Homemade Mincemeat
Make it this week and it will be mellow and ready for your first mince pies: spiced fruit, apple, suet and a splash of brandy.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 3 × 450 g jars
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Preserve
- Cuisine
- English
Jarred mincemeat is fine, but homemade is a different thing: brighter, fruitier and less sugary. It contains no meat today, though it did once, which is how it got its name.
This version is gently heated in a low oven, which melts the suet so it coats the fruit and helps the mincemeat keep for months without fermenting.
Ingredients
- 250 g Bramley apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 125 g shredded suet, beef or vegetable
- 250 g raisins
- 125 g sultanas
- 125 g currants
- 50 g chopped mixed peel
- 175 g dark muscovado sugar
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 50 g flaked or chopped almonds, optional
- 4 tbsp brandy
Equipment
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- Large mixing bowlHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Digital kitchen scalesHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Put everything except the brandy in a large ovenproof bowl and mix well. Cover with a clean cloth and leave overnight in a cool place.
- 2
Heat the oven to 120°C / 100°C fan / gas ½. Cover the bowl loosely with foil and put it in the oven for 3 hours. The suet melts and coats the fruit.
- 3
Take out and leave to cool, stirring now and then. When completely cold, stir in the brandy.
- 4
Pack into clean, sterilised jars, cover with wax discs and lids, and store in a cool, dark cupboard. It is ready to use straight away but mellows over a few weeks.
Tips
See how to sterilise jars in our jam jars guide. Bake the mince pies in a shallow bun tin, and for the other big bake of the season see our Christmas cake.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mincemeat looks greasy | Suet has set on the surface | Stir well before use; it is normal |
| Mincemeat fermenting or fizzy | Not heated, or jars not sterilised | Use the oven method and sterilised jars; keep somewhere cool |
Frequently asked questions
How long does homemade mincemeat keep?
Made this way and stored in sterilised jars somewhere cool and dark, it keeps for several months. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.
Why heat mincemeat in the oven?
Gentle heat melts the suet so it coats the fruit, which stops the apple fermenting and helps it keep.
Can I make vegetarian mincemeat?
Yes: use vegetable suet. Leave out the brandy or replace it with orange juice for an alcohol-free version, but keep it in the fridge and use it within a few weeks.
Guides for this recipe
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Card photos: Small cakes cooling on a wire rack, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A traditional mechanical kitchen scale, Berthold Werner via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A steak and ale pie served with gravy, broccoli and carrot, Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0; A golden, crimped Cornish pasty on a plate, David Johnson [1] via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Sliced roast beef with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and gravy, Jeremy Keith from Brighton & Hove, United Kingdom via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.