Cranberry Chutney with Red Wine (2024)

Cranberry chutney is one of the most essential dishes of the traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Those excellent delicate cranberries give way to a velvety flavor, with a hint of spicy accentuated by the ginger and red wine.

The richness of the red wine and I have selected a deep Pinot Noir, deepens the flavor of the dried figs and raisins.

Add the orange zest infused in the mix, and you have a savory and sweet jam-like chutney you can serve at Thanksgiving and enjoy for months thereafter.

In this Article

Why do we eat cranberry chutney on Thanksgiving?

Adding cranberries to your Thanksgiving plate allows you to partake in one of the oldest traditions.

Cranberries grow primarily in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest.

Reports have been found of what we consider traditional cranberry sauce, which requires stewing the cranberries in water and sugar, dating back to the 1630s.

By the 1860s, cranberry sauce was ingrained as an American dish, and General Ulysses S. Grant reportedly ordered that cranberries be served to soldiers as part of their Thanksgiving meal.

Cranberry is a sweet sauce with some acidity from the sour cranberries. Turkey breast can be a dehydrated meat; adding the sauce adds moisture.

Many use how to enjoy your cranberry chutney recipe

If my family had their way, and the cranberries had a more extended season, this chutney sauce recipe would be a staple in our refrigerator as they devour it.

You will use this cranberry chutney similarly to your cranberry sauce. However, with the chutney, you can go behind the turkey for what to do with it.

You can enjoy it in other uses, and here are our favorite ways to serve it:

• With our Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner
• Cranberry Chutney as a condiment for your turkey sandwiches
• It is terrific alongside pork and gamey meats such as duck and venison.
• An excellent pairing for cheeses, including goat cheese, gorgonzola or Roquefort, soft brie, and sharp cheddar served over crostini or cracker.

• With our French toast

• Mix it with our yogurt, sour cream, or cottage cheese for a quick afternoon snack.

• As a topping to our morning toast of crunchy baguette
• Puff pastry appetizer over brie
• Added to your grilled cheese sandwiches or quesadillas

• On top of buttermilk biscuits or lemon pound cake

As you can see, the possibilities are endless

Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions on how to make your chutney recipe

This recipe does not require much time to prepare.

• You will start with simmering and marinating the figs and raisins in the red wine. Chop the figs into small pieces to be better infused and enjoyed. Let them soak for thirty minutes.

• Once the above step is done, you can start dissolving the sugar with the water, fresh ginger, orange zest, and reduced red wine.

• Add half of the cranberries and cook until they pop and become soft.
• Stir in the rest until soft.

Your sauce will continue to thicken as it cools

Chef’s Tip

Keep a keen eye on your cranberries, which tend to over-boil and fast. This can cause it to spill all over your stove.

Select a rich red wine. I used Pinot Noir here. A rich Barbera, Barolo, or Sangiovese wine will work great, too. We should always select a wine that we know we will enjoy.

Variations and Substitutions

One of the beautiful things about making homemade cranberry sauce is letting your imagination go and creating your dish to suit your palate.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to change things up:

• Cutting down on the sugar
• Substitute the dry red wine with a sweet red wine. You may want to adjust the sugar amount or add more ginger to balance the sweetness.

• Adding texture by adding some chopped dates or dried chopped apricots

• Half of a cup of orange juice will balance well with the ginger and the berries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

Your chutney will save for a couple of months in a glass air-tight container in the refrigerator.

When completely cooled off, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and it will stay frozen for up to 6 months.

Whichever cranberry recipe you select and eat on Thanksgiving day it may just be the most critical component of the traditional meal.

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