Ocean Spray’s classic cranberry relish is a bright, tart holiday condiment made from raw cranberries and citrus. According to Ocean Spray’s official recipe, this uncooked relish simply pulses fresh cranberries and orange together in a food processor, then stirs in sugar.

The result is a chunky, ruby-red relish – as Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes notes, it’s made by “grinding up and mixing together raw cranberries, tart green apples, a large seedless orange, and sugar” with no cooking involved. Traditionally it’s served alongside roast turkey (or ham) at Thanksgiving and Christmas; Bauer explains it’s “fantastic with roast turkey” and on leftover turkey sandwiches. (See Table 1 below for the classic Ocean Spray recipe.)

Classic Ocean Spray Cranberry-Orange Relish

Ocean Spray’s website calls this a Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish. The ingredients are minimal: one 12‑ounce bag of fresh cranberries, one unpeeled orange, and sugar. (In one official variation (“Sue’s Cranberry Orange Relish”), 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur are added.)

To prepare the relish: quarter the orange (keep the peel on) and remove any seeds, then pulse half of the cranberries and half of the orange in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl, then repeat with the remaining fruit. Finally stir in the sugar to taste. The relish is served raw (no cooking) and can be chilled or even frozen until needed.

Table 1. Ingredients for Ocean Spray’s Classic Cranberry-Orange Relish (yields about 3 cups)

Directions: 1. Rinse cranberries; quarter orange and remove seeds. 2. Place half of the cranberries and half of the orange in a food processor; pulse until the mixture is evenly chopped. 3. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining berries and orange. 4. Stir in sugar (and Grand Marnier, if using) until well combined. 5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving (this lets the flavors meld).

Preparation Tips

• Use fresh or thawed berries: For best texture, use fresh cranberries or fully thawed frozen ones. Discard any that are soft or blemished. (Many recipes—like Ocean Spray’s—rinse and drain the berries before use.)

• Sweetness to taste: Cranberries are very tart. Start with ¾ cup sugar, taste, and add up to 1 cup (or more) to suit your preference. Alternative sweeteners (like brown sugar or honey) can be used for flavor. The fruit will release juice as it sits, so let it mellow in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.

• Use the right citrus: Ocean Spray’s recipes use a whole orange with peel. Navel oranges (or other sweet, seedless varieties) work well because they’re easy to grind and relatively sweet. You can peel the orange if desired, but the peel adds color and zest. Grate a bit of orange zest into the mix for extra brightness.

• Equipment: A food processor is simplest. You can also use a hand-crank food grinder (some cooks prefer it for a chunkier texture). Chop in batches so the machine can do its work; overloading the processor can turn the mixture to mush.

• Chill or freeze: After mixing, store the relish covered in the refrigerator. It will thicken slightly as it chills. You can even freeze it (individually or in portions), though thawed berries soften. Relish can be made several days ahead; many cooks say it tastes best after 1–3 days when the flavors have mingled.

Popular Variations

Cranberry relish is highly customizable. In addition to the classic orange-and-sugar base, cooks often add other fruits, nuts, or spices:

• Apples: Chopped tart apples (like Granny Smith) are common. They add sweetness and crunch. For example, Simply Recipes includes green apple in its “no-cook cranberry relish”. One Food Network Nutty Cranberry Relish folds chopped orange and apple into a sauce and then stirs in pecans. Bauer notes that using a grated or finely chopped apple yields a “tart, vibrant” relish.

• Nuts: Chopped toasted nuts (pecans or walnuts) give texture. Ocean Spray’s site and other recipes note that adding about ½ cup nuts makes a “Nutty Cranberry Relish.” For example, one recipe literally combines cranberries, orange, apple and toasted pecans. (Caution: adding nuts will give the relish more bite and a different appearance.)

• Citrus twists: Some versions use extra citrus like grapefruit or mandarin orange segments, or swap liqueur for sugar. For instance, Sue’s recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier (orange liqueur); if skipped, add an extra ¼ cup sugar. Another cook might add a splash of orange juice or Cointreau instead of part of the sugar.

• Spices and add-ins: A pinch of warming spice (ground cinnamon, ginger, or allspice) can make the relish more festive. As one recipe blogger notes, “ground cinnamon… pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving,” and chopped walnuts or pecans can be added for crunch. Dried cranberries or chopped dried fruit are sometimes stirred in after processing for extra sweetness or chew.

• Gelatin (“jellied” salads): Some older recipes (and the discontinued canned relish) used a packet of strawberry or cherry gelatin, yielding a firmer jello-like salad. These are usually cooked or chilled to set. Today’s Ocean Spray relish is uncooked, but gelatin versions persist in some family traditions. (They are essentially sweetened cranberry jams rather than raw relishes.)

Cranberry Relish vs. Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry relish is served raw, not cooked. This is the key difference from traditional cranberry sauce. In relish, whole fruits are chopped or ground fresh. As Elise Bauer explains, “There’s no cooking involved” – just grinding raw cranberries (often with orange and apple) in a processor. This yields a chunky, brightly colored condiment.

By contrast, cranberry sauce is simmered with sugar: the heat causes the cranberries to burst and their natural pectin to thicken the mixture into a jelly or jam. The sauce is typically smoother, sweeter, and glossier, while relish remains tangy and textured. In other words, relish stays more tart and fresh-tasting, since it isn’t heated.

Relish also holds up differently on the plate. It can be scooped alongside turkey as a side “sauce” in the holiday spread, but because it isn’t syrupy-thick, it has a spoonable “relish” consistency. Ocean Spray and other recipes emphasize that the relish’s crunchy raw fruit bits provide a bright counterpoint to the rich holiday meats. Many home cooks make both — or choose relish when they want a fresher, less sweet alternative.

Holiday Serving and Popularity

Cranberry relish is a holiday classic in North America. It’s most often made for Thanksgiving dinner (and secondarily for Christmas) as an accompaniment to turkey or ham. Home cooks prize its tangy bite; as one blogger notes, it “cuts through the heaviness of holiday meals” and adds a burst of color and flavor. It’s also handy for leftovers: relish on a turkey sandwich or mixed into stuffing can be delicious.

Unlike canned or canned-sauce cranberry products, this fresh relish is usually prepared shortly before the meal. Families often serve it on Christmas and Thanksgiving, and many say it’s even better on Day 2 after the flavors meld. Ocean Spray’s public recipe underlines the relish’s role as a fresh holiday side, and many sources (including Food Network and cookbook authors) echo that it is a beloved Thanksgiving side dish.

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