Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Chutney

Liven up holiday recipes with a dollop of spicy jalapeno cranberry chutney. Fresh fruits, jalapenos and cranberries are both zesty and tangy.

As I was brainstorming ideas for something festive, I knew I wanted something sweet and spicy. This spicy jalapeno cranberry chutney was born.

The addition of apples, oranges, and sweet golden raisins adds a lot of fresh fruit flavors to the tart cranberries. You control the heat in this sauce. Just add more or less jalapenos to suite your taste.

What’s a Chutney?

A chutney is a spicy condiment made of fruits or vegetables. It can be made with vinegar, spices, and sugar and doesn’t necessarily have to be sweet. The main difference between this chutney and jam is the addition of vinegar.

How to Make Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Chutney

Step one. Start with a pound of fresh or frozen cranberries. Place them in a large saucepan and add one cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the cranberries for about five minutes. You’ll start to hear the cranberries pop as they cook.

Step two. Add some peeled, cored and diced apples. A sweet variety such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Ambrosia would work perfectly. Add one peeled and diced orange along with all of the zest from the orange.

Orange zest is made from the very topmost part of the orange peel. It’s where most of the oils are contained and adds a little more citrus flavor to the dish. A microplane grater is the best way to zest an orange. Just make sure you only zest the very top layer of the peel. The white part underneath is bitter. You don’t want to include that in your zest.

After you’ve added the zest, mix in the jalapeno, sugar and 1/2 cup of golden raisins. Golden raisins are yellow raisins, you’ll find them in the same spot as regular brown raisins.

Contrary to popular belief, golden raisins aren’t made from green grapes. They are a different color because golden raisins undergo a different process when dried. In my opinion, they are sweeter and more plump. However, you can substitute regular raisins if you prefer.

Finally, add a couple teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Since apple cider vinegar is made from apples, I felt the flavor profile would complement the flavors of the fruit without being overpowering.

Step three. Bring this mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.

Before serving,  you’ll need to puree your chutney. This can be done easily with an immersion blender. Or you can transfer everything to a regular blender. Process until the chutney meets your desired consistency. I like mine a little on the chunky side.

The possibilities for this sauce are endless. Slather it over a turkey sandwich, spread it on toast or an English muffin, pour it over baked brie or cream cheese, or use it as a glaze for ham or chicken. It can even stand alone as a side dish in lieu of traditional cranberry sauce.

Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Chutney

Liven up holiday recipes with a dollop of spicy jalapeno cranberry chutney. Fresh fruits, jalapenos and cranberries are both zesty and tangy.

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Course: Sauces and Seasonings

Cuisine: American

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 quart

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Lisa B.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 2 apples sweet variety such as Gala, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 orange zested, peeled, and diced
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 2-3 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

• Place the cranberries and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Simmer for about five minutes until the berries begin to pop.
• Add the apples, orange and zest, raisins, jalapeno, sugar and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer on medium low for about 30 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend to desired consistency – you can leave it slight chunky or pureed it until it is the consistency of jam.

Notes

For more heat, add more jalapenos.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Iron: 0.2mg