This delicious mincemeat can be used in the Celebration Fruit Cake recipe and our Mincemeat Muffins.
Ingredients
150g eating apples
75g glacé cherries
75g mixed candied peel
125g raisins
100g sultanas
100g currants
100g soft brown sugar
1 small orange
1 lemon
½ x 5ml spoon cinnamon
1 x 5ml spoon mixed spice
65g vegetarian suet
Equipment
Weighing scales
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Large mixing bowl
Grater
Juice squeezer
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Ovenproof bowl or casserole dish
Kitchen foil
Oven gloves
Pan stand
2 x Jam jars with lids
2 x Waxed disc and Cellophane (you can buy preserving packs from supermarkets or stationers which contain all you need)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 120°C/100°C fan or gas mark ½.
2. Wash the apples, quarter them and remove the cores. You do not need to peel them. Cut them into very small pea-sized pieces and place into a large mixing bowl.
3. Quarter the glacé cherries and add to the bowl.
4. Now add the candied peel, raisins, sultanas, currants and sugar.
5. Wash the orange and lemon and carefully grate the skins so you only remove the coloured bit called the zest. Add to the bowl.
6. Squeeze the juice from the orange and lemon and add to the bowl.
7. Add the spices and suet and stir well.
8. Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof casserole dish or bowl and cover with foil.
9. Cook in the oven for 2 hours.
10. Remove from the oven and stir the mixture as it cools so that all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
11. Spoon the warm mixture into sterilised jars, top with a waxed disc, put the lid on and seal with cellophane.
Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, chopping, grating, squeezing, mixing/combining and baking.
Top Tips
You can buy new glass jars for this, but if you want to re-use jars you will need to sterilise them. Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water and dry with a clean tea towel. Then place them on a baking tray in the oven temp 180°/160°C fan or gas mark 4 for 3 minutes. Remove carefully using oven gloves.
Something to try next time
- Add the same weight in dried cranberries instead of glacé cherries if you prefer.
Prepare now, eat later
• Weigh and prepare all the ingredients up to 24 hours in advance. Store the dry ingredients in sealed bags or plastic tubs. The orange and lemon juice, suet and chopped apples will need to be kept in the fridge.
• The mincemeat will keep for 3 months if unopened and stored in a cool place.
• Once opened the mincemeat should be kept in a fridge and eaten within 1 month.
