Christmas Mincemeat
Home-made mincemeat is, I think, much nicer than shop-bought. Even the “luxury" mincemeat found on the supermarket shelves is not as good as one you can produce with a bit of spare time (it really is relatively quick to make) and with good quality dried fruit.
You can also vary which dried fruit you prefer – for me, lovely fat flame raisins and sultanas are preferable to currants, but these things are very much dependent on taste.
I find the shop-bought mincemeats are very sweet, and I do like the zing that brandy and citrus zest add to the general enjoyment. However, sugar extends the time for which something can be stored – as does alcohol, and I imagine that the relatively lower cost of prepared jars purchased in shops is only possible if there is not much brandy or rum in it.
In the past, minced meat was included in this festive treat, and dried fruit would have been something of a luxury. From the middle of the last century, chopped suet and dried fruit replaced the minced mutton. Suet was made from the layer of hard fat found coating ox kidneys.
As a dedicated vegetarian, I cannot say any of this appeals, but now vegetarian suet is easily found in most grocers’ shops and supermarkets. Vegan suet has been harder to track down; unless it’s in blocks for bird feeders, I have only located it via online sites.
If it’s difficult to find vegetarian suet, use really hard butter, chopped into fine pieces. Perhaps a vegan hard baking fat might be substituted?
You need:
- 2 small eating apples, washed and chopped finely - no need to peel
- 4 oz (113g) veg suet or chopped up fat
- 6 oz (170g) raisins
- 3 oz (85g) sultanas
- 2 oz (57g) chopped dried apricots, or cranberries
- 2 oz (57g) currants
- 4 oz (113g) chopped mixed peel
- 2 oz (57g) chopped whole almonds
- 6 oz (170g) soft brown sugar
- Grated zest of an orange and a lemon*
- 2 teaspoonfuls of mixed ground spice**
- Good pinch of ground cinnamon**
- Grated nutmeg**
- Copious amounts of brandy or rum*
*Use the juice of the citrus fruit if you don’t want to use much brandy.
**Vary the quantities of mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg to suit your own taste.
Method:
Prepare all the ingredients by putting them together in a big mixing bowl and stir very thoroughly.
Cover the bowl and leave it to soak for about 24 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar, brandy and juice are thoroughly mixed in.
Pack in jars in a cool place and store till you want to make pies, though you can use it as soon as the fruit has soaked up enough of the brandy or rum and juice to be nicely plumped up.