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.

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (1)

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.

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (2)

Traditionally, what is Mincemeat?

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

In the 18th 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).

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (3)

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.

But, the liquor does have time to really get into all the ingredients. Making itquite tasty.

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.

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (4)

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.

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (5)

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!

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (6)

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!

Yield: 2 c (roughly 24 oz by weight) of mincemeat

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (7)

Sweet and boozy this fruit mincemeat will have you looking for new ways to use it this Holiday season!

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the brandy.*
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

8

Serving Size:

1/8 of recipe

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 113

If you liked this recipe, here are some similar dishes you may enjoy!

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  • Homemade Healthy Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Fajita Style Venison Kabobs
  • Leek Creamed Corn
  • Slow Cooker Dublin Coddle
  • Mexican Minestrone Soup with Avocados
  • Thai Peanut Chicken Tacos

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (16)

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.

www.curiouscuisiniere.com/about/

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (2024)

FAQs

Why should you stir mincemeat clockwise when making mince pies? ›

Traditions, folklore and superstitions

Stirring the mincemeat was quite an event, and English tradition dictates that it should only be stirred clockwise. Stirring the mincemeat anti-clockwise would lead to bad luck and poor fortune in the coming 12 months.

What are the ingredients in Robertson's mincemeat? ›

Sugar, Apples (26%), Vine Fruit (26%) (Sultanas, Raisins, Currants with Glazing Agent (Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil)), Candied Mixed Peel (4%) (Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Orange Peel, Sugar, Lemon Peel, Citric Acid), Vegetable Suet (Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Rice Flour), Treacle, Acetic Acid, Mixed Spices (0.3%) (Cinnamon, ...

What was in original mincemeat? ›

After knights returning from the Crusades came back with spices in-tow, they became common ingredients of the dish along with minced bits of meat (from a range of animals), suet, apples, sugar, raisins, and molasses. "They were about 30 to 50 percent meat in the late Tudor era," says food historian Annie Gray, Ph. D.

How long does homemade mincemeat last in a jar? ›

It will keep in a cool, dark cupboard indefinitely, (I have kept it for up to 3 years), but I think it is best eaten within a year of making. Vegetarians can make this mincemeat happily, using vegetarian suet.

Why can't you eat mince pies on Christmas Day? ›

It has been claimed that eating the snack is illegal in England if done so on Christmas Day. The tradition comes from the time of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, when mince pies were banned at Christmas, along with other tasty treats. Cromwell wanted to tackle gluttony in England.

How do you jazz up mincemeat? ›

Tip: If you want to jazz up your jar of shop bought mincemeat, why not try adding the zest of a lemon & orange!

Why is mincemeat so expensive? ›

Mincemeat isn't difficult to make, but it has a lot of ingredients, which can make it expensive to produce in small batches, and it requires at least a day's advance planning to let the ingredients sit.

Why can't I find none such mincemeat? ›

None Such Mincemeat has seasonal distribution throughout the United States. If you cannot find None Such Mincemeat in your grocery store, please notify the store manager.

What is the shelf life of Robertson's fruit mince? ›

Product Description: Robertson's Classic Mincemeat is a delicious mix of apple, dried fruit's, candied peel and mixed spices. It is perfect for all your Christmas baking, especially delicious mince pies. It is suitable for vegetarians. It's shelf life is 730 days.

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.

Can you use a year old mincemeat? ›

Yes. I'd use that. Mincemeat has a very long shelf life, far longer than that printed on the container, (which is only a short while ago). I'd add a slug of brandy or whiskey to perk it up a bit!

Is mincemeat healthy? ›

Not only is mince an incredibly versatile meat, it is also packed full of nutrients that can help support good health and wellbeing. With mince, you don't need to eat a lot of it to get the nutritional goodness.

What can you substitute for suet in mincemeat? ›

If you can't find suet then we have found that grated vegetable shortening (such as Trex, Crisco or Copha) is a good substitute.

Is it OK to eat out of date mincemeat? ›

Store mince correctly

The minced meat remains safe to eat as long as it has been correctly refrigerated and consumed by the use-by date on the package. However, because of the large surface area of mince, it tends to have a shorter shelf life than other meat.

Can you eat mincemeat straight from the jar? ›

Mincemeat is traditionally cooked then cooled whilst stirring so it should be fine to eat "raw".

Which direction should you stir mincemeat? ›

When making the mincemeat mixture for the pies, for good luck it should be stirred in a clockwise direction. You should always make a wish when eating the first mince pie of the season and you should never cut one with a knife.

Should you stir mince? ›

Adding too much meat will reduce the temperature of the pan and the meat will not brown. It will release all of its liquid becoming tough, stewed and grey. Avoid over-stirring the mince as it fries. Allow the mince to develop a good brown colour before breaking it up and turning.

What is the etiquette for mince pies? ›

Going on to how one should formally eat a mince pie, she explains: 'One would pick up the mince pie with a thumb and first finger, and lift [it] away from the plate. 'The mince pie is crumbly, so make sure anything that falls from the mince pie falls onto your plate.

How do I make sure my mince pies don't stick? ›

A light dusting of flour is best to stop the pastry from sticking to your rolling pin and surface.

References

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