Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Homemade Christmas mincemeat is the perfect ingredient for all your Christmas baking and makes a lovely Christmas gifts – I have a post coming soon called ‘Christmas in a Jar’ – which are my kids teachers Christmas presents this year.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Mincemeat is actually a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices. Did you know back in time originally contained real meat, but modern versions now sometimes have suet, most commonly beef suet.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

You can buy mincemeat, but when it is home-made it really is in another category, and once you make it yourself, you’ll never look back, it’s very satisfying and so easy. You can make a smaller batch or lots of jars as presents. Bonus is that like jam, mincemeat keeps for about 3-6 months.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Mincemeat is the traditional filling for mince pies, is a spicy preserve comprising a mixture of dried fruit, apple and candied fruit and spices steeped in brandy and cider.  Although you can use mincemeat as a chutney with your Christmas cheese board or make some Christmas breakfast muffins!!

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Ingredients
600ml Cider
600g Dark Brown Sugar
600g Cooking Apples chopped finely
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Mixed Spice
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
240g Currants
260g Raisins
180g Sultanas
165g Candied Mixed Peel
160g Finely Chopped Almonds
1 1/2 Orange Zest and Juice
1 1/2 Lemon Zest and Juice
225ml Brandy
 

Instructions

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Put the cider and dark brown sugar in a large saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the brandy

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Bring back to boil and then simmer for about 45 minutes

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

After 45 minutes, the mixture will have thicken, take off the heat

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Pour in the brandy and stir well.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

Spoon into sterilised jars, and then to seal place in the oven at 140c for 15-20 minutes.

Christmas Vegetarian Mincemeat

 

 

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’21’]

Leave a Reply