Plum & Russet Mincemeat

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Plum and Russet Mincemeat

Yield 4 x 1-pound (450g) jars

Author Miss Williams, Durham Field Farm, Shotley Bridge, Durham, UK

A wartime recipe that uses orchard fruit to replace suet. This recipe makes a pungent, sweet and spicy mince that is rich and delicious. Other fruits such as quince, apples or pear may be substituted for the purée.

Ingredients

• 1 pound 2 ounces (1kg) plums
• Finely grated zest and juice of 2-3 oranges (you need 200ml juice)
• 1 pound (500g) russet apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm cubes
• 7 ounces (200g) currants
• 7 ounces (200g) raisins
• 7 ounces (200g) sultanas [golden raisins]
• 3.5 ounces (100g) orange marmalade
• 9 ounces (250g) Demerara [or brown] sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 nutmeg, grated
• 2 ounces (50ml) ginger wine or cordial (optional)
• 3.5 ounces (100g) chopped walnuts
• 2 ounces (50ml) brandy or sloe gin

Instructions

1. Wash the plums, halve and remove the stones, then put into a saucepan with the orange juice. Cook gently until tender, about 15 minutes. [I substituted pears and needed to cook longer for the fruit to soften.]
2. Blend to a purée in a liquidiser [blender] or push through a sieve. You should end up with about 1 3/4 pints (700ml) plum purée.
3. Put the purée into a large bowl and add all the other ingredients, except for the brandy or gin. Mix thoroughly, then cover and leave to stand for 12 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 250°F (130°C). Put the mincemeat in a large baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 2-2 1/2 hours. Stir in the brandy or gin and mix thoroughly. NOTE: The wartime recipe includes canning instructions that would almost certainly not be approved in modern times. I would suggest either freezing, or refrigerating the mince and using it within 2-3 weeks.

Notes

Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jane. The Ministry of Food: Thrifty Wartime Ways to Feed Your Family Today. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2010.