Here is a fresh take on cranberries, literally. I don’t think I was aware of how tart cranberries can be before we dry them or boil them in sugar. Playing with them on this occasion gave me a greater appreciation of their range. I have certainly added the sweet in with the brown sugar, but the jalapenos make this dip pop in an unexpected and delicious way. You can serve this over a block of cream cheese, but I found I enjoyed it as a straight salsa. The salty tortilla chips really round out the attributes of this dish–sweet, spicy, and salty. I also found myself wondering about how good this would be served over grilled chicken, but I haven’t gotten there yet. And, the gorgeous color of this salsa is going to make you very happy, indeed.
Preparation:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped
½ cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
Cilantro (optional…ick…but I thought I’d give you the option)
In the bowl of a food processor pulse the cranberries and jalapenos until uniformly chopped. Stop before it goes to mush.
Remove the cranberry mixture to a bowl and add the oil, onions, and brown sugar. Also add chopped cilantro, to taste, if you are using it. You can add a little more sugar if you think it needs it, but it sweetens as it sits in the refrigerator so don’t go overboard. Stir it all together and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the salsa remain in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Stir it well before serving with tortilla chips.
This recipe also caused me to get out my little Kerr jars again, because I am finding them to be endlessly useful for transporting little tastes of some of my favorites to my friends. In this case, I ran a little jar over to my neighbor, Linda. That also explains the cilantro. She loves the stuff, so I braved a bunch of the toxic stuff just for her. Linda, don’t ever doubt my devotion to you. Raw cilantro gives me the absolute willies.
And just to add, I actually had it heaped on a mound of cruncy lettuce, sliced carrots/mushrooms/pecans, grilled chicken, and ranch dressing. OMG! Thank you my special friend/neighbor.
Ok we are sitting around at the in laws house waiting on the turkey and scarfing up cranberry salsa on chips. It. Is. To. Die. For. If you are reading this, stop. (well stop in a second after you finish reading). Write down what you need, go to the store and buy it. Then come home and MAKE THIS SALSA. Sorry, don’t mean to ‘yell’ but that is how strongly I feel about this. Oh and I did add lots of cilantro because I love it but am sure it rocks without it too.
ok…found your website a while back, and i think i am seriously on my way to creating my very own “meaning of pie binder”….(i print everything) although it seems like i always have good intentions and no follow through, until now…and Oh. My. God! made this thanksgiving morning, and what wasn’t eaten throughout the day was divided up and taken home by everyone quick enough to get it. it was THE hit of the day! oh, and i had to write the recipe out for a few too. since then i’ve made myself a batch and as of last night it too is gone gone, but more will be made this weekend! yes, i love it that much! thank you for this and all the recipes you share, but even more than that…the story and passion behind them. love your style! from one texan to another…merry christmas ya’ll!
big cranberry salsa (with cilantro, sorry :~) hugs!
~amy
Made the salsa and loved it so much… making it for gifts!!! Wanted to know how far ahead I could make it. Delivering the first round this Friday! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Karen
Well that’s cool. Karen, I really don’t know a good answer to that. I had some make it to day 2 just fine. But beyond that it has been all gobbled up. I would probably feel comfortable making it a day early. I personally wouldn’t make it much earlier than that but I can’t really say why. Let us know how it turns out if you go beyond one day ahead. I’d love to know.
How many days in advance can I make this? Will it keep 3 or 4 days? Thanks!
Ours was gone so fast that I don’t have a great answer for you. I know that it is better on day two than on day one. Day three would probably still be fantastic. Day 4 is getting out of my happy place. That seems like it might lose its very fresh nature. What might be very interesting, though, is to make it ahead and freeze it. I haven’t tried that but it seems like it might work great. (Might not, though.) I wish I had a better answer. But the few times I have made it, it has disappeared to quickly for me to form an opinion on its longevity. But, please get back to us if you try it.
[...] Cranberry Salsa [...]
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