Name: Cranberry Orange Relish
Ingredients: 1 package fresh cranberries; 1 whole orange; 1 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Why it works: Orange and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓

Cranberry Orange Relish

Ingredients

1 package fresh cranberries
1 whole orange
1 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Directions

Blend cranberries and orange together in food processor until smooth.
Pour into bowl and stir in 1 cup sugar.
Refrigerate and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

111Calories

1 gProtein

0 gFat

28 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 2 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Orange	1 medium (131g)	62
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Orange + sugartop 20% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together19,212 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Orange and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cranberries: Provide the tart base and bulk of the relish, with pectin that helps it set thick when chilled.
Orange: Adds bright citrus aroma and acidity that balances the cranberries' tartness.
Sugar: Sweetens the relish and softens the sharp tartness of the cranberries.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.