Home-made Christmas Mincemeat (Delia)

Tempo

16 hr (overnight macerate + 3 hr oven + cool)

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

2porções

Ingredientes

450 g

(1 lb) Bramley apples, cored and chopped small (no need to peel) — sub: any tart cooking apple; *maçã verde Granny Smith* works

50 g

(2 oz) whole almonds, cut into slivers (amêndoas inteiras em lascas)

level tsp mixed ground spice (mistura de especiarias britânica — see notes for DIY blend)

level tsp ground cinnamon (canela em pó)

level tsp freshly grated nutmeg (noz-moscada ralada na hora)

6 tbsp

brandy (conhaque)

225 g

(8 oz) shredded suet (gordura bovina ralada — see substitutions)

350 g

(12 oz) raisins (uvas-passas pretas grandes)

225 g

(8 oz) sultanas (uvas-passas claras)

225 g

(8 oz) currants (uvas-passas zibibo / pequenas; or extra sultanas)

225 g

(8 oz) whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped (frutas cristalizadas mistas — *cidra* + *casca de laranja* + *casca de limão*)

350 g

(12 oz) soft dark brown sugar (açúcar mascavo escuro)

Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges (laranja-pera)

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (limão siciliano)

Modo de preparo

01**Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the brandy** in a large mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly — the citrus juices should dampen everything, the dried fruit and apple should be evenly distributed.
02**Cover with a clean cloth** and leave in a cool place **overnight (or at least 12 hr)**. The flavours mingle and the dried fruit absorbs the citrus.
03**Preheat oven** to 110°C / gas mark ¼ (very low). AFO: convection bake at 110°C.
04**Cover bowl loosely with foil** and place in oven for **3 hours**.
05**Remove from oven.** Don't be alarmed — the mincemeat will look like it's swimming in fat. **This is correct.**
06**Cool, stirring from time to time.** As it cools, the suet coagulates and *encases all the other ingredients in a coating of fat* — this is the preserving mechanism. Going from "fat-pool" to "fat-jacketed-fruit" takes ~2 hr of intermittent stirring.
07**When completely cold**, stir in the brandy thoroughly.
08**Jar.** Pack into sterilised jars (see below). Press down to remove air pockets. Cover with discs of greaseproof paper + lids. Store in a cool dark place.

Home-made Christmas Mincemeat (Delia)

The proper version. Not the supermarket jar — Bramley apples, suet, four kinds of dried fruit, citrus zest, brandy. Once you make it once, you don't go back. The 3-hour low oven step is what melts the suet through everything; it transforms the texture.

Heat: 0/5.

This is a PROTECTED keep — Simon's annual Christmas tradition.

Sterilising jars

Wash jars + lids in hot soapy water; rinse. Place jars on a tray in 140°C oven for 10 min. Boil lids for 5 min. Use within 1 hr while still warm.

Substitutions (Brazilian sourcing)

Suet: gordura bovina ralada (beef suet) is hard to find in BR. Substitutes:
- Vegetarian suet: Atora Vegetable Suet if imported — at Empório Santa Maria; or use 225 g hard butter, frozen and grated.
- Beef suet DIY: ask butcher for gordura branca de boi (caul fat or kidney fat); freeze hard; grate on a coarse box grater.
Mixed ground spice: DIY blend = 2 tsp ground cinnamon + 2 tsp ground coriander seed + 1 tsp ground nutmeg + 1 tsp ground ginger + 1 tsp ground allspice + ½ tsp ground cloves. Mix; use 4 tsp.
Mixed candied peel: frutas cristalizadas mistas sold at any supermarket near Christmas. Or DIY citrus peel (boil zest in sugar syrup).
Brandy: conhaque nacional (Domecq, Macieira) is fine. Or rum.

Notes

Mince pies: the natural use. Roll shortcrust pastry; cut bases + lids; spoon mincemeat in; bake 200°C 15 min.
Other uses: stir into apple crumble base, fold into Christmas pudding, dollop on porridge or pancakes, mince-meat ice cream (fold into vanilla ice cream).
Storage: the suet + sugar + brandy preserve. Sealed jars keep 6-12 months in a cool dark place. Once opened, fridge 1 month.
The 12-hour macerate is non-negotiable — it's where the spices integrate. Skip and you taste raw spice on day 1.
Why low oven? Melting the suet through the mixture (rather than just mixing it cold) is what gives the preservative coat. 3 hr at 110°C does this without cooking the apple to mush.