Cranberry Chutney | A Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Chutney Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is cranberry chutney made of? ›

A cranberry chutney is a combination of whole cranberries simmered with fruit such as apples or pears, spices, dried fruit and vinegar. It's similar to a whole berry cranberry sauce but with more complexity.

My cranberry sauce is too sweet now that I taste it. How do I fix it? Add a splash of red wine or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt to lessen sweetness.

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

There is an important difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish and that is that cranberry relish is made from raw ingredients blended in a food processor (it's more fresh and tart tasting) and cranberry sauce is cooked and often much sweeter than relish.

Chutney is a savory condiment made from slow-cooked fruits or vegetables, vinegar, and spices. Originating from India, chutneys have traveled the globe, and every country has its own take on this versatile condiment. Chutneys from South Africa often include apricots, while British chutneys favor using apples.

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.

Nutritional Facts Face-Off

We can see there is a significant difference in the nutrition facts between the two sauces. The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium!

While there are some editors who prefer homemade cranberry sauce, the canned variety also has quite a following. "There's something so beautifully perfect about the texture of canned cranberry sauce, and none of those homemade mess will ever compete," says Senior Digital Food Editor Kimberly Holland.

"Resist adding granulated sugar—you won't get the full effect unless you reheat the sauce and the sugar dissolves," writes Kelsey Kloss. "Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste.

Can you spice up canned cranberry sauce? ›

Boosting your cranberry sauce can be as simple as bringing the heat. A freshly minced serrano pepper, a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce can do wonders for your sauce. Or add a sprinkle of mustard powder, garam masala, or vadouvan to wake up your palate.

Should homemade cranberry sauce be served cold? You'll want to cool your homemade cranberry sauce to room temperature first, as hot liquids can crack pretty serving dishes! After that, chilling it will not only help the cranberry sauce thicken and gel, but it preserves it as well.

The texture of this condiment is what primarily distinguishes it from a sauce. Because it is made from slow-cooking fruits and vegetables, chutney often has a chunky yet spreadable consistency and is created similarly to jam. Sauce, on the other hand, is typically much thinner.

Chutney is a condiment with a confusing identity. The chutneys you might buy in a supermarket are something like relish, something like jam. They're savory preserves, usually fruit-based, served as a complement to dishes like Indian curries. Yet these preserved chutneys are not typical of the chutneys served in India.

The word chutney derives from Hindi चटनी chaṭnī, deriving from चाटना chāṭnā 'to lick' or 'to eat with appetite'. In India, chutney refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately; however, several Indian languages use the word for fresh preparations only.

Chutney is a condiment (Also referred to as a sauce, which is handmade and crafted with various ingredients) used to add flavour to food. Unlike your traditional sauces, chutney is made of chopped fruits, vinegar and spices that are cooked into a chutney spread.