This sweet, easy homemade mincemeat recipe is a perfect filling for your Christmas mincepies. It is so easy to make and you can modify the fruits and the spices to suit your own tastes and needs.
Why not try it and see?
I guess most of us associate sweet mincemeat with Christmas time. I’ve some very fond memories of being offered mince pies when visiting friends and family. And don’t forget, if Santa is calling at your house on Christmas Eve that you need to leave him a mincepie, as a thank you, along with a tasty carrot for Rudolph.
Way back in the past, mincemeat consisted of meat, hence the name, suet, fruit and spices. It was a way of preserving meat. Fortunately for us, the meat has disappeared from the recipe and the suet is now most often vegetable based. The spices have more or less remained the same as those used in medieval times. But enough of history, these days mincemeat is sweet, fruity, citrussy and an essential part of Christmas feasting.
This easy homemade mincemeat recipe is really simple to make. I know you can buy good mincemeat these days and better labelling means that you’re pretty confident about what is in it but I still like to make my own. It’s a bit of a traditon with me and I’ve used this recipe for years. I can vary the fruit, alter the spices and make my own decisions about the fats and sugars. If you have young children they may even like to take a turn at stirring… and older ones may like to do a little measuring. It may get messy but it’ll be fun.
What you need to make sweet mincemeat
To begin, gather up your ingredients. This is a pretty quick recipe to make once you prepare the fruit – such as chopping apricots, zesting and squeezing the orange and lemon and of course, grating the apple.
You will need;
- dried cranberries
- dried apricots – chopped into small-ish pieces
- sultanas, currants, raisins – a nice mix of vine fruits.
- lemon and orange – juice of both fruits plus zest. (Zest them before juicing them – it’s much easier that way)
- mixed spice – an aromatic mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. If you do not have this spice, Pumpkin spice is very similar.
- bramley apple – you can get these pretty much everywhere bit if you can’t, you need an apple suited to cooking. Peel it and grate it and it’s ready.
- butter or non-dairy margarine – if you use butter, grate it so that it is easier to incorporate in the mincemeat. If you use non-dairy margarine, ensure that it is ok to bake with it and mix it into the sugar before mixing it into the rest of the fruit mixture. You may substitue an equal amount of vegetable suet if you wish.
- soft brown sugar – this sweetens the entire recipe and gives it a lovely caramelly flavour.
How to make this easy homemade mincemeat recipe
The steps are quite straightforward.
Time needed: 8 hours and 15 minutes
This timing takes into account the mincemeat resting in the fridge overnight. It is not vital but it does help all the gorgeous flavours to mix and meld and the fruit to plump up.
- Using vegetable suet or grated butter
If you are using vegetable suet or grated butter, just measure all the ingredients into the bowl and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Using non-dairy margarine
If you are using non-dairy margarine then you may find it easier to mix the margarine and the sugar together and then gradually stir in the fruit and fruit juices until everything it fairly well amalgamated.
- Pop it into the fridge overnight
Whichever fat you used, once everything is combined, pop it in the fridge overnight for the flavours to develop, the fruit to plump up and the spices to make friends with everything else.
- Storing in jars
The following day, give the mincemeat a really good stir and spoon it into clean jars.
What else can I use in my mincemeat if I don’t like something?
There are lots of variations that you can make to this basic recipe.
- Omit a fruit and replace it with another at the same amount. You could also use more of a fruit that is already in the recipe. Your aim is to use the same amount of fruit in total. Other fruits such as dates or dried apple are also really good in mincemeat.
- alter the spices – add a little more cinnamon or a nice grating of nutmeg.
- feel in need of some warming festive cheer? Add around 40ml of something like brandy or port to the fruit. Santa will probably welcome that… the nights get chilly.
- leave out the lemon and use two medium oranges instead
Is this mincemeat suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes it is, provided that you use a suitable non-dairy margarine or vegetable suet (check the label).
Is this Mincemeat gluten-free?
This mincemeat is gluten free, just ensure that if you use vegetable suet that that is gluten-free. Some vegetable suets are coated in flour to ensure that the grains stay separate. If you cannot find a guten-free version then use either grated butter or non-dairy margarine mixing them into the mincemeat as described in the instructions.
Storing this easy homemade mincemeat recipe
This mincemeat will store for up to a week in the fridge. It will happily freeze in a suitable container for upto 3 months. (Remember to leave a little room for the contents to expand when you fill your container. Believe me if it does overflow, it makes a mess.)
Uses for this mincemeat
The obvious one to suggest is mincepies but it can also be used in cakes and in tray bakes. So, if by some strange chance you don’t get to use it all for pies it will be useful for other lucious things.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe – How will you use yours?
Sweet, spiced dried fruit nestling beneath meltingly soft, pastry … yum!
If you like this …. then you may like…
- Easy to make Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- How to make mince pies (includes a pastry recipe for vegans)
- Last Minute Christmas Cake
Why not follow – the Simpler Kitchen – on Facebook and keep up with all our latest news?
Easy Homemade Sweet Mincemeat Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl, grater, zester, knife and spoons or spatulas
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup currants
- 3/4 cup dried apricots chopped
- 1/2 cup mixed dried peel dried citrus peel oranges and lemon
- 1 orange zest and juice
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice *see notes on spice below
- 1 bramley apple medium – grated
- 1/2 cup soft brown sugar
Instructions
Making mincemeat if using vegetable suet or grated butter
- Take a roomy mixing bowl and add the grated apple, zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Add the sugar and all of the dried fruit ingredients.
- Mix in the vegetable suet or grated butter, the spice and mix everything together until fully combined. The butter may take a little mixing in, just ensure that it's cold before you begin – it will make it easier.
Making mincemeat with non-dairy margarine
- If you are using non-dairy margarine then you may find it easier to mix the margarine and the sugar together and then gradually stir in the fruit, fruit zest and fruit juices until everything is evenly combined..
What to do once you've mixed the mincemeat
- Once the mincemeat has been mixed together and the everything is thoroughly combined, cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge overnight. This allows the fruit to plump up and the flavours to fully develop.
- The following day, either use the mincemeat in your baking or spoon it into clean jars and store in the fridge or freeze as described in the notes below. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Why not pin this for later? You’ll pleased that you did.
Leave a Reply