Homemade Mincemeat
Forget the store-bought stuff...homemade mincemeat is worth its weight in holiday gold. Rich with festive flavors, it's irresistibly fruity, buttery, and boozy. And if you want to create some serious Christmas ambiance, nothing beats the heady aroma you get from simmering a pot of traditional homemade mincemeat on the stove. Though I should confess...it never occurred to me that I could so easily make my own until first inspired, many years ago now, by the lovely Nigella Lawson. On her program "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen," she features a fabulously crimson-colored cranberry version. While I tend to prefer a more classic apple flecked mincemeat, I will still forever be grateful for that inspiration to make it from scratch. Once you've made your own homemade mincemeat, there is simply no going back!
Servings 2 cups (approximately)
Equipment
- heavy saucepan or Dutch oven (about 3 quart capacity)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ⅓ cup dark muscovado sugar (or any dark brown sugar)
- ¾ cup dried currants roughly chopped
- ½ cup raisins roughly chopped
- ½ cup golden raisins roughly chopped
- 3 small apples peeled, cored, and grated
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- ½ cup salted butter
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan over low heat, dissolve the muscovado sugar into the brandy.
- Toss the remaining ingredients, except for the butter, into the saucepan. Then stir everything together and gently simmer the mixture about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the mixture simmers, it will thicken to a paste-like consistency and become significantly darker in color.
- Finally, add the butter and stir as it melts. Continue stirring over low heat until the butter has been fully incorporated.
- Allow the mincemeat to cool before using or transferring to a jar (or other airtight container).