Having a last-minute Thanksgiving? Relax – you are not alone. I just tested out this fresh cranberry salsa for my own Thanksgiving table: it took me under 23 minutes from start to finish (yes, I timed myself) and that included rooting around in the Thanksgiving-stuffed fridge for ingredients, searching the packed-to-the-gills utensil drawer for the apple corer (and eventually turning it up in the dishwasher – oops), weighing the ingredients, and jotting down the recipe for you, the time-stressed Thanksgiving cook. Guaranteed to be at least 100 times better than the stuff with the ridges.

Disturbingly similar, I now realize, to Elise’s salsa at Simply Recipes. There’s also a slightly different version at Bon Appetit, and a cannable version at NCHFP. 

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Fresh Cranberry Salsa

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 of a small jalapeno (1/8 oz) (fresh or frozen), seeded as desired
• 1 very small (1 oz) red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 a medium apple (3 oz), cored, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup (4 oz) cranberries (preferably organic), picked through and rinsed
• 1 tbsp sugar (organic turbinado)
• zest from 1/2 a large orange (about 1 heaping teaspoon)
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

METHODS

1. Add the jalapeno to the bowl of a small processor. Process a few pulses until pepper is minced. Add onion; pulse a few times. Add apple, vinegar, and lemon juice; pulse a few times. Add cranberries; pulse until everything is chopped the way you like it (I left mine a little bit chunky, with bits of fruit about 1/8 – 1/4 inch).
2. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in sugar, orange zest, cilantro, salt and pepper (I used a couple of good pinches of salt and about 1/8-tsp of pepper).  Allow flavors to blend at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Yields about 2 cups salsa.

OPTIONS

1. This amount would likely feed a family of four, especially with all the other Thanksgiving food on the table. Increase recipe accordingly for a larger party.
2. Parsley can be substituted for the cilantro-adverse.
3. Ginger, cumin, a bit of cayenne, dried basil: any of these would be good additions. I wanted to keep it pure & simple and I love the flavor and texture of this dish.

STORE

Refrigerated, 1 – 2 days. I suspect after that the texture will start to suffer.

SEASON

Fall into winter.