How do you pimp up mincemeat?

Heat a pile of mincemeat in a pan with sugar, orange and lemon juice, orange peel, half a cinnamon stick and brandy, wait for it to thicken and then stir in some whipping cream .

How long does homemade mincemeat keep for?

Remove from heat and, if desired, stir in 2-4 tablespoons of rum or brandy. Let the mincemeat cool completely, then transfer to a covered container, and place in the refrigerator, at least overnight, before using. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.

What are the ingredients in mincemeat pie?

Mincemeat Mince pie / Main ingredient

What is traditional mincemeat made of?

Mincemeat is a combination of chopped dried fruits, spices, sugar, nuts, distilled spirits, a fat of some type and sometimes meat . The name is a carryover from 15th century England when mincemeat did indeed have meat in the mix; in fact, the whole point of mincemeat was to preserve meat with sugar and alcohol.

How do you improve jarred mincemeat?

Store-bought mincemeat can contain alcohol, and if it doesn't, here's my tip: add some . It will kick your mince pies up to the next level. Rum or brandy go especially well with the other ingredients.

How do you jazz up bought mincemeat?

Start by tasting it, then add extra flavours that suit : nearly always add a little freshly grated lemon or orange zest, extra spice, extra brandy or rum and some cherries or nuts.

What was originally in mincemeat pie?

The reason mincemeat is called meat is because that's exactly what it used to be: most often mutton, but also beef, rabbit, pork or game. Mince pies were first served in the early middle ages, and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chopped up fruit and a preserving liquid .

What is a substitute for suet in mincemeat?

If you can't find suet or you just don't want to use it, try shortening instead. One of the advantages of using vegetable shortening is that it is suitable for vegetarian dishes.

What is the best mince meat?

The Chuck Steak is one of the best cuts to use for mince because it has great texture & flavour, grinding up perfectly.

When did they stop putting meat in mincemeat?

By the 18th century it was more likely to be tongue or even tripe, and in the 19th century it was minced beef. It was not until the late Victorian period and early 20th Century that mince pies dropped the meat and had all fruit fillings (albeit with suet). Even today there are traditions associated with mince pies.

What is the difference between mincemeat and minced meat?

Mince is ground or finely chopped meat. Mincemeat, if referring to the mincemeat in pies, is a mixture of finely chopped dried fruit, nuts, sugar, spices and alcohol, sometimes containing minced meat, sometimes not.

What can you add to shop bought mincemeat?

If I were in a mince pie emergency situation and had to use shop-bought mincemeat then I am sure it could be very nicely pepped up by adding in a few chopped apples, some spices or a slug of plum brandy .

What makes mince taste better?

While savoury mince is usually thickened with flour, the secret to our favourite savoury mince recipe is the addition of a couple of tablespoons of Gravox . This not only thickens the mixture but adds an extra beefy flavour.

How do you bind mincemeat?

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much . Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (2024)

What is mincemeat? We’re here to break down the confusion behind this boozy fruit concoction and share a recipe to make your own homemade mincemeat.

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘mincemeat’?

Does it conjure images of an old-school British pie?

But, what’s inside that pie?

If you’re from the States, that pie is probably filled with lots of confusion.

So, let’s back up.

Traditionally, what is Mincemeat?

Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat. Traditional mincemeat from the 15^th -17^th centuries contained a mixture of meat and fruits with vinegar or wine that was used as a preservative.

In the 18^th century, liquor such as brandy or rum began to be used instead of thevinegar or wine.

And, over time itevolved to contain suet (beef or mutton fat) instead of meat.

What is mincemeat today?

Today, mincemeat is almost better known as “fruitmince” since it typically only contains dried fruits such as raisins, currants, cherries, apricots or candied citrus peel, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (or allspice).

This mixture is then aged withbrandy or rum, todeepen the flavors and activate the preserving effect of alcohol, which, over time will break down the proteins and change the texture of the mixture.

Since we make our mincemeat only a month or two before we’ll be using it, the texture doesn’t have time to change all that much.

How to make Mincemeat

Making mincemeat is so incredibly simple.

chop
simmer
add alcohol
age

Your fruit (dried and fresh) is all chopped to roughly the same size, to make sure the alcohol can evenly penetrate the pieces.

The fruit is then simmered to break down the fresh fruit and soften the whole mixture.

Then the alcohol is added. (We do it after simmering, so that we don’t cook off the alcohol.)

Finally, your mincemeat just needs to be aged for a month or two, to let the flavors really come together so that it can be used in your favorite holiday treat!

Homemade Mincemeat without alcohol

If you’d like to give mincemeat a try, but are looking for it to be a bit more kid-friendly, you have a couple of options.

If you want the liquor flavor, without the alcohol, you can add the liquor while the mixture is simmering and cook off the alcohol.

Or, since we’re just using the liquor as a flavoring and not a preservative, you could simply use apple cider in place of the liquor.

Stir for good luck!

Do be careful to only stir your mincemeat mixture clockwise while cooking, becausetradition has it, that stirring counterclockwise is bad luck for the coming year.

If you’d like to make Mince Piewith your mincemeat, be sure to check out our recipe HERE.

For a fun twist to your holiday cookie platter, try our Mincemeat Cookies. And, if you’re looking for a unique breakfast idea, try making Mincemeat Muffins!

As a side note: We make this mincemeat nearly every year, the lighting is what makes some of the pictures look darker than others. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 large sweet apples, peeled, cored and diced (Gala works well)
1 large orange, zested, peeled and diced
1 c raisins
½ c golden raisins
½ c dried apricots, chopped
1/3 c dark brown sugar
¼ c lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ c brandy*, (bottom shelf is fine)

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, mix diced apples, orange zest, diced orange fruit, and remaining ingredients except the brandy. Stir and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the brandy.*
Place the mixture in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before using, to let the flavors meld.
This will keep in the fridge 2-3 months.

Notes

*If you do not want alcohol in your finished mincemeat, you can either heat the brandy with the fruit mixture to a good simmer, to cook off the alcohol, or use fresh apple cider instead.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1/8 of recipe
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 113

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Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.