Brandied Fruit Mincemeat

Instead of buying a jar of mincemeat this year, I decided to make my own.  The Ball book has a recipe that makes a stunning 8 pints - a full canner - or four whole pies.  I cut it in half, which is still a lot, but I figure I will be using one jar as hamantaschen filling next year.  It's a great topping for vanilla ice cream.

It took a while to accumulate the ingredients because I started too early.  Dried currants were out of stock for about a month.  I had enough golden raisins, but waited until the Thompsons went on sale.  The real sticking point was the fresh cranberries.  I could have used frozen, but they were expensive.  The day I found them, this recipe happened.  I'll get another bag, once the price goes down a bit, for a batch of cranberry sauce.

This one is going to take you a while, I won't lie.  It took over half an hour just to get all of the ingredients chopped, measured, and into the pot.  Then it took almost 15 minutes to get it to a boil.  Since I was canning, that was another 30 minutes once the 40 minutes of cooking were done.  It does smell fantastic, though a bit clove-heavy, and I like knowing what is in something with such a huge ingredient list.

While this recipe is safe for canning, it is not a requirement.  You can definitely use this the same day it is cooked without processing, refrigerate for near-term use, or freeze it if not using within a week.  Unlike the Sure-Jel recipes I did over the summer, this pie filling is good to go once it reaches the desired consistency.

Despite its size, I'm posting the original yield of this recipe, with the link to the book.  Smaller batches just create odd amounts.  By the time you get down to the 1/4 recipe for a single pie, there is some serious math involved to get the teaspoons and 1/3 cups right.  Proportions aren't critical if you are not canning, but stick to the recipe if you are.

8 C diced, cored, and peeled tart apples (like Granny Smith)
4 C fresh cranberries
*2-3/4 C golden raisins
2 C dark raisins
2-1/4 C dried currants
*2-1/2 C chopped dried figs
1-1/3 C ground seeded oranges
1 C ground seeded lemons
1 C mixed candied peel
2 C lightly packed brown sugar
4 C apple cider
1 Tb cinnamon
*2 tsp allspice
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1tsp ginger
*3/4 C brandy
*1/2 C dry sherry

1.  To grind the citrus, halve fruits.  Remove and discard seeds, then coarsely chop remaining fruit.  Toss everything, peel and all, into the food processor and run to a fine to medium texture.  Then measure.  For a half batch, one of each was enough, but it was a large orange.  Tip, if you use Navel oranges, they don't have seeds.  Neither do some strains of Meyer lemons.

2.  If canning, prepare canner, jars, and lids for an 8-pint/ 4-quart yield.

3.  In a very large saucepan or 2-gallon stockpot (full recipe), combine apples, cranberries, golden and dark raisins, currants, figs, ground oranges and lemons, candied peel, brown sugar, and apple cider.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, until raw fruit is cooked and dried fruits have absorbed most of the cider.

4.  In a small bowl, combine ground spices.  Whisk in brandy and sherry.  Stir mixture into the pot.  Return mincemeat to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, and cook for 10 more minutes to boil off most of the alcohol.

5.  Ladle hot mincemeat into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  De-bubble and adjust headspace if necessary.  Wipe rims clean with water or vinegar.  Center lids on jars.  Screw bands down fingertip-tight.

6.  Place hot jars in warm canner with water to cover by at least 1 inch.  Bring to a full boil and start the timer for 30 minutes.  When the process time is up, turn off the heat and remove the lid.  Wait 5 minutes to remove jars to reduce the risk of siphoning.  Allow jars to cool to room temperature.  Remove rings, test seals, wipe jars clean, and store.  Any failed seals should be refrigerated and used within a week or two or frozen for up to 3 months.

Makes 8 pints

Difficulty rating  :)