Wisconsin is a major cranberry producer in the United States. With that, the following recipe represented the state of Wisconsin and involves a great variation of cranberry sauce.

This recipe is extremely simple… and can be done well in advance. I found that the more it sits, the better the flavors. Even better is that this recipe doesn’t require any cooking! All you need is a food processor to whiz everything up.

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was omitting the orange peels. I found that they made the relish too bitter. Instead, I just peeled the oranges and chopped them up for the relish. Don’t throw away the peels though! You can save them to make candied orange peels for the holidays or even use them for their zest in other recipes! If anything, you can always use slivers of the peel and make orange twists for holiday cocktails you may be serving up too…

1 small navel orange
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Bartlett pear, cored and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
3 tablespoons pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Wash and dry the orange. Cut the orange into small wedges, removing the peel, and put in a food processor. Add the cranberries, pear, sugar, and salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before serving, stir in the pecans if using.