Fresh Cranberry Orange Salad

Today I want to share a fresh cranberry and orange salad recipe with you.
It's easy to make and comes together in just a few minutes.

To me, cranberries are associated with this time of year and with holiday meals.
When cranberries are plentiful at the grocery store, I buy a few bags and freeze them.  This way I can enjoy them throughout the upcoming months in different recipes as well.

Another fruit that signifies this time of year for me is oranges.
We always buy a box of navels from our school's FFA organization (Future Farmers of America).

The simple combination of cranberries and oranges (along with some sugar) offers a welcome sweet/tart contrast to all the cookies and pies coming my way.

The colorful presentation that the cranberries and oranges give make you definitely eat with your eyes first.
The cranberries offer different shades of red, while the vibrant orange color pulls you in closer to inspect the beauty that peeks through.

I made this over the weekend...
a little to eat now and some to freeze.
All I will need to do for Thanksgiving is thaw it in the fridge ;-

I like to use an unpeeled orange for this recipe, enjoying the rind ground right into this salad.
I cut the orange into eighths, making it easier to incorporate with the small cranberries.

Here's the easy recipe:

Fresh Cranberry Orange Salad

12 ounce bag of cranberries, rinsed and drained

1 unpeeled orange, seeded, and cut into eighths

1/2 - 1 cup sugar

Place half the cranberries and half the orange slices into a food processor.

Process until evenly chopped.

Transfer to a bowl.

Repeat with remaining cranberries and orange slices.

Stir in 1/2 cup sugar.

Taste.

Add 1/4 cup more sugar at a time, stirring, and tasting until your desired sweetness is accomplished.

Store in the refrigerator or in the freezer (using freezer containers).