Home made mincemeat recipe

[Tengu]

I, for one dont like to fuss over xmas presents, while my relatives are hard to shop for. Most people like mince pies, however. Home made mincemeat is very easy to make, and yet it is one of those dishes that people think is difficult, so this is a good way to impress people.

MINCEMEAT

1/2 lb apples, cored
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb currants
1/2 lb suet
1/2 lb brown sugar
1 lemon, pips removed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
1 cup sherry

you will need about six standard sized jam jars.

put lemon and apples though mincer (or finley chop), add to other ingredients in bowl, mix well

and jar up. If a little dry, add more water/sherry


ANOTHER INGREDIENTS LIST
1/2 lb apples
1 1/2 lb mixed dried fruit
1/2 lb brown sugar
1/2 lb suet
1 lemon
2 oz chopped nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup brandy

Old fashioned mincemeat would have had more spices; try doubling the amounts given.

 

[rik_uk3]

The Sherry sounds good Seriously, a nice recipe :You_Rock_

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Just a quick question, how long does it keep for ?

Good recipies

 

[Ogri the trog]

Just a quick question, how long does it keep for ?

.....Two possibly three days tops

Ogri the trog

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

.....Two possibly three days tops

Ogri the trog

Silly sod !

 

[scanker]

Looks a nice recipe. I've made mincemeat with meat for the first time this year. I haven't tried it yet - it's in jars in the fridge. It's supposed to be good - a not-so-sickly alternative to traditional mincemeat.

 

[Tengu]

Its not sickly, its mostly dried fruit.

unlike the shop stuff which is mostly apple and sugar and unspeakable vegitarian by product.

it keeps for about a year.

 

[scanker]

Sorry Tengu, I wasn't implying your recipe was sickly, I was making a sweeping generalisation about the mincemeat you normally find in shop bought mince pies.

 

[Wettstuff]

Tengu, excellent recipie. Ive just made some. Only trouble is not much of it made it into the jars

Little tip: dont go over board with the sherry, i kind of slipped when i was pouring it in (hic), not even sunday dinner yet and i feel rather merry

Mark

 

[Stumpy]

The Tenants on Scottish estates paid their rent in kind, a combination of grain, peats, eggs, hens, geese, lambs, straw and marts. Marts were the cattle slaughtered at Martinmas, a traditional feast in November. Cattle were slaughtered because it was difficult to feed them over the winter. The Laird's house would have a glut of meat and some of it could be preserved for a short time by mincing it and mixing with sugar, fruit, wine and spices. This is the original "minced meat".
The recipe below came from Lady Urquhart's recipe book (her husband was Captain John Urquhart, owner of the Cromarty Estates 1741 - 1756.

Minced Pyes

6 lbs Beef, 12 Apples (hashed), 8 lbs Suet, 3 lbs Sugar, 6 lbs Currants, 2 lbs Raisins, Peel of 1 Orange, 1-1/2 ozs Nutmeg, 1-1/2 ozs Cinnamon, 1-1/2 ozs of Cloves and Mace, a trace of Ginger, 1/2 pint Rose water, 1 pint White Wine, 1/2 pint sack, salt and pepper.
Mix all together and it will keep for a month or more.

 

[Stumpy]

The Tenants on Scottish estates paid their rent in kind, a combination of grain, peats, eggs, hens, geese, lambs, straw and marts. Marts were the cattle slaughtered at Martinmas, a traditional feast in November. Cattle were slaughtered because it was difficult to feed them over the winter. The Laird's house would have a glut of meat and some of it could be preserved for a short time by mincing it and mixing with sugar, fruit, wine and spices. This is the original "minced meat".
The recipe below came from Lady Urquhart's recipe book (her husband was Captain John Urquhart, owner of the Cromarty Estates 1741 - 1756).

Minced Pyes

6 lbs Beef, 12 Apples (hashed), 8 lbs Suet, 3 lbs Sugar, 6 lbs Currants, 2 lbs Raisins, Peel of 1 Orange, 1-1/2 ozs Nutmeg, 1-1/2 ozs Cinnamon, 1-1/2 ozs of Cloves and Mace, a trace of Ginger, 1/2 pint Rose water, 1 pint White Wine, 1/2 pint sack, salt and pepper.
Mix all together and it will keep for a month or more.

 

[Tengu]

Doesnt that sound yummy?

It wouldnt keep for a month with me!

Glad you like it Wetstuff. Only add enough sherry or brandy to keep it moist.

 

[Wettstuff]

Thanks tengu,
That would be where i went wrong then, haha. I ust admit it is rather moist now, oh well looks like i wil have to make some more

Mark

 

[Toddy]

The Tenants on Scottish estates paid their rent in kind, a combination of grain, peats, eggs, hens, geese, lambs, straw and marts. Marts were the cattle slaughtered at Martinmas, a traditional feast in November. Cattle were slaughtered because it was difficult to feed them over the winter. The Laird's house would have a glut of meat and some of it could be preserved for a short time by mincing it and mixing with sugar, fruit, wine and spices. This is the original "minced meat".
The recipe below came from Lady Urquhart's recipe book (her husband was Captain John Urquhart, owner of the Cromarty Estates 1741 - 1756).

Minced Pyes

6 lbs Beef, 12 Apples (hashed), 8 lbs Suet, 3 lbs Sugar, 6 lbs Currants, 2 lbs Raisins, Peel of 1 Orange, 1-1/2 ozs Nutmeg, 1-1/2 ozs Cinnamon, 1-1/2 ozs of Cloves and Mace, a trace of Ginger, 1/2 pint Rose water, 1 pint White Wine, 1/2 pint sack, salt and pepper.
Mix all together and it will keep for a month or more.

Thanks for posting this
Somewhere I recall an old recipe for meaty mincemeat, but it uses only local produce; plums, rowans and apples instead of raisins and currants, mutton, suet and a little venison, coriander, nigella, mustard and sweet cecily seeds, honey and barley ale. Beef was expensive, but mutton was common food.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Biddlesby]

So do you not stew it for ages or add something so it sets?

[edit] looked up the recipie and found a great site in the process: http://www.greenchronicle.com . Thank you google!

On the subject of mince pies, I brought 6 today to last me all week: one a day. Unfortunately it now looks like I might have to buy 1 packet per day - as I type I'm munching on the last one!

 

[Stumpy]

Meat Mince Pies.
I found another recipe for mince pies using minced meat on the rivercottage.net website.
Select Seasonal Recipes and scroll down to an article by NeilK.

 

[scanker]

Here's a direct link to the recipe: http://www.rivercottage.net/PrintFriendlyArticle.aspx?artid=593

That's the recipe I used too and cheers for making me smile: I'm neilk!

I've made one lot of mince pies so far and am set to make another couple of batches tonight. I've used less than one jar of mincemeat so far, so it goes a long way.

scanker (aka neilk)

 

[Stumpy]

:You_Rock_
It's a good recipe and has been added to my foodfile.