Mincemeat has been around for centuries, and is still a holiday staple in England. This version from my Father's journal is vegetarian, full of flavors from raisins, citrus, applies, spices and brandy. For more information on the origin of mincemeat, see "Christmas Pie and Puritans" in the Tips and Techniques section of the site.
Peel and core the apples, and chop into small pieces about the size of raisins.
Scrub the skin of the oranges and lemons, chop them, skin and all, but remove any seeds. The pieces should also be about the size of the raisins. If you have a food processor, it works really well for oranges and lemons as well as the apples. It doesn't matter that the pieces will be slightly different sizes.
Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl, or any glass, stainless steel, or ceramic container. Stir so all ingredients are combined. Cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator.
The mincemeat should marinade for at least 72 hours, and should be stirred at least once each day. After the 72 hours, it's ready to use, or may be stored in the refrigerator in sealed glass jars for up to 2 months.
If you find that after 72 hours, there is still a lot of liquid, use a slotted spoon to drain the excess off when transferring the mincemeat into a pie crust or cookie batter.
Depending on how dry the raisins and currants are, varying amounts of liquid will be absorbed, so its difficult to be exact.
Note - Brandy is an important ingredient in this mixture, but if you choose not to use it, add a bit more apple cider. .
Ingredients
Directions
Peel and core the apples, and chop into small pieces about the size of raisins.
Scrub the skin of the oranges and lemons, chop them, skin and all, but remove any seeds. The pieces should also be about the size of the raisins. If you have a food processor, it works really well for oranges and lemons as well as the apples. It doesn't matter that the pieces will be slightly different sizes.
Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl, or any glass, stainless steel, or ceramic container. Stir so all ingredients are combined. Cover with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator.
The mincemeat should marinade for at least 72 hours, and should be stirred at least once each day. After the 72 hours, it's ready to use, or may be stored in the refrigerator in sealed glass jars for up to 2 months.
If you find that after 72 hours, there is still a lot of liquid, use a slotted spoon to drain the excess off when transferring the mincemeat into a pie crust or cookie batter.
Depending on how dry the raisins and currants are, varying amounts of liquid will be absorbed, so its difficult to be exact.
Note - Brandy is an important ingredient in this mixture, but if you choose not to use it, add a bit more apple cider. .