This easy homemade mincemeat recipe is packed full of cooking apples, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, Christmas spice and a generous dose of cider and brandy.
If you’ve never made your own mincemeat before, let me show you just how simple it is!
Nothing makes me feel more festive than making a batch of mince pies. Nothing makes me feel more ravenous either.
The aroma of buttery pastry and hot, boozy mincemeat filling is irresistible. For me, it’s the smell of Christmas.
why you should make your own mincemeat
You might be able to buy pretty decent mincemeat in the shops these days, but it simply doesn’t come close to making your own.
The beauty of making mincemeat at home? YOU control what goes into it. I’ve never been a fan of mixed peel, so I leave it out.
You can easily substitute one dried fruit for another – for instance, if you aren’t keen on dried cranberries, then just add more sultanas, raisins or currants.
Dried or chopped glacé Cherries would also be a great idea.
what is mincemeat?
Mincemeat is a alcohol-laced-spiced fruit mixture used in traditional Christmas recipes, such as mince pies. It does not contain actual minced meat, but way back in the 13th Century when the recipe was created, one of the main ingredients was indeed meat!
How to make homemade mincemeat
Making mincemeat couldn’t really get much easier. All you need to do is place all the ingredients apart from the brandy or rum in a saucepan and let it simmer for around 30 minutes on a low heat until it looks like…mincemeat!
Suet free mincemeat
Suet is a traditional ingredient in mincemeat, but you won’t find any in this recipe. Cooking apples replace the suet and ensures the mincemeat stays nice and moist.
How long will homemade mincemeat keep For?
Unopened jars of Mincemeat will keep for a very long time – the alcohol and sugars in the recipe will preserve it beautifully.
I’ve kept this mincemeat for up to 2 years with absolutely no problems.
I have to say though, it is pretty rare for me to have jars of mincemeat sitting in my cupboard for months on end. I make a LOT of mince pies every December!
There is one thing you absolutely must do though – store the mincemeat in sterilised jars.
How do you sterilise Jars?
I usually put the jars and lids in the dishwasher on a hot cycle and dry them in a very low (100C) oven. Just make sure you don’t place your fingers inside the jars and undo all the work you’ve just done! Here’s a handy guide to sterilizing jars for mincemeat, jams and preserves.
Alternatively, you can give the jars a good scrub in very hot, soapy water before placing them in the oven (see above) to dry.
This mincemeat is adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe, “Hettie’s suet free mincemeat” from the book “How to be a domestic goddess.“
If you love the flavour of apple, it’s definitely the mincemeat recipe for you.
Recipes to use up mincemeat
As well as making my favourite Viennese mince pies or these deliciously crumbly mincemeat shortbread bars, you could also try these easy mincemeat muffins or Mary Berry’s Mincemeat Loaf Cakes.
I also have a recipe for a comforting apple and mincemeat crumble – so good on a cold Winter’s day!
More Christmas recipes for you to try
Sweet…
Last Minute Chocolate Cherry Mincemeat
Easy Iced Gingerbread Biscuits
Amaretto Fruit Cake
Ginger, Cherry and pecan Christmas pudding
Ginger, orange and almond bars
Savoury….
Rolled Turkey breast with apricot and cranberry stuffing
Sausagemeat, sage and cranberry stuffing balls
Christmas Spiced Red Cabbage
Honey mustard Roasted parsnips and carrots
Pigs in blankets macaroni cheese
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below, and if you would rate the recipe out of 5 by clicking on the stars in the recipe card, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you!
Easy Homemade Mincemeat
Yield: 4 Medium sized Jars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
This easy homemade mincemeat recipe is packed full of cooking apples, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, Christmas spice and a generous dose of cider and brandy.
If you've never made your own mincemeat before, let me show you just how simple it is!
Ingredients
- 250ml (8fl oz/1 cup) Medium (hard) dry Cider
- 250G (1 cup) Soft Dark brown sugar
- 1Kg (8 cups) Cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 250G (1 3/4 cups) Raisins
- 250G (1 3/4 cups) Sultanas
- 100G (3/4 cup) Dried Cranberries
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg
- Zest and Juice of half a Lemon
- 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) Brandy or Dark Rum
Instructions
- Dissolve the sugar and the cider in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the chopped apples, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, spices and lemon Zest and Juice. Simmer over a low heat for about 30 minutes until the mixture is pulpy and soft.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy or rum. Spoon into sterilised jars.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 127Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 31gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 26gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 1g
