Traditional Mincemeat

Ingredients

• 8 ounces currants – minced (chopped quite fine)
• 8 ounces raisins – minced
• 8 ounces sultanas or golden raisins – minced
• 12 ounces shredded granny smith apples
• 8 ounces shredded beef suet
• 2-4 ounces mixed peel minced
• 1 cup brown sugar
• juice of one lemon or one orange
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1tsp vanilla or homemade bitters
• 2-4 ounces brandy

Directions

1. The amount of apple in this recipe is not a typo. In fact, sometimes, I add more because this is close to what I grew up eating. I have added a scan of a typical recipe from the 17th century, and you can see that it calls for far more apple than most modern recipes. You will also note that I leave out the tongue because my family isn’t having it.
2. Secondly, this is mincemeat. I grate the apples when I grate the suet and I give the apples, suet, and dried fruit a whirl in the food processor before I put in on the heat. You may chop yours as much (or as little) as you like, but if you have never made this before I suggest mincing things not just chopping them.
3. After chopping, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat them over medium heat until the suet melts and the mixture takes on a glossy sheen. As an aside, all the spices are optional. I like a good deal of spice in mine.
4. Let the mixture cool completely and then add the brandy.
5. Put this in a container with an airtight lid and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least a week. The longer it sits the more the flavor matures. In my family we still observed the whole stir-up Sunday tradition and so we start it then. (Yes, I swear I am American. )

This is really, really close to the recipe my grandmother used for making mincemeat except of course she used cow tongue.