Nothing says British Christmas like mincemeat. Originally mincemeat was made with ground meat, offals, eggs and whatever else was on hand. The Victorians were the first to start making mincemeat without meat, but still used suet.
Course Dessert, Pantry Basic
Cuisine Edwardian, Victorian
Keyword Downton Christmas, Stir Up Sunday
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 10cups
Ingredients
3 largelemons
4 cups raisins
4 cups currants
1 ½ cups shredded suet* or 1/2 cup softened butter or shortening
2 cups brown sugaror sugar substitute
1 cup mixed candied peel
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brandy or rum
1 tbsp. orange marmalade
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Instructions
Peel the zest off the lemons, avoiding the white pulp, then finely dice. Juice the lemons then add to a Dutch oven.
Add in the remaining ingredients except the brandy. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer until it has thickened and is syrupy, about 45 minutes.
Allow the mixture to cool, then add the alcohol.
Store the mincemeat in a cool place until ready to use.
Notes
Mince is best prepared in late November so it will be well-fortified for your holiday baking.Use your mincemeat to prepare