fresh cranberry salsa

I love cranberries. I wish they were a year round fruit. Since now is the season for them, I pick up a bag every time I’m at the grocery store and throw them in the freezer. They freeze beautifully, so you can always have them on hand when you want to make muffins, breads, cakes….and salsa!

Last year when I was proclaiming my love for cranberries, Anne’s mom, Karen, gave me this recipe. It is now one of my favorites and I will forever be grateful to Karen. Every time I make it, I get asked for the recipe. People will like you when you make it and I think that’s pretty sweet.

I first introduced this to Brette’s family last Thanksgiving and it was a winner. Every person that tried it that weekend, asked for the recipe. Okay, so not including Brette’s brothers, but I don’t think they really factor in here since a) they don’t cook and b) they don’t like vegetables or “weird” fruit.

This year over Thanksgiving weekend, two of us made it (obviously we did not talk before hand) to have at the house and it was a good thing. One batch would not have been enough.

This is one of those dishes that gets better as it sits, so it’s a perfect make-ahead item for your next potluck or holiday gathering.Plus, it is down right beautiful so it will dress up any buffet.

Prepping the veg

Fresh Cranberry Salsa

From Anne’s mom, Karen

Note: You may be tempted to process everything in the food processor. Don’t. It turns into juice. You need a little texture and crunch in this.

1-(12 oz) pkg fresh cranberries– Clean
2-finely diced large stalks of celery
1-finely diced small (or 1/2 of a medium) white or red onion
1-jalapeno pepper–seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup sugar
3-tablespoons fresh lime juice—(bottled if you’re in a pinch)

Process cranberries in food processor (or chop in a food chopper) until coarsely chopped. Transfer to bowl, add remaining ingredients. Stir
to combine. Do ahead at least 24 hours. Stir several times during the 24 hours to mix ingredients together so
the sugar gets dissolved. (I usually forget to do this and it still turns out great, so don’t sweat it.)

Serve with tortilla chips or really anything that can be used as a shovel to get this salsa into your mouth.