I adore homemade cranberry chutney.  I don’t think I have made it the same way twice.  The “pop, pop, pop” of the cranberries as they are cooking is so much fun!  This years combination includes pears, apples, onion, balsamic vinegar and a little Grand Marnier, for good measure!  Not only great alongside roast turkey, it is fabulous on a turkey sandwich.  No can opener required.

For the Chutney

2 12 ounce bags of fresh cranberries

1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 small Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3/4 – 1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

juice and zest of 1 large orange

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier (or Triple Sec or Cointreau)

Dice the apple, onion, pear and set aside.  Zest the orange and lemon with a microplane grater.  Juice the orange into a measuring cup.  If needed add water, or additional orange juice to make 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the juice and sugar to a simmer.  Cook about 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the onion and simmer about 5 more minutes.  Add in the cranberries, apple, pear, cinnamon, clove, salt.  Simmer about 10 minutes.

Taste for sweetness – you made need a little more sugar depending on how tart the cranberries were.  Add the balsamic vinegar and orange liquor.  Simmer on very low heat another 10 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add in the lemon and orange zest.  Place in a container and refrigerate.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.  This recipe made 1 quart + one cup of chutney.

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