Cranberry Chutney | A Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Chutney Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is cranberry chutney made of? ›

Water and Sugar: This sweet, fruity chutney starts with a base of water and sugar. Cranberries: Look for fresh cranberries that are firm, plump, and blemish-free. Apples: Opt for an apple on the tangier side (such as Granny Smith) or something that's sweet-tart (such as Honeycrisp or Gala).

Sugar helps the thickening process, and while it's nice to try to keep your cranberry sauce from being too sugary sweet, you will need at least some sugar to make it work well (about 1/2 cup sugar per 12-ounce bag of cranberries).

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

There is an important difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish and that is that cranberry relish is made from raw ingredients blended in a food processor (it's more fresh and tart tasting) and cranberry sauce is cooked and often much sweeter than relish.

Chutneys are made by slow-cooking fruit or vegetables with peeled ginger, garlic, Korintje cinnamon, and chilies. Spices and vinegar are added to preserve the chutney and give it a tangy flavor.

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.

Nutritional Facts Face-Off

We can see there is a significant difference in the nutrition facts between the two sauces. The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium!

Add A Splash Of Vinegar

Their sharp tang counteracts bitter flavors without having to add extra sugar. While citrus is a natural pairing for cranberry sauce, bright, savory vinegars like sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar play well with the bitter-tart berries.

Can you spice up canned cranberry sauce? ›

Boosting your cranberry sauce can be as simple as bringing the heat. A freshly minced serrano pepper, a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce can do wonders for your sauce. Or add a sprinkle of mustard powder, garam masala, or vadouvan to wake up your palate.

Cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. (You've got enough things on the menu to warm up! Don't make the list longer!) I tend to make cranberry sauce a few days before Thanksgiving and then set it on the table about an hour or two before we plan to eat.

Chutney is a condiment or spread made from chopped fruit cooked with vinegar, spices and sometimes sugar, that can be served fresh or preserved. It's often associated with Indian cuisine.

The texture of this condiment is what primarily distinguishes it from a sauce. Because it is made from slow-cooking fruits and vegetables, chutney often has a chunky yet spreadable consistency and is created similarly to jam. Sauce, on the other hand, is typically much thinner.

Much like how Sriracha, pesto, or melted cheese can be generically dumped on almost anything to make it taste better, chutneys are the flavor-saver of Indian cuisine—they can be sweet or spicy, chunky or smooth, and typically incorporate some combination of fruits, herbs, and vegetables.

Etymology. The word chutney derives from Hindi चटनी chaṭnī, deriving from चाटना chāṭnā 'to lick' or 'to eat with appetite'. In India, chutney refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately; however, several Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only.