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This easy homemade Cranberry Chutney is both tart and sweet at the same time and spiced with just a touch of nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

Easy Cranberry Chutney
Growing up in the 70s, my family’s Thanksgiving dinner always included my grandmother’s pumpkin pies with Cool Whip, sweet potatoes, green beans, a BIG turkey (we had a BIG family!) with homemade cornbread dressing, and a can of jellied cranberry sauce sliced on a plate.
I’d never had Cranberry Chutney until after I got married and dined at my in-laws for Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law made a marvelous chutney full of cranberries, oranges, apples, nuts, and other good things, but it was very time consuming to make.
I very quickly became a big fan of homemade cranberry sauces and chutneys. This year, I’m trying a new recipe for a chutney that is so easy and quick to prepare – I love saving time when there’s a big menu to get ready!
This Cranberry Chutney is both tart and sweet at the same time and is spiced with just a touch of nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and mustard seeds for a nice texture.

Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries
- Sugar
- Water
- Navel oranges
- Mustard seeds
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Cloves
Instructions
- The hardest part of this chutney is zesting and juicing the oranges, but that only takes a few minutes. For me, zesting oranges is one of my favorite cooking tasks. Maybe that’s because oranges are used in a lot of aromatherapy to release tension – I can always use a little of that!
- Once the zesting and juicing is done, simply toss all the ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and cook for about 20 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and the chutney is thickened.
- Let the chutney cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. How simple it that?
My microplane zester is also one of my favorite kitchen tools. If you don’t have one, you need one!
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Let’s cook!
With this recipe, it’s easy to adjust the sugar or spices to your taste. If you prefer your Cranberry Chutney a little sweeter, add a little extra sugar.
If you like it a little spicy, then add a little extra ginger or cloves. Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
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Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 8 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 medium navel oranges juice and zest
- 3 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Rinse cranberries and place in a large pot. Add the zest and juice from the oranges along with the remaining ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until most of the cranberries "pop" and the mixture is thick. Cool completely; then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
