Medlar and Pear Mincemeat

Medlar and Pear Mincemeat is a traditional British recipe for a classic Christmas mincemeat made from a base of pears and medlars with dried fruit. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Medlar and Pear Mincemeat.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

130 minutes

Total Time:

150 minutes

Additional Time:

(+24 hours macerating)

Makes:

6 x 400g jars

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesBritish Recipes

Medlars are a really unusual fruit; a member of the Rosaceae (rose) family of plants they look rather like a giant rose hip. The most frequently found is the Common Medlar Mespilus germanica, a native of southwest Asia which has been introduced throughout Europe. Once common in farmhouse gardens and orchards they are not commonly planted today, though you may be lucky to have an old, gnarled, example in your orchard (the tree is sensitive to wind and this makes it grown in a very contorted shape). In northern Europe it's not warm enough for the fruit to ripen naturally. As a result the hard and acidic fruit only become edible after being softened (bletted) by the first frost (when the fruit begins to decay and ferment). You can also take ripe medlars from the tree and spread on some type of absorptive material (such as straw, sawdust, or bran) somewhere cool, and allowed to decay for several weeks before using. Once the process is complete, the flesh will have broken down enough that it can be spooned out of the skin. Medlars are important as one of the few fruit available in winter. For the urban forager, a medlar tree can be a real find as most owners don't know how the fruit is edible, or how to make use of them. This recipe is something I like to make as thanks if I'm allowed to forage the medlars.

In England, medlars have apparently been naturalized in some woodland in the south-west. However, most trees are found in gardens, so this is one of the first entries in my new series on urban foraging (other entries include daylilies, magnolia flowers and Stags Horn Sumac, mahonia, Fuschia and honey fungus [Amillaria spp])

Ingredients:

1kg (2 ¼ lbs) Medlars
Juice and the finely-grated zest of 2 unwaxed oranges (about 200ml juice)
500g (1 lb) currants
350g raisins
150g dried pears, cut into 1cm (1/2 in) pieces
150g dried figs, cut into 1cm (1/2 in) pieces
150g (3/4 cup) golden caster sugar
150g (3/4 cup) dark Muscovado sugar
600g Conference pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1mm cubes
2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp rose water
75-100ml brandy, rum or sloe gin

Method:

Wash the medlars in cold water. Place them in a heavy-based pan with 300ml (1 ¼ cups) water — give each medlar a little squeeze to break their skin as you put them in. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-6 minutes crushing them with a wooden spoon or jam skimmer until the mixture is soft and creamy. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, then rub the contents through a fine-meshed sieve or pass through a mouli (you should end up with just over 500g of puree).

Place the puree in a large ovenproof bowl or pan. Pile in the rest of the ingredient and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover the surface with a piece of baking parchment and set aside for 12-24 hours to allow the flavours to mix and the dried fruit to swell a little.

When ready to finish, preheat the oven to 140°C/Gas mark 1. Cover the pan or bowl loosely with a bit of foil, and bake for about 2 hours until very hot, giving the mixture a good stir a couple of times. Remove from the oven, stir in most of the brandy, reserving a little to pour onto each filled jar – have a little taste and add any more spices if you think it needs some. Then spoon carefully into warmed jars tapping the jars on a work surface as you fill them to knock out any air pockets, before drizzling any remaining alcohol over the surface. Seal with a twist on lid and store in a dry, cool place until required. Use within 12 months.

Use to make mince pies and flans, or swirl a couple of tablespoons through a classic sponge cake mix for a light spiced fruity traybake. I also add a few tablespoons to a classic muffin mix for seasonal muffins.

For more urban foraging recipes see this site's page on urban foraging and recipes.