Cranberry, Pear and Ginger Relish

Do you throw away the cranberry jelly every Thanksgiving? This recipe is guaranteed to disappear right off the plate! It also makes a perfect hostess gift.

You can make a week ahead of time and keep refrigerated.

Makes about 3 cups:

1 c and 2 tbsp  light brown sugar

1/3 c                  red wine vinegar

2 oz                    fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1″x 1/8″ strips

2 lbs                   fresh pears, peeled and cut into 1/3″ chunks

3/4 lbs               fresh cranberries

1/4 tsp               cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

Combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, cayenne pepper and salt in a pan and bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Add pears, cover and simmer over medium heat until tender – about 10 minutes. Add cranberries, cover and cook for 3-6 minutes until they pop. Continue to cook on low heat for a further 5 minutes. Let cool. If the relish is too tart add more sugar – not too much, this is not supposed to be sweet like a jam.

Once cooled, serve at room temperature or put into storage jars and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Perfect with turkey but also works with roast chicken or pork.