Orange Mincemeat
Orange Mincemeat is a traditional British recipe for a classic mincemeat of dried fruit and nuts in a base with orange liqueur, brandy and citrus zest. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Orange Mincemeat.
prep time
10 minutes
cook time
10 minutes
Total Time:
20 minutes
Additional Time:
(2 weeks maturing)
Makes:
8 jars
Rating: 
Tags : Spice RecipesBritish Recipes
There was NO mincemeat in my local stores this Christmas. For me, Christmas is not Christmas without mince pies and in the hot and humid climate of Durban I tend to make Christmas pies and Christmas puddings based on mincemeat.
In truth the local mincemeat is too sweet for my taste and I love a citrusy kick. As a result, I dug out my scans of recipe books and found Jane Grigson’s recipe for orange mincemeat that uses real suet.
For an introduction to raw suet, see my recipe for Baked Autumn Suet Pudding. I’ve adapted the recipe based on the original so this is my version.
For Christmas I tend to make several home-made liqueurs. This includes plum and cherry gin and kumquat brandy. The original recipe called for an orange liqueur (eg Cointreau) but I substituted my own Kumquat Brandy. I will let you know how to make it when kumquats are back in season here.
Ingredients:
250 g (8 oz) chopped candied peel
1 kg (2 lb) peeled, cored and grated apples
500 g (1 lb) fresh suet (but you can use commercial)
500 g (1 lb) currants
500 g (1 lb) raisins
500 g (1 lb) sultanas
125g (4 oz) dried figs, finely chopped
500 g (1 lb) soft dark brown sugar
1 freshly-grated nutmeg
125 g (4 oz) slivered almonds
60g (2 oz) toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Juice and finely-grated zest of 2 oranges
Juice and finely-grated zest of 1 lime
4 tbs brandy
6-8 tbs orange liqueur (I used kumquat brandy)
Method:
Making this is simplicity itself, simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. This, admittedly is a large amount and stirring will take a little energy. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
When you pot the mincemeat, it is very important to use sterilized jars. However, this is not as difficult as it sounds. I usually use kilner-type jars, but my backup is usually pickle jars. To sterilize them first wash them in soapy water, then rinse and allow them to dry. Now place the jars on a baking tray, with their lids sat beside them, facing upwards and place them in an oven pre-heated to 130⁰C for 30 minutes.
Spoon the mincemeat into the jars whilst they are still warm. Secure the lids and sore in a cool and dark spot. However, do not store in the refrigerator. Allow them to mature for two weeks before use. If kept cool and dry they will keep for several months. In the climate here I keep them in a wine cooler which more closely approximates UK temperatures.
The lime is my addition, as I like the tang. You can omit if you prefer. I love dried figs, so I added them. The toasted hazelnuts give and increased depth of flavour. Other alterations would be to substitute dried cranberries for some of the other dried fruit.
