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Green Tomato Mincemeat
aka Mock Mincemeat
andThe Origin of Meatless Mincemeat Pies
by Jane Lake
I was born and raised in England, so mince pies at Christmas are part of my heritage. Christmas just wouldn't be complete without mince pies, always offered to visitors during the Christmas season, and present on the Christmas dinner table even when all of us are too stuffed to eat another morsel. No matter - a few hours after dinner is digested, you can be sure all of those savory spiced mincemeat pies disappear like magic!
I've often wondered about the origin of the name, "mincemeat" which these days usually has no meat content, except perhaps beef suet, which is more often substituted by lard, vegetable shortening or oil. A little research on the net explained the mystery.
According to the Wikipedia article on Mince Pies,

The origins of the mince pie begins with the medieval pastry, chewette which was either fried or baked. The "chewette" actually contained liver or chopped meat mixed with boiled eggs and ginger. Dried fruit and sweet ingredients would be added to the chewette's filling for variety. By the 16th century 'mince' or shred pie was considered a Christmas specialty. In the mid-17th century the liver and chopped meat was replaced by suet and meat products were no longer generally used in the 'mince' by the 19th century in both North America and Great Britain though traditional suet pies are still made it is no longer the dominant form. (Davidson,1999)This green tomato mincemeat recipe was adapted from The Home Preserving Handbook produced by Canadian Living Magazine, one of the magazines that I have contributed to extensively in the past as a freelance writer. I first used it about five years ago, and was very pleased when it passed muster with both my mother and my mother-in-law - both of whom are English ladies who have cooked mince pies for decades.
Mock Mincemeat8 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
4 cups finely chopped apples
3 cups raisins
½ cup chopped candied mixed peel
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp allspice OR ground nutmeg
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup apple juice or water
1/2 cup brandy (optional)
Combine all ingredients, except brandy, in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for two hours. Remove from heat, stir in brandy, if using, then ladle mincemeat into hot, steralized canning jars. Store in a cool, dry place. Makes about 7 cups.
Mince Pie Folklore:
Mince pies should traditionally have a star on top, to represent the Christmas Star which led the shepherds and Magi to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
Is there supposed to be no sugar in this recipe?
I'm so sorry, Letitia. I had a coding issue on this page, and it messed up the vinegar and deleted the sugar. Hopefully, it is fixed now. I used both brown and white sugar when I made this mincemeat.
I was hoping to learn how to make a green tomato mince meat pie. What is the next step after making the mincemeat?
Thank you.
And my mum said it would bring bad luck , in the new year to refuse one!
I don't understand the vinegar measurement in the mock mincemeat recipe
Hi, Shirley,
I've fixed the page now. You need 1/3 cup of vinegar.
I don't understand the measurement of vinegar needed for the Mock Mincemeat. Can you clarify? Thanks.
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