RECIPE FOR CRANBERRY RELISH

The above pictures are the main ingredients for the cranberry relish.

And the food grinder and very large bread board are the methods employed by my mother because there was no other method to chop/grind items for food preparation.

1. Place large cutting board on kitchen table. Affix metal food grinder on cutting board. Place 50 to 60 pound child on cutting board to keep the food grinder from sliding around. Yell at child continuously while grinding up a one pound bag of fresh cranberries (after first having picked out the soft squishy ones).

2. Before grinding the berries, station a second child with a large bowel beneath the grinder to catch the juice that drips down the clamp of the grinder, this will be used as part of the liquid in the jello reciped. Do not forget to yell constantly at the child holding the bowl.

3. With the two children still in position, quarter one whole juicy orange and grind that up as well.

4. Remove the ground berries and orange mixture. Let the children go outside to play or take the clothes from the line and bring them inside or what ever other chore is to be accomplished.

5. Cover ground cranberry orange mixture with two cups of sugar, let stand one hour.

6. In between washing up the bits and pieces of the food grinder and the cutting board, Chop 1/2 cup celery into small slices and chop 1 cup of walnuts. The original recipe calls for half these amounts but I like the extra crunch.

7. Use the juice in the bowl and extra water if necessary to make 2 cups of liquid, bring to a boil, stir in one large box of black cherry jello, stir until dissolved.
If recipe on box calls for another two cups of liquid, cut it to one cup and this will make a the relish nice and firm.

8. Stir in the chopped celery and chopped walnuts into the ground cranberry and orange mixture.

9. When jello begins to slightly thicken, pour into the berry orange mixture and allow to set over night.

ALTERNATE PREPARATION METHOD:

Drag out shiny blender. Fill with 2 cups water, drop in half bag of whole cranberries, grind, drain in strainer, save juice in pan. Continue until all of bag is gone and quarter orange using similar amounts of water and draining.
I have found that over the years the old recipe of using a one pound bag of cranberries no longer holds true, the 2009 cranberry bags weigh closer to half a poundm, so purchase TWO bags of whole cranberries to get the same solid relish effect.

This has been a family favorite for years. The original recipe called for Lemon jello which makes a fairly tart relish. I sometimes have despaired finding Black Cherry jello. At some point in the future I may be reduced to shopping on Ebay for my jello.