Being a Minnesotan, I am fortunate to live right next door to Wisconsin, the biggest cranberry producer in the country. Every October, I visit the Lowertown St. Paul Farmers Market to pick up a fifteen-pound box of fresh cranberries. It’s a tradition that kicks off the holiday season in our household.

Cranberries store exceptionally well if kept in the refrigerator. I keep them in the box I buy them in and work on preserving them through the month of November. I preserve the cranberries by turning them into juice, jam, relish, chutney, shrub and sauce. We also use them for crafting with. To say that we enjoy cranberry season in my family is an understatement.

The sweet and citrusy cranberry ferment that I’m sharing today is full of flavor. The deep red color of the finished fermented relish will surely brighten up any plate. Incorporate this versatile relish into your meal plan as a side dish, or consider it as a condiment for turkey, pancakes, or waffles. It also makes a colorful addition to a charcuterie platter as it’s delicious spooned over soft cheeses, such as goat cheese or brie and paired with a cracker or a crunchy toasted baguette. It even makes a great sandwich spread for holiday leftovers.

Cranberry Orange Relish Ferment

Yield: 1 pint jar

Ingredients

3 cups whole cranberries

½ tsp. organic orange zest

2 tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tbsp. raw honey

Instructions

Pick through the cranberries and discard any damaged, soft, or unripe berries (pink- or green-colored). Rinse thoroughly and strain out water.

Use a food processor to chop the cranberries – it only takes 2 to 3 seconds.

Transfer berries into a clean pint jar and add in the orange zest, juice, and honey. Mix all ingredients together well, then pat the relish down with the backside of a spoon. Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean dampened towel to make sure to remove any food particles form the rim. Place the canning jar lid on the jar and tightly screw on the ring.

Fermentation

This is a short 3-day ferment. Ferment at room temperature, ideally between 60-75°F (15-23°C) and keep out of direct sunlight.

“Burp” the jar as needed (as the pressure builds) – to burp the jar, unscrew the lid briefly and tighten it back on to allow any built-up gas to release. Once a day, stir the mixture and pat it down compactly with the back of a spoon, replace lid and tighten the ring.

Taste test after 3 days to determine if the flavors have melded together and transformed into a bright and flavorful fermented relish, and if not, let it go another day or day and a half and taste test again.

One sign that ferment is ready to eat is when the relish turns bright red. Once fermentation is complete, store the jar in the refrigerator. This ferment is best enjoyed within 2 weeks.

Side Notes

Frozen cranberries are not recommended for this recipe. Fresh is best.

Feel free to experiment with flavors by stirring in a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, a ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or ¼ teaspoon of ground clove before fermenting.

Serving suggestion: Mix in your preferred chopped nut before serving.

This recipe has been adapted from Can It & Ferment It with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Stephanie Thurow is the author of Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving, WECK Home Preserving and co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading. She is a certified master food preserver, master gardener, writer and traditional living skills instructor. Find her online: @minnesotafromscratch 

Photo credit: Stephanie Thurow