Spicy holiday gifts, perfect for the Thanksgiving table

No matter what you are serving for the upcoming holidays, one way to spice up your meal is with seasonal condiments made at home.|

No matter what you are serving for the upcoming holidays, one way to spice up your meal is with seasonal condiments made at home. The most traditional meal will soar with the addition of, say, spiced raisins or cranberry salsa.

Before you get started, check to see that you have the right containers. Anything with a significant amount of vinegar or lemon juice should be stored in glass or porcelain and sealed with a nonmetal lid. Canning jars are, of course, perfect. For vinegars, 375-milliliter clear glass bottles with cork or plastic closures work best.

A gift of food is always a gift of love, and this year such offerings will be particularly welcome, as so many of us do not and will not have a kitchen in time to cook for the holidays. Those who find themselves in temporary homes will need time to replace all the cooking essentials they have lost.

Raisins cooked in vinegar and sugar make a remarkably delicious condiment that is all but foolproof. It also keeps for weeks. It is delicious with roasted pork, roasted turkey and roasted root vegetables, especially if parsnips and carrots are involved.

Hot Spiced Raisins

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup, packed, brown sugar

? cup white wine vinegar

1 cinnamon stick

3 thin lemon slices

- Generous pinch of kosher salt

1 ½ cups raisins

Combine the brown sugar, vinegar and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and add ? cup water. Set over a medium flame, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring gently all the while.

Add the sliced lemon, kosher salt and raisins and cook 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Remove from the heat and let rest for 30 minutes.

Transfer to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use; serve hot.

Few foods are more beautiful in their natural state than pomegranates. Whole fruit makes a lovely centerpiece and the arils make a gorgeous garnish on everything from rice salads to leg of lamb. This tangy condiment is delicious on roasted winter squash (puréed or not), turkey gumbo and other dishes made with leftover turkey.

Pomegranate Gremolata

Makes about 1½ cups

1 shallot, minced

- Zest of 1 lime

- Juice of 1 lime

- Kosher salt

4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoon chopped fresh spearmint leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

- Arils from 1 ripe pomegranate

Put the shallot into a medium bowl, add the lime zest and juice, season with salt and set aside for a few minutes.

Add the parsley, mint and cilantro and toss gently. Add the pomegranate arils, toss again, taste and correct for salt and acid.

Use as a condiment. Stored in the refrigerator, it will last for up to 2 or 3 days, though it is best used within a day.

If you serve a green salad on Thanksgiving, this simple vinaigrette will please your guests and leave them refreshed, as well. It is also delicious drizzled over salads of sliced avocado, fresh grapefruit and persimmons.

Persephone’s Pleasure

Makes about 1 cup

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons McEvoy Champagne Vinegar or O Pomegranate Vinegar

- Pinch of sugar

- Kosher salt

½ cup freshly squeezed pomegranate juice

- Grated zest of ½ orange

- Black pepper in a mill

? cup mildly-flavored extra virgin olive oil

Put the shallot in a small bowl, cover with the vinegar and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the sugar and several generous pinches of salt, and then stir in the pomegranate juice, orange zest and several turns of black pepper.

Whisk in the olive oil, taste and correct for salt and pepper as needed. Taste again, and if it’s a bit flat, add a pinch more sugar, which will boost the pomegranate flavor.

Use right away or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.

Of all flavored vinegars, this one is perhaps the most beautiful. The fresh cranberries tint the vinegar quickly; when stored in clear glass jars, the strained vinegar shimmers like liquid rubies. Use in vinagrettes and mignonettes.

Cranberry Vinegar

Makes 1 quart

4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped

2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

4 cups white wine or Champagne vinegar

Put the cranberries into a glass or porcelain jar or crock, add the cardamom and add the vinegar. Add a square of parchment paper on top of the jar and close it with its lid.

Set in a cool pantry or refrigerator for at least two days and as long as a week.

Set a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth over a large deep bowl and pour the contents of the jar into the strainer. Stir to help release the liquid and let drain until no more liquid is released. Alternately, strain through a paper coffee filter.

Pour into glass bottles, seal with a cork or other nonmetal closure and store away from heat and light. Use within 6 months or so.

Here’s an ideal way to spice up both your holiday table and all those wonderful leftovers.

Cranberry Salsa

Makes about 2½ cups

1 package (12 ounces) cranberries, washed and picked through for soft berries

1-2 serranos, minced

1 small red onion, cut into small dice

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cranberry vinegar, pomegranate vinegar, or orange flower vinegar

¼ cup blood orange olive oil or extra virgin olive oil of choice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

Put the cranberries into a food processor and pulse until they are minced but not completely pulverized. Transfer to a small mixing bowl, add the serranos and onion and toss. Add the sugar, vinegar, olive oil, cilantro and sage and toss again.

Taste and season with salt and pepper; adjust for acid balance. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. The salsa will keep, stored in the refrigerator, for 2 to 3 days.

If you enjoy giving homemade holiday gifts, this beautiful and delicious chutney is a great option. It has a lovely depth of flavor and works as a condiment with chicken, turkey and duck. It is delicious on sandwiches and is outstanding on a cheese platter.

Cranberry Pear Chutney

Makes approximately 4 pints

8 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked through for soft berries

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 red onions, cut into small dice

2-3 serranos, stemmed, seeded, and minced

2 cups currants

2-2 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups cranberry vinegar or apple cider vinegar

­- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

½ teaspoon each ground cardamom, cloves, cayenne pepper, and allspice

3 pears, peeled, cored, and minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Put the cranberries into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to mince them evenly; work in batches if your processor is a small one.

Transfer the cranberries to a large saucepan and add the garlic, onion, serranos, currants, sugar, vinegar, ginger, spices and pears. Add the salt and stir.

Set over medium low heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.

Carefully taste the chutney and adjust for acid balance and sugar. If it seems at all flat, add another teaspoon of salt.

Ladle into sterilized half-pint jars, seal, cool and store in the refrigerator. Use within a couple of months.

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