I live for cranberry chutney. It may seem odd but the reason that I make roasted chicken, is to have an excuse to make and eat it. One Thanksgiving my Mom forgot to make the cranberry chutney and there were tears. It was ugly. I try not to think about it.
This is no ordinary cranberry sauce from a can monstrosity. Oh no, Nana’s cranberry chutney is sweet but still just the right amount of tart. It is cohesive yet you can distinguish the various ingredients. Magic. I eat it year round. I know tradition and Nature dictate that cranberries are eaten in the Fall and Winter. No worries. That is what freezers are for. There is happy bag of frozen fresh cranberries sitting with the vodka now. 🙂
I don’t mess around with my cranberry chutney; it’s Nana’s or no chutney. I am unabashedly judgy.
So why am I making Nana’s Cranberry Chutney weeks before Thanksgiving you might ask? ( Other than to share it with you, obviously.)
Because my Husband and I are hosting his family for the first time this Thanksgiving and I’m nervous. Truth: I’ve never roasted a turkey before. [So embarrassing!] That was always my Mom’s job. I hear other families have dry turkeys every Thanksgiving. Based on the countless articles about avoiding the embarrassment of an overdone turkey you would think there were some sort of National Dry Turkey Epidemic. Not in my house. Oh no, Mom’s turkey was moist and tender year after year. Why would I mess with perfection and try to do it myself?
That was my long-winded way of saying that I did a turkey test run. So, naturally, I needed some of Nana’s cranberry chutney to go with this test turkey. Another key point is that it’s a good thing my husband is out of town or he would say I’m nuts.
I have made some minor tweaks to Nana’s recipe but if you want to taste The Original, just eliminate the brandy and add more sugar.
My Mom says that Nana’s Cranberry Chutney makes good gifts and I believe her after spooning mine into these cute little jars. Although this may be true, it’d be hard to give them away…
Print
Nana’s Cranberry Chutney
Description
My Grandmother’s recipe for Cranberry Chutney is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Easy and aromatic, a Holiday table wouldn’t be complete without it!
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups fresh cranberries or 1 12oz bag
- ¾ cup seedless raisins (I like to use half red and half golden)
- 1 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon Allspice [optional – I leave it out because Mr. AHC doesn’t like it]
- 6 oz water
- 1 teaspoon brandy [optional – or you could use more…I’ve used up to 2 ½ teaspoons]
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ¾ cup finely diced apple (peeled and cored)
Instructions
- Combine cranberries, raisins, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the cranberries pop.
- Stir in celery, onion, apple and brandy. Simmer at least 15 minutes. I like to cook mine for several hours over low heat until the apples, celery and onion have broken down.
12 Comments
Phillip
November 19, 2013 at 12:54 pmThis sounds great. I may try this for Thanksgiving.
Miss Kim @ behgopa
November 21, 2013 at 4:56 amLooks and sounds really yummy! Good luck impressing your in-laws! I’m sure they will love it. Lol..so I am not the only one that has never cooked a turkey before….and I cook professionally!~ It’s sad. We don’t normally cook turkey in the restaurant, and for Thanksgiving with family, it’s always my mom making it as well. But this year, I will be making the entire dinner. I usually don’t cook anything for Thanksgiving though since it is my time to take a break away from the kitchen.
Classic Pecan Pie and the Epic Piecrust DisasterAmerican Heritage Cooking
December 1, 2013 at 10:32 am[…] days before Thanksgiving I made my cranberry chutney, my pie-crusts, my homemade chicken stock. The day before I rolled out my crusts, baked my pumpkin […]
Brussels Sprouts and Leeks in a Ginger-Lime Butter SauceAmerican Heritage Cooking
December 5, 2013 at 10:31 pm[…] originally made these when taste-testing Thanksgiving recipes for my in-laws and I was blown away. These pack a big flavor punch for only 2 tablespoons […]
German Chocolate Cupcakes with German Chocolate Ganache FillingAmerican Heritage Cooking
May 11, 2014 at 10:50 am[…] has it that my Mom’s favorite cake growing up was German Chocolate Cake. Nana (you remember Nana, right?) would make it for her birthday every year! The last time I was at home I snapped a photo […]
65 Recipes Using Cranberries - Cupcakes & Kale Chips
November 7, 2014 at 1:02 am[…] Nanas Cranberry Chutney from American Heritage Cooking […]
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Recipe Guide with 39 Amazing Recipes
November 7, 2014 at 8:01 am[…] Naan’s Cranberry Chutney | American Heritage Cooking […]
75 Fresh Cranberry Recipes Roundup {Week 11 of 12 Weeks of Christmas} - Meal Planning Magic
December 5, 2014 at 7:24 pm[…] Pear Cranberry Crisp ~ Spoonful of Flavor Cranberry & Cheese Danish Cupcakes ~ Cupcake Project Nana’s Cranberry Chutney ~ American Heritage Cooking 10 Minute Cranberry Jam ~ Cupcake Project Crockpot Cranberry Orange […]
Bea
December 10, 2018 at 6:40 amAre you able to can this using the water bath method ? Thanks
Lindsey
December 12, 2018 at 6:55 pmGenerally speaking you can make anything in a water bath but it will take longer. I don’t think it is really that sensitive or prone to burning, so I don’t think it’s necessary, but you do you!!
Pattie Rascoe
October 15, 2020 at 9:09 amI made Nana’s cranberry chutney yesterday as a test for Thanksgiving. It’s very tasty and jells up beautifully, but I think next time I’ll also leave out the allspice.
Lindsey
October 19, 2020 at 2:45 pmI’m so glad you tried it and liked it! I am not a huge allspice fan either so I completely understand that omission! Happy cooking!