[1] Cranberry-orange relish is one of our favorite Thanksgiving sides (photo © Ocean Spray).

[2] This recipe, from Healthy Seasonal Recipes, substitutes raspberry jam for some of the sugar (photo © Healthy Seasonal Recipes).

[3] Whole fresh cranberries last for months in the fridge. We pop them into the freezer to make this relish year-round (photo © Ocean Spray).

November 22nd is National Cranberry Relish Day. Tomorrow, November 23rd, is National Eat a Cranberry Day.

In terms of National Cranberry Day: There is none. Not yet. Nor is there a National Cranberry Sauce Day.

But this is as good a time as any to state the difference between the two:

 
On to the relish. This classic cranberry-orange relish recipe from Ocean Spray is simple and delicious—and there’s no cooking required!

We make it year-round*, and enjoy it as a condiment with grilled meats and fish, sandwiches, and as a yogurt and mayo mix-in. You can use it to top ice cream, sorbet, waffles—it’s a very flexible condiment.

We’ve appended our own list of optional mix-ins to Ocean Spray’s recipe.

For a formal dinner, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, we add Grand Marnier for a subtle touch of elegance.

Check out all of these uses for cranberry relish.
 
 
RECIPE: OCEAN SPRAY CRANBERRY-ORANGE RELISH

Ingredients For 3 Cups

 
Optional Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE half of the cranberries and half of the orange slices in the food processor bowl. If using the apple, add half of it as well. Process until the mixture is evenly chopped, then transfer to a bowl (we pulse it 5-6 times because we like a chunky relish).

2. REPEAT with the remaining cranberries and orange slices (and optional apple). Stir in the sugar and optional ingredient(s). If using nuts, wait until just before serving to stir them in.

3. LET the bowl sit for 30 minutes or more to let the flavors meld. You can store the relish in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, covered; or in the freezer.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CRANBERRIES
 
 
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*Bags of whole cranberries last a long time in the fridge. We keep half of our stock in the freezer. Some markets carry frozen cranberries year-round.

Yesterday we offered seven tips to fix gravy that was too thick, too thin, too salty, etc.

So now that you have your perfect gravy, how can you keep it warm?

It’s simple: Use your thermos!

This tip works with gravy made in advance, as well as gravy whipped up just before serving…and the extra gravy in the pot on the stove, that you’re keeping to refill the gravy boat.

Once your gravy is smooth and tasty as you want it, pre-warm the thermos by rinsing it with hot water. Then add the gravy.

It will stay warm for hours!

You can use any thermos that you have—or borrow one.

If you have a thermos carafe that is nice enough to bring to the table, so much the better.

An attractive thermos carafe can come to the table to keep gravy hot throughout the meal (photo Keynis | Amazon).

A lighter-color gravy is made with a blonde roux. Here’s the recipe from Cook Eat Paleo.

[3] For a darker gravy, use a brown roux. Here’s a recipe from Life Love Liz.

Basic gravy is made of three ingredients: butter or other fat, stock or other liquid, and flour to thicken and bind them together. Numerous other ingredients can be used—herbs, giblets, mushrooms, onions, pan drippings, seasonings, etc.

Sounds simple enough; yet of all the foods on the Thanksgiving table, gravy is the one that seems to give cooks the most anxiety.

Forewarned is forearmed. Here are common gravy problems, and how to work around them.
 
 
1. THE GRAVY IS TOO THIN

Note that gravy thickens as it cools, so first consider if you have an issue.

Next, you can let the gravy continue to simmer on the stove top, without a lid. For a quicker fix, use one of these starches:

 
 
2. THE GRAVY IS TOO THICK

Thin it with beef, chicken or vegetable broth, or water. Whisk in the liquid until you have reached the desired consistency.
 
 
3. THE GRAVY IS LUMPY

The way to avoid lumps is to add the flour slowly, so it doesn’t lump. Whisk the gravy constantly as you do this.

A trick is to mix the flour with water or stock before adding it to the gravy. This enables the flour to start dissolving before being added to the gravy, and reduces the chances of lumps forming.

If you do have lumps, however:

 
 
4. THE GRAVY IS TOO SALTY

If it’s lightly oversalted, add a peeled, quartered raw potato and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the potato and taste the gravy. If it’s still too salty:

 
If it’s severely oversalted, the only solution is to increase the quantity. Prepare another batch of gravy without any salt and blend the two batches together.

There’s nothing wrong with light-colored gravy. As you can see from the photos, gravy comes in a range of colors, depending on the recipe.

Most recipes start with a roux (ROO), made by cooking flour in the fat (pan drippings, butter or oil). The roux will be white, blonde or brown, depending on how long it is is cooked; the color determines the color of the gravy.

But if the color of the gravy bothers you, here are two options to darken it:

 
 
6. THE GRAVY IS TOO GREASY

For an immediate fix, skim the fat off the top. If it’s still greasy, top it with a slice of fresh bread to sop up the grease.

If you have more time, chill the gravy. The fat will congeal on the top, making it easy to skim. Then, just reheat and serve.
 
 
7. THE GRAVY COLOR IS TOO LIGHT

While some people plan for 1/2 cup of gravy per person, we recommend that you double it: one cup per person. You don’t want to run out of gravy, and it allows a good supply for leftovers. Plus, it freezes nicely.

Another way to plan ahead is to buy a couple of packets of McCormick turkey gravy mix. Just add water, and in five minutes you have hot gravy.

In a pinch, make more gravy with 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of white wine, 1/2 stick butter. Combine in a saucepan over medium heat, slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of flour, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
 
 
Have other gravy tips? Let us know!