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There are many definitions of relish, but what they all come down to is that any relish today is, basically, a chunky condiment! Basic relish ingredients are vinegar, salt, and sugar, and any relish is a kind of pickle. The history of using vinegar or salt to pickle food goes back to the beginnings of human history. For centuries it was the best way to preserve food for a long time. Travelers need preserved foods, so did people living where cold winter months prevented them from growing food. So, they soaked fresh fruits, meats, or vegetables in an acidic liquid or saltwater brine until they weren’t raw or open to spoiling. Other methods of preserving food (Drying, freezing, fermenting, canning) came later. We still use relishes to add flavor to dishes, or enhance them, like mint sauce and redcurrant jelly help cut the fattiness of lamb chops.
Ingredients
1 large orange
1 lb. cranberries
½ cup liqueur (gin/vodka/Cointreau/Curaçao)
1/4 to ½ cup sugar to taste
Method
Peel orange skin and chop it into tiny pieces.
Empty the chopped orange skin into large bowl.
Remove the pith from the orange segments and cut them into small pieces.
Add the orange pieces to the peel in the large bowl.
Chop the cranberries into tiny pieces. Discard any soft berries.
Add the cranberries to the orange mixture.
Add liqueur and sugar and mix well. Your relish should taste very slightly bitter.
Let the relish steep for 24 hours.