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!

  • Pistachio Biscotti
  • Crock Pot Pumpkin Bread Pudding
  • Dreikönigskuchen (Swiss Three Kings Cake)
  • Greek Style Asparagus Salad
  • Tortilla Soup (Has Moved)
  • Chilean Picarones (Pumpkin Donuts)
  • Mahalabia (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding)
  • Fajita Style Venison Kabobs

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

Homemade Mincemeat Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere? ›

Heat a pile of mincemeat in a pan with sugar, orange and lemon juice, orange peel, half a cinnamon stick and brandy, wait for it to thicken and then stir in some whipping cream.

Who makes the best mincemeat? ›

  • M&S Mincemeat. £1.50 for 510g, Ocado. ...
  • Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Matured mincemeat. £1.80 for 411g. ...
  • Wilkin & Sons Tiptree mincemeat. £2.99 for 312g, tiptree.com. ...
  • Tesco Finest Ruby Port Mincemeat. £1.80 for 411g. ...
  • Rosebud Preserves Almond and Orange Mincemeat. ...
  • Mrs Darlington's Marvellous Mincemeat with Brandy.
Dec 6, 2020

How do you pimp up mincemeat? ›

Heat a pile of mincemeat in a pan with sugar, orange and lemon juice, orange peel, half a cinnamon stick and brandy, wait for it to thicken and then stir in some whipping cream.

How long does homemade mincemeat keep for? ›

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.

What are the ingredients in mincemeat pie? ›

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.

What is the best meat for minced meat? ›

What makes the best mincing meat is anything with a decent fat content, at least 20 percent, though lean options can also do the trick. Beef is among the most popular, but lamb – which requires red over white meat – and pork belly are also great choices.

Why does my mincemeat taste bitter? ›

Mincemeat over time does deepen in colour but the bitter taste may be that you pressed too hard when the citrus zests were grated!

How to jazz up a jar of mincemeat? ›

Simply take your mincemeat and place it in a clean, sterilised jar. Pour in some rum, and let it sit for a week. During this time, the flavours will meld and create a delightful concoction that's perfect for the season. Check out our collection of winter drinks recipes, perfect for warming up on a cold night.

What makes mince taste better? ›

Consider the fat content of mince before you buy. Beef mince, and sometimes lamb, is graded by its fat content, and remember that some fat is desirable as it adds flavour and helps to keep the meat moist during cooking. The standard fat content of mince is 20%, but you can opt for a lean or extra-lean version.

What can I use instead of suet for mincemeat? ›

Still, there are some decent substitutes that will get you close. Some recipes recommend using frozen butter as a substitute for suet, but this is risky as the butter melts much faster than suet and your dish will become greasy and heavy. If you can't find suet or you just don't want to use it, try shortening instead.

Is mincemeat OK to eat when Brown? ›

The colour change in mince does not mean that the meat is old or stale. 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.

Can you freeze home made mincemeat? ›

Top the mincemeat with the pastry lids, push around the edges to seal, then poke 1-2 small holes into each to allow steam to escape. Wrap the whole tray well in cling film. Will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6.

What is traditional mincemeat made of? ›

Mincemeat is a combination of chopped dried fruits, spices, sugar, nuts, distilled spirits, a fat of some type and sometimes meat. The name is a carryover from 15th century England when mincemeat did indeed have meat in the mix; in fact, the whole point of mincemeat was to preserve meat with sugar and alcohol.

What is the difference between mincemeat and mince pie? ›

"Mince" is another term for chopping meat up into very small pieces, à la ground beef. However, because the English language is confusing AF, people in the UK also refer to meat as "mince." (Even though a mince pie is not a meat pie, it's the same thing as a mincemeat pie, which has no meat.

What is the best type of mince to buy? ›

Which mince to choose for your recipe?
Mince gradeBest for
Leanest (little or no fat in the pan)Minced-meat sauces e.g. bolognaise
Mid-range (a little more fat to keep the recipe moist)Burgers, meatballs, kofta, meatloaf
Regular grade (spoon off the fat as you brown the mince)All-purpose choice

What is the best tasting beef mince? ›

The Chuck Steak is one of the best cuts to use for mince because it has great texture & flavour, grinding up perfectly. Enjoy making your favourite Spaghetti Bolognaise, Meatballs, Smash Burgers, Cottage Pies or Chilli Con Carnes for your family.

Which supermarket mince pies are the best? ›

Without a shadow of a doubt, Waitrose's No. 1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac are the taste-tested mince pie winner for Christmas 2023, tied with Patisserie Valerie Mince Pies.

Who makes Robertson's mincemeat? ›

Robertson's
Product typeFood
OwnerHain Celestial Group
CountryUnited Kingdom
Introduced1864
Previous ownersRank Hovis McDougall Premier Foods
2 more rows

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