New Recipe to try for Mincemeat
My favourite recipe for Mincemeat, introduced by my friend Jennie, is a really old recipe from the Farmer's Weekly book and known as Country Mincemeat. I have popped up a post here about it in the past together with the recipe such as it is. It is a traditional fermented method of making Mincemeat that you add to a little at a time and a good way of using up a few leftover ingredients as you go along. It is very different to modern Mincemeat making, but it is one of my preferred recipes.
Whilst browsing the other day, I found another recipe whilst doing some research to try some new to me items for the Pantry shelf. It is an old recipe with a twist. I must say that I am quite taken by this recipe and so I decided to try it. I was initially attracted by the colour more than anything else. Posted by a 1940's Experiment The link for the recipe is here:
Blackberry Mincemeat Recipe no 157
As I have said I was most attracted by the colour but there is a delightful twist to the recipe in that you can use just 1lb Blackberries or Mixed Frozen Fruit Berries (I used Fruit of the Forest mixture) either fresh or frozen or even bottled. As I use mincemeat an awful lot throughout the year and as I thought that this one would be cheerful at whatever time of year (if it lasts that long) I decided to make it. I also have plans to use one of my bottles of bottled blackberries on its own in due course. Might be a good way to use up in the future unused bottles of fruit especially if they are getting past their prime. I therefore decided to double up on the recipe for this attempt but using the frozen mixed fruits to start with. It supposedly makes 3 to 4 standard jam jars or 1 x 1 litre jar for one single batch. I have doubled up the batch. Please refer to The 1940s Experiment link above for the full recipe and the full instructions. I tend to play with recipes so to be precise please follow her detailed instructions.
I used the following ingredients:
2lb Blackberries or mixed frozen berries (can also add in some plums within the weight ratio if wanted)
8 cooking apples
8oz butter/margarine or shredded suet
1lb of Dried Mixed fruit; I popped in Golden Sultanas, cherries, Cranberries, currants and Raisins. No mixed peel (even though I like it).
8oz of mixed chopped nuts. I did not have any nuts but I did have ground Almonds and so have popped in some of these instead. At least this way around, no one is going to have any nutty lumps! Obviously if someone has a Nut allergy leave the nuts out and add a little more fruit.
6 rounded dessert spoons of soft brown sugar/granulated
8-10 drops of Almond essence taste this and put more or less almond flavouring in to suit your taste if necessary
3 rounded teaspoons of mixed spice (doubling up would mean 4 teaspoons using the original recipe) so do taste as you go along.
A dash of Whisky/Brandy - I am used some Cherry Brandy - not much just a couple of spoonfuls by eye.
Honey or Golden Syrup to seal the top of the jar
As I doubled the recipe, I have made adjustments to the spicing as often when you double up on set ingredients it can be too much. I always do this the first time I make things, and then if I make it again increase the spicing. I also have to bear in mind that my partner is not keen on spices or mixed peel. Hopefully he will like this one as there is hardly any actual sugar in it. The apples are really sweet enough on their own. I have WB though for 20 minutes because of the fruit element even though they have been cooked. Just erring on the side of caution as this is a very different Mincemeat recipe.
It is now all bottled up and on the Pantry shelf, and the colour is amazing. I am hoping it will taste as delicious as it looks. All good stuff in there but not over-powering.
Fingers crossed it works out how I hope it will.
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