Your decent winfall apples can be used to make Grandpas Mincemeat

[Finedon.Dandy]

Grandpas mincemeat

500g raisins *1
250g sultanas *1
250g currants *1
125g glace cherries, halved *1
150ml dark rum, sherry or brandy *1
2 medium dessert apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped *2
2tsp mixed spice *3
1/2 tsp nutmeg *3
125g chopped roast hazelnuts *3
250g dark muscovado sugar *4
4 tbsp hot water *4
60g butter *4

1 - mix *1 ingredients in large bowl, cover and leave for 24 hours
2 - blanch apple *2 in boiling water for 2 mins, drain thoroughly
3 - add apple *2 to mixture from *1 and add ingredients *3
4 - mix *4 ingredients in a saucepan, heat very gently, stiring till sugar melted
5 - mix all parts together then pack into sreilized jars, seal, label and decorate lids etc

[Hans Mum]

thanks for this FD......roughly how many 1lb jars do you get from this & if i make it now will it keep for chirstmas (gues the alcohol will preserve it) thanks

[Finedon.Dandy]

I used to always just carry on making mince pies till it was gone! Makes at least 60 (I really fill mine up too)! Last year was the first year I "bottled" it up. I still have a couple of jars, had one a couple of weeks ago and it is very good stuff even at 10 months old! The apples do ferment a little so that gives a little extra kick! and I have found it dries out a wee bit so I add more alchohol! I have no idea how many jars it would fill - erm say around 15-20 standard jam size jars (are they 1lb'ers?)

[Capsid]

Looks good! I have a cooking apple tree, would it work with them or are dessert apples critical?

[zazen999]

Mincemeat - bleugh.

Sorry - as you were

*closes door quietly on mincemeat therapy group and tiptoes back to cupcake committee meeting*

[Finedon.Dandy]

Looks good! I have a cooking apple tree, would it work with them or are dessert apples critical?

I would imagine you would need to sweeten it a bit to counteract the tartness of the cooking apples - try it perhaps and let us know how you get on.

[Finedon.Dandy]

Mincemeat - bleugh.

Sorry - as you were

*closes door quietly on mincemeat therapy group and tiptoes back to cupcake committee meeting*

*slowly shakes head in dismay that someone doesnt know what they are missing*

HA HA ! ! !

[Winged one]

My mum has 3 eaters trees and one cookers tree. I know she has made a whole load of aple jelly with the eaters this year (apple and mint, apple and lavendar, and a load more concoctions were on the counter one day, as well as plain apple).

I took a large container of them into the house we were staying in, along with "borrowing" some flour, marg and sugar, and took the toddler out blackberrying in the field next to the holiday house we were in. We used the resulting mass of ingredients to make an apple and blackberry crumble - which actually worked very well (I think there was one cooker in the bag - the rest were eaters).

[Headfry]

Silly question, there is no suet in this, does it keep ok?
Sorry see my avatar.....

[shirley]

[Silly question, there is no suet in this, does it keep ok?]

I only make mincemeat without suet and it keeps fine.. The alcohol probably helps:
I notice this recipe does use butter.

[Hilary B]

Silly question, there is no suet in this, does it keep ok?
Sorry see my avatar.....

Suet isn't necessary (or even very helpful) for the stuff to keep, but it IS the last reminder that originally 'mincemeat' had MEAT in. All the alcohol and sugary dried fruits preserved the meat.