Mamas Mincemeat Recipes

MEATLESS MINCEMEAT PIE

Steps:

• Combine mincemeat, apples, raisins, cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar, lemon juice and rum or apple juice in a glass or plastic bowl, mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove mincemeat filling from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare pastry according to directions. Stir mincemeat filling and pour into prepared pie plate. Top with second pie crust, crimp edges and make slits or make a lattice top.
• Bake in preheated oven on low shelf for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully, you may need to cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.
• Papa's Pie Crust Recipe: http://www.cookingmamas.com/papas-pie-crust.html

MINCEMEAT

Steps:

• Combine cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a bowl. Reserve 1 heaped teaspoon for the mincemeat. Store the rest in a small jar for a later use.
• Inspect two 12-ounce jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until mincemeat is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Combine apple, sultanas, sugar, currants, raisins, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat and stir gently until butter has melted. Stir in chopped almonds, orange zest, 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set mincemeat aside to cool down for 30 minutes. Stir in brandy. Spoon into sterilized jars.

MUM'S MINCEMEAT

Steps:

• Melt suet in a saucepan over medium-low heat; strain liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and discard solids. Refrigerate liquid until again solid.
• Grate solid suet, measure 12 ounces of grated suet into a bowl, and set aside.
• Stir brown sugar, sultana raisins, dark raisins, currants, fruit peel, almonds, allspice, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; add grated suet and stir. Fold grated apple through the mixture.
• Cover bowl loosely with aluminum foil and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring once daily, until fermented, 3 to 5 days. Refrigerate until needed.

HOMEMADE MINCEMEAT

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients, except the brandy, in a large ovenproof glass or ceramic bowl.
• Cover with a cloth and leave for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Place the bowl in the oven and leave it there for 3 hours.
• Remove and let the mincemeat cool.
• Now stir in the brandy and spoon into clean jars.
• Cover with waxed discs, seal and label.

JAMES BEARD'S MINCEMEAT

Steps:

• "Begin by assembling a goodly supply of Cognac, apple brandy, sherry, and if you can find it, boiled cider. If not, settle for more apple brandy or applejack and more Cognac. You can also use up any odd liqueur or that bottle you were given last Christmas and have kept hidden on a shelf. All these things will help to make your mincemeat better.".
• Boil the rump and tongue separately in salted water until tender. Let the rump cool until it can be handled, remove the excess fat, and chop coarsely or put through the coarse blade of a meat grinder.
• Let the tongue cool, remove the skin, and chop or grind coarsely.
• Chop the beef suet very finely and combine it in a crock with the meats.
• Add raisins, sultanas, currants, citron, peels and mix well.
• Add sugar and jams and salt. Mix spices together and mix into the mixture in the crock.
• Mix ingredients well with the hands and then cover the mixture with Sherry, Cognac, etc. -- enough to a make a rather loose mixture.
• Cover tightly and let rest for 2 weeks.
• Uncover and taste and add more spirits if necessary. Let rest for another 2 weeks before using.
• At this point, if you wish to store the mincemeat in smaller containers, transfer it to sterilized jars or crocks, add more liquor, and seal or cover them tightly.
• The mincemeat will keep more or less indefinitely in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
• When using for pies, Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tart apple to each 2 1/2 to 3 cups mincemeat. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking until crust is well browned.