Merlot Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish

When I ask my daughters what their favorite Thanksgiving dish is, they always say garlic mashed potatoes.  That used to be the only thing they loved about our Thanksgiving meal, but now they look forward to eating cornbread stuffing and turkey with cranberry relish.

I was never a fan of cranberry relish until my family started buying Williams-Sonoma Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish. When I was diagnosed with celiac, I stopped eating it, because it has a warning that it is prepared and packaged using machines that may come in contact with wheat/gluten.

Last year, I made cranberry relish with Merlot, orange juice and zest, and apples. My daughters liked it so much, they asked me to make again this year.

Merlot Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish

Ingredients

4 C fresh cranberries - rinsed
3/4 C Merlot
1/2 C brown sugar - lightly packed
1/2 C Sugar in the Raw
1/4 C orange juice
1 organic orange - zest plus segments cut into small pieces
2 organic Gala apples - skin removed and cut into small pieces

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Once they come to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberry relish is nice and thick.

Allow the relish to cool in a serving dish. Serve at room temperature, and refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Notes

We made this at my aunt and uncle's house in Pittsburgh last year. They did not have any granulated sugar, so we used what was on hand.  Next time I make this dish, I might just use one cup of lightly packed brown sugar.

This dish was inspired by Williams-Sonoma Apple-Orange Cranberry Relish and Gluten Free Gigi's recipe for Merlot Cranberries.