SPICY CRANBERRY MUSTARD THAT’S ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE || QUICK AND EASY TO MAKE

Just one taste of this spicy cranberry mustard and it will have a permanent place on your holiday season menu forever more.

Fresh cranberries just recently hit the grocery store shelves, and they won’t be there long. So, now is the time to take full advantage of all they have to offer.

And, for me, this delicious condiment is one of their finest gifts. It is absolutely delicious, takes just minutes to make, and has seemingly endless uses.

It is the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and sour flavors. I seriously wish I had discovered it years before I did. And I’m willing to bet that you’re going to feel the same.

Choosing Mustard For This Recipe

This spicy cranberry mustard can be made with any mustard you like. However, I encourage you to avoid using cheap yellow mustard. It simply doesn’t do this recipe justice.

A decent dijon or a specialty mustard will compliment the other ingredients in this recipe much better. I have successfully made it with champagne, chardonnay, beer, and dijon mustard.

You may also want to stay away from spicy or honey mustards. These flavors are already represented in this recipe. Adding more of them may have an undesirable result.

Ingredients For This Recipe

It takes just 4 simple ingredients to make this spicy cranberry mustard. Pick them up when you do your weekly grocery shopping, and you can whip this tasty seasonal condiment together in just about 20 minutes one evening this week.

Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need ..

CRANBERRIES – Fresh cranberries are highly recommended for this recipe. The only other option I know of is to use canned cranberry sauce. I have seen it done in many of the recipes out there. But it will definitely detract from the flavor and quality of the finished product.

DIJON MUSTARD – As a rule I use dijon mustard for this recipe. See above section on choosing mustard for this recipe if you would like to substitute a different mustard when you make it.

HONEY – Fresh local honey is recommended for this recipe. But you can use any honey you like. Keep in mind that many commercially produced honey have recently been under scrutiny for containing micro-plastics.

JALAPENO – Fresh jalapeno works best for this spicy condiment. I would imagine that jarred jalapenos would still make it spicy. But they would also impart a vinegar flavor to it, as a result of the brine they are in.

How To Make Spicy Cranberry Mustard

Making spicy cranberry mustard couldn’t be easier. You do have to tend to it while it cooks. So, it takes about 15-20 minutes of your time.

But, it is well worth the investment. It’s so darn delicious. Besides you can putz around the kitchen and tidy up a bit while you watch over the pot.

You’ll start by putting the cranberries and the honey in a pot and placing it on the stove over a low heat. While you’re waiting for it to come to a simmer you can chop the jalapeno.

Then toss it in right away so that it simmers with the other ingredients. You’ll want to simmer this all down until the cranberries pop.

Be sure to stir it regularly so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. It will stick if it gets too thick. You can add a little water to thin it out if you need to simmer it longer in order to cook the jalapenos.

Once the cranberries have popped, and the jalapenos have cooked, you can remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dijon mustard.

It’s best to put the mustard in last, as adding it during the cooking process will make your finished product a little bitter.

It is also best to make this condiment ahead of time. The flavors will continue to meld as it sits. It definitely gets better and better with time.

So, whip up a batch one night and use it to dress up your dinner the next.

Substitutions For This Recipe

There are many different substitutions that you can make in this spicy cranberry mustard. I pretty much covered the substitution above when we talked about choosing the mustard for this recipe.

You can substitute any berry for the cranberries. Of course, it would no longer be cranberry mustard if you used a different berry. But, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be delicious.

So, if you’re feeling adventurous give some blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries a try.

And if you prefer to sweeten your recipes with something other than honey, go right ahead. Maple syrup, date syrup, and sucanat are all great choices if you want to keep it healthy.

But sugar or brown sugar will work well in the recipe if you prefer to use them to sweeten your food.

And, substituting the spicy element of this recipe is just as easy as trading out any of the other ingredients. You can replace the jalapenos with any other spicy pepper. Or, you can toss in some crushed red pepper instead.

You can even go with something much milder like paprika or black pepper if you’re not a huge fan of spicy foods.

As a matter of fact, you can leave the spicy element out altogether if you prefer.

How To Use Spicy Cranberry Mustard

As a woman who loves to share good food with others, I feel obligated to point out that this spicy cranberry mustard is absolutely fabulous on a leftover turkey sandwich.

Using it to jazz up my day after Thanksgiving sandwich is my absolute favorite way to eat it. I put it on a hard roll with turkey and stuffing and escape to the heavens with each bite. You can do it too!

It also tastes great on many other sandwiches; ham, chicken, pork, and even beef all come to mind.

It is terrific served on the side of seafood and sausage. It adds a really tasty touch to holiday charcuterie boards, hot pretzels, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

You can add it to some bbq sauce and use it as a marinade. Or you can blend it with a little olive oil and pour it over a salad.

The possibilities are endless. So, let your imagine run wild.

Give Spicy Cranberry Mustard As A Holiday Gift

I love to give this spicy cranberry mustard as a gift for the holidays. Everyone loves to receive a little something that has been made with love by your own hands.

And this is especially well received when it is accompanied by a loaf of homemade bread and couple of big ‘ol hunks of specialty cheese.

It presents really well in a simple mason jar. But I’ve gotten my hands on cute little jars a time or two which was especially nice. So, go that way if you can.

It is so thrifty and simple to make that it goes easy on the wallet too. It’s perfect as a hostess gift when you’re invited out over the holidays.

And it makes a really great gift for all of your favorite service people.

Don’t forget to include a card with the recipe for the mustard written on it along with the gift. People really appreciate that they can make more of this tasty condiment if they like.

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