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Walnut Cranberry Relish

A sweet and tart relish made with cranberry sauce, strawberry preserves, sugar, cinnamon, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinegar.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Cranberry and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 116 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Walnut Cranberry Relish

Ingredients

Directions

Make the relish

  1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium pan.

  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until thoroughly heated.

  3. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts and vinegar.

  4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Serve

  1. Serve with smoked turkey or ham.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

204Calories
2 gProtein
3 gFat
40 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Strawberry1 cup (152g)49
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Cranberry1 cup raw (100g)46
Walnut1 walnut half (4g)26
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Berrynot in our table0
Saucenot in our table0

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.

  1. Cranberry + cinnamontop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together116 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  2. Cranberry + walnuttop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together51 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

  3. Berry + cranberrytop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together68 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Cinnamon + walnuttop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,147 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  5. Cranberry + strawberrytop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together60 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

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

What each ingredient does

Cranberry sauce
Provides the main body, tartness and fruity bulk of the relish.
Strawberry preserves
Adds sweetness and a thicker, jammy texture to the relish.
Walnuts
Add crunch and a toasted, nutty flavour that contrasts the soft fruit.
Balsamic vinegar or red wine
Adds acidity that brightens the sweetness and balances the relish.

The step that matters

Heat just until thoroughly heated. Heating only until warmed through keeps the fruit bright and holds its shape. Overcooking breaks down the pectin and fruit, leaving the relish runny and dull.

Swap the strawberry

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (berry, cranberry, sauce, sugar, cinnamon, walnut, vinegar):

  1. Vanillafits better
  2. Blueberryfits better
  3. Cherryfits better
  4. Strawberrythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against berry, cranberry, sauce, sugar, cinnamon, walnut, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“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.

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