Recipe: Classic Mincemeat

I love making homemade mincemeat, because it’s really easy to do – but everyone tends to be impressed when you make your own.

I love making this with S because it’s so easy and she can do most of it herself with a little supervision. None of the measurements need to be exact so it’s a great one to just let small people do for themselves without the need to intervene much.

You can also substitute different ingredients; I often use dried cranberries in place of currants or raisins, and will often leave out the almonds just in case someone has a nut allergy.

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Ingredients:

• 8oz Bramley apples, cored & finely chopped (no need to peel)
• 4oz shredded suet
• 6oz raisins
• 4oz sultanas
• 4oz currants
• 4oz mixed peel
• 6oz soft dark brown sugar
• zest & juice of one orange
• zest & juice of one lemon
• 1oz chopped almonds (optional)
• 2tsp ground mixed spice
• quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch fresh nutmeg
• 3tbsp brandy

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Method

• Add everything except the brandy to a large, ovenproof bowl and mix well
• Cover with a clean cloth and leave for 12 hours
• Remove cloth, mix and place in oven on 120° for 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes or so. I usually put my jam jars in the oven to sterilise at the same time.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool
• Once mixture has cooled, pour the brandy over it, mix and put into jars.

That’s it! I told you it was simple!

If you have a slow cooker you might prefer this recipe for slow cooker mincemeat.