Ginger Christmas Mincemeat
A warmly spicy variation on the classic British fruit preserve. With stem ginger as well as ground, plus optional ginger wine and whisky, this incredibly easy fruity delight makes wonderful mince pies as well as biscuits and other Christmas bakes.
It's recommended you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed dried fruit (e.g. raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, peel, chopped figs, apricots, dates etc.)
- 180 g light brown soft sugar
- 125 g stem ginger (+ 1 tbsp of syrup from the jar)
- 125 g shredded suet (can be replaced with grated or diced butter)
- 100 g chopped or flaked almonds (or any other nuts/can be omitted)
- 2 - 3 pears: peeled, cored, and grated or diced small (approx. 300 g after preparation. Can be replaced with cooking or dessert apples)
- 1 large orange (zest finely grated and chopped, juice squeezed)
- 2 rounded tsp ground ginger
- 1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
- 60 ml ginger wine (can be replaced with whisky, more orange juice, or left out)
- 120 ml (divided in half) whisky (or other spirit OR replace with orange juice for alcohol-free mincemeat)
Instructions
The day before
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Take a deep baking dish (approx. 27 x 19 or similar: using a dish with a larger base can create too much evaporation) and add ALL the ingredients EXCEPT HALF of the whisky. Stir well.
Note: if replacing the alcohol with orange juice add ALL of it now.
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Cover with foil and leave to soak at room temperature overnight.
The next day
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Preheat your oven to 120°C /100° Fan /Gas 1/2 /250° F with a shelf in the middle position and another on the bottom shelf.
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Stir the mixture well, re-cover tightly with foil, and put in the oven.
Cook for 2 hours, stirring 2 - 3 times to distribute the melted suet or butter and ensure nothing's sticking to the bottom of the dish. If the mincemeat starts to look dry turn the temperature down a little and/or add a splash of water or juice.
Tip: complete the next step while the mincemeat is cooking.
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Sterilize your jars (see blog post for alternative methods)
Wash 2 large or 4 medium jars with screw-on lids in hot, soapy water (it's sensible to also prepare a few extra of various sizes in case you need them). Rinse and leave to drain.
During the last 20 minutes of cooking, put the jars and lids on a baking tray and place on the bottom shelf of the oven.
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After 2 hours, take the mincemeat from the oven and rest it for 3 - 5 minutes before stirring in the remaining whisky.
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Remove the hot jars from the oven and pot up the mincemeat, stirring the contents of the baking dish regularly so the melted fat is distributed evenly amongst all the jars. Pack it down well so there are no air gaps.
Important: for food safety reasons the jars and the mincemeat MUST be hot when potting up.
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Protecting your hands with a cloth, screw on the lids and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, you should be able to tighten the lids a little more.
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Store in a cool, dark place (a kitchen cupboard away from heat sources is usually fine) and leave to mature, ideally for 2-3 weeks but 1 - 2 months is even better.
Should keep for up to a year.
Tip: if the mincemeat is firm when you come to use it, heat the jar (minus its lid) in the microwave for a few seconds or in a low oven for a few minutes. This will melt the suet and make it easier to spoon the mincemeat from the jar.
Recipe Notes
Recipes for using Ginger Christmas Mincemeat