Easy Homemade Cranberry Chutney

This delicious homemade cranberry chutney is the perfect accompaniment for turkey and so much more. It is sweet yet tart, tangy and fruity and super easy to make too.

What’s to love about this recipe

• Cranberry chutney makes a lovely change from the usual cranberry sauce.
• It’s easy, this cranberry chutney recipe is a throw it all in a pot job!
• Cranberry chutney isn’t something you’ll find in the shops which makes it really rather special.

Move over cranberry sauce, cranberry chutney is here to jazz up the turkey dinner this year and boy does this tasty chutney recipe pack a punch in flavour!

I usually make my cranberry relish at Christmas and love using cranberries in all sorts of recipes from cranberry and orange curd to my cranberry gin. But this year I’m making this delicious cranberry chutney instead and it’s a winner!

What is chutney?

Chutney is a relish that was first created in India where it was served alongside curries. Some chutneys are spicy and hot while others more cooling in nature.

They can be made from fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt and other things. Some are fresh chutneys that are not preserves in the normal sense as they don’t have a shelf life. Others, like my Christmas cranberry chutney is shelf stable and will keep for up to six months.

Please Note – We do not usually do water bath or other canning methods here in the UK. Our preserves keep perfectly well without this.

Ingredients for cranberry chutney

Cranberries – well, of course we have to have cranberries in this cranberry chutney recipe, they are the stars of the show.

Onions and apples add the savoury base and a bit of sweetness, as does the orange zest and juice.

Sugar – for sweetness, and of course along with the vinegar this is the stabilising agent that makes your chutney shelf stable for up to six months.

Spices – all chutney recipes need a bit of spice and cranberry chutney is no exception. I’ve really gone for a super shortcut in my recipe and used basic ground ginger and also Chinese Five Spice as the spice element for my cranberry chutney.

Dried fruit soaked in whisky bring a delightful fruitiness and depth of flavour to this festive chutney recipe.

Walnuts – this is a festive chutney recipe so I like to add walnuts to my cranberry chutney recipe. They add a bit of crunch and I always love to use walnuts in all sorts of things at Christmas time anyway.

Vinegar – I’ve used red wine vinegar for this cranberry relish recipe. You don’t want to use malt vinegar as it’s a wee bit too harsh for those delicate cranberries.

Red wine – well it really wouldn’t be a Larder Love recipe without a bit of booze would it! Actually the red wine adds a wonderful depth to this cranberry chutney so well worth having it in there.

Can you use frozen cranberries?

Yes, if you don’t have fresh cranberries available to make your cranberry chutney just defrost some frozen cranberries instead.

The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to make cranberry chutney

Really this recipe couldn’t be easier to make. It is a simple two-step chutney recipe, so you really can’t go wrong.

Actually there are three steps really, you want to toast those walnuts first to really ramp up their flavour.

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for barely a minute until golden and smelling wonderful.

Watch them like a hawk as they can easily burn. As soon as they are toasted tip them out of the hot pan or they will continue to cook.

Then on to the chutney making itself – you want to heat up the onions, apples, soaked mixed fruit, red wine, vinegar and sugar with the spices. Now let that bubble away for 30 minutes.

Now add your cranberries plus the juice and zest of the orange and continue cooking the cranberry chutney for a further 20 minutes.

How do you know when chutney is ready?

Chutney isn’t like jam where you have to reach a certain temperature for the magical setting point. You just boil it up and let it simmer away until it is thick in consistency.

Then and when you drag your wooden spoon through it leaves a clear trail on the bottom of the pan.

Mature your chutney

This cranberry chutney should be left to mature for 2 weeks before you use it. This time allows the flavours of the chutney to mature and mingle and for the sharpness of the vinegar to subside.

Put your jars of Christmas chutney in a cuboard to mature. Dark cupboards are always the best places to store any type of preserves.

How much does this make?

This recipe will make 3 x 250g jars of cranberry chutney. Just double up the recipe to make lots more if you want to.

How long does chutney keep?

You can store your jars of Christmas chutney in a cool cupboard for up to 6 months.

Once opened, store your cranberry chutney in the fridge and use up within a month.

Serving ideas

Of course this cranberry chutney goes wonderfully well with turkey so serve it alongside that turkey dinner both at Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Liven up your turkey leftovers with some cranberry chutney in sandwiches, wraps and more.

Add cranberry chutney to your cheeseboard or sharing platter for a lovely festive touch.

Cranberry chutney goes well with all sorts of other things, like beef, burgers and BBQ to nut loaf and of course to be served alongside a curry.

Serve your Christmas cranberry chutney alongside that leftover turkey curry for a real festive treat!

This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.

Looking for more delicious cranberry recipes to try? Then check these out before you go;

Cranberry gin liqueur

Cranberry and apricot relish

Cranberry and orange curd

Refined sugar-free cranberry relish

Cranberry and orange marmalade

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.