Relish this relish!
By Jeanne O’Connor
WALSENBURG- My fondest memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas were of my mom and dad cooking together in the kitchen. Dad would get up at the crack of dawn to start his famous, secret stuffing. Meanwhile, mom was gathering items for her delicious and most coveted recipe of cranberry relish. I can still remember, sitting in the warm, scent-filled kitchen in my pajamas, watching the two of them in that small kitchen, jovially jockeying for space to cook. They would each try to out do each other in who could get up the earliest in order to first get the best knife, cutting board and meat grinder. This was in the days before food processors and mom would have to run the whole, fresh cranberries through the meat grinder in order to chop them up. Then the other items, like celery and nuts, each went into the grinder. Of course, dad had to use the grinder too, for the celery and other items going into his stuffing. It was a wonderful family time for me to watch them lovingly tease each other and try to grab the meat grinder when the other one wasn’t looking. At that time, I hated anything to do with cranberries, but my mom’s recipe was always delicious, and I loved to be the official taster, especially getting to lick the Jell-O bowl. Chockfull of cranberries, nuts and raspberry Jell-O, it was delightful to the palate. Everyone called upon Alice to make her relish and just as many now call upon me for the very same recipe. The most important feature of this cranberry relish is that mom claimed that “this will keep from Thanksgiving to Christmas, if too many people don’t nibble”. No kidding!!! If people don’t get greedy, it really will last that long, but be sure to make a big batch. Once you have tried this scrumptious recipe for cranberry relish, you’ll never go back to just plopping a can of cranberry sauce on a plate again.
CRANBERRY RELISH
• One large and one small package of Raspberry Jell-O.
• One and ½ cups sugar
• Dissolve Jell-O and sugar in 3 cups of hot water.
• Grind one package of whole cranberries and one cup celery.
• Add one cup walnuts broken in small pieces and one small can of crushed pineapple with juice. Add to cooled Jell-O and refrigerate.
This will keep from Thanksgiving to Christmas, if too many people don’t nibble.
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