Homemade All-Fruit Mincemeat (and Tarts)
I made mincemeat from scratch last night. And again this morning. What took me so long? I mean to do it every year, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t managed to for at least a decade. (I’d remember. And I won’t make that mistake again.) I adore mincemeat, applied liberally by spoon or by tart. And yes, it likely has a lot to do with the season during which they’re eaten – I can’t think of another food so exclusive to Christmas as the mince tart – but what’s not to love about a dark jammy mix of dried fruit, citrus, apples and spices? And of course most things are their best selves when they’ve been homemade vs. mass-produced.
I started with grated apples and chopped pears, along with raisins (two kinds) and currants, the zest and juice of a lemon and orange, some brown sugar and spices. Nevermind the suet – I used a bit of butter instead, which when you think about it has the best flavour of any solid fat out there. There isn’t much to the method – all that needs doing is some chopping and grating and tossing in a pot – and it could all be streamlined by a few pulses in the food processor. But even by hand I started making it at 3, wanting to beat sundown (photos and all), and it was ready and bubbling on the stove when the boys got home from school at 3:40. So not a big deal.
I looked to Delia for advice, being the matriarch of British cooking and all, but her formula required fresh apples and dried fruit to marinate of their own free will, with no heat to help things along. Others called for cranberries, which I love, but feared would take over the mincemeat. I have a particular idea of what mincemeat and mince tarts should taste like, and thus a very clear finish line. And I’m not sure I want my mince tarts tasting of cranberry sauce. I also don’t have 2-3 weeks to wait for my fruit to transform into mincemeat. Heat coaxes the juices out of the fruit and helps the raisins absorb it, and transforms the lot into a thick, sweet mass in about 15 minutes. (You could pop it into a pressure cooker instead, and let it go for 5 minutes or so.)
It has a better texture than the jarred stuff, I think – cooked down but still chunky, not mushy. The raisins and currants are soft but distinct. If you want a finer texture, you could roughly chop it all up first, or blitz it in a food processor – some mincemeat is almost pasty – or smoosh it with the back of your spoon as it simmers. Once cooled, it will keep in the fridge for weeks or months, if you can keep from eating it. (Apologies for the pre-dawn photos by kitchen light – I made this batch of tarts to bring in to CBC this morning. My car smelled great.)
My only motivation to stop eating it at the stove, with a spoon, is the promise of mince tarts. Made with butter pastry and small cut-outs set on top as partial lids – a small star cutter works great here, but I didn’t have the gumption to go down the basement and look for it at 6 am.
Mince tarts for breakfast, lunch, dinner and elevenses – yes?
If you like boozy mincemeat, add about 1/4 cup brandy, bourbon or rum after you remove the pot from the heat. This would make a fab hostess gift, packed in little jars for sharing.
To make tarts, preheat the oven to 375F and roll a batch of pastry (enough for a single crust pie) out on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thick. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or glass rim and press into ungreased muffin tins. Reroll the scraps once and cut out small rounds, stars or other shapes if you want your tarts lidded.
Fill each pastry cup with mincemeat and either leave open or lay a cut-out piece of pastry on top. If you like, brush with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool until warm, then run a thin knife around the edge to remove them from the pan.
All-Fruit Mincemeat
AuthorJulieIn a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the butter and walnuts or pecans (if you're using them). Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, until dark golden and thick. Add a little more liquid if it needs it, if the mixture is looking dry—this will depend on the juiciness of your fruit, and how dry your dried fruit is. It should be thick and slightly saucy—if there is juice in the bottom of your saucepan, make sure it’s syrupy—your spoon should leave a trail through it.
Remove from the heat and let cool; stir in the grated butter and the nuts, if you're using them.
Store in a sealed container or jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 6 months.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the butter and walnuts or pecans (if you're using them). Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, until dark golden and thick. Add a little more liquid if it needs it, if the mixture is looking dry—this will depend on the juiciness of your fruit, and how dry your dried fruit is. It should be thick and slightly saucy—if there is juice in the bottom of your saucepan, make sure it’s syrupy—your spoon should leave a trail through it.
Remove from the heat and let cool; stir in the grated butter and the nuts, if you're using them.
Store in a sealed container or jars in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 6 months.
Julie these tarts look scrumptious. I too love homemade mincemeat.
We wish you a joyous season and a Merry Christmas.
Our warmest wishes.
D & C
Julie, this looks yummy! I can’t wait to have the scent wafting through the house. One problem though, where do you find candied citron? I looked at the grocery today and only found candied peel. Is it the same? Thanks!
Those look just like my mum’s tarts! We eat them for breakfast the whole holiday season. I’m going to make some this week.
Hi Julie, came over here from a post on CBC (8 retro recipes!), and straightaway saw the post on mince pies. I’ve been dreaming of these for a long time and debating making some. Thanks for the recipe.
(Only thing missing in my mind is the suet. I can’t stand the idea of suet normally but it was always in my Gran’s mince pies, and really made them special).
Where did you buy your candid citron Julie?
I love mincemeat but have never got around to making my own. Your recipe makes it seem super easy, so perhaps this year…
I love mince tarts 🙂
They’re a Christmas favourite, but not eaten at any other time
Every year I make mince tarts for my girlfriend and she makes peanut butter balls for me. I like to sprinkle icing sugar over the tarts so they look snowy!
We were at Black Creek Pioneer Village this weekend and they had homemade mincemeat tarts they make there. I left saying that I was determined to learn how to make it for Christmas this year – and now here you are laying it all down. It’s like you read my mind. Thank you!
Love making homemade mince; my recipe (from The Joy of Cooking Pies) is very similar to yours’ with the addition of brandy. It is fantastic. I never liked mince pie as a kid, but when you find a good recipe to make at home, it’s so uniquely delicious. I fear I might not get mine made this year… I hope I do!! It’s so Christmassy!
Yes Chris and Louise – candied citron and peel are the same thing! You can find it alongside the glace mix and candied cherries in the baking section of the grocery store.
Love mincemeat. Now it’s not as daunting with your easy recipe! Will make it too! Thank you so much.
Hi Julie,
Love mincemeat and grateful for this recipe. I doubled the recipe … made tarts … a little pie … and have frozen the rest … delicious!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much.
Stephanie
I can’t believe you made your own mincemeat…and that it doesn’t look too hard to make! My husband would be over the moon if I made homemade mincemeat…love your recipe!!
Jo-Anna
When you say, cinnamon sticks, do you grind them, just put them in the mixture whole or can you use regular cinnamon. Thanks
Why is it called mincemeat since there is no meat in it.
Jack – traditionally mincemeat does have meat in it – most commonly beef suet (fat) along with the fruit and spices, but nowadays all-fruit mincemeat is far more common.
would not pay $8.00 for a jar of mincemeat am going to try your recipe
Hi Julie; Citron is not the same as peel but is sometimes included in mixed peel. Citron is a fruit that grows on a bush, is yellowish and is frequently used in fruit cakes or mincemeat with other glazed peels.
Oh interesting! thanks for the note!
How full do you fill each tart so that it does not overflow but does end up with a full tart and not just half full?
There isn’t any egg to puff in mincemeat, so I just fill them as full as I want them to wind up being!
Loved the recipe not cup measurements confuse me I work on lbs and ounces