Delicious fruit mince packed with apple, dried fruits, cider, rum, spices
and brandy. Make fruit mince pies, fruit cake, fruit mince ice cream puddings
and more! This is a very special recipe from our family kitchen to yours – we
make it a few months prior to Christmas every year (you can also make it and
use it straight away if you’re short on time). Feeling prepared? Preserve a
batch a year ahead!
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Ingredients for FESTIVE FRUIT MINCE
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Yield: around 16 cups
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Granny
Smith Apples, Peeled, Diced
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8 cups
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Apple
Cider (or Apple Juice)
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4 cups
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Sultanas
(Golden Raisins)
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2 1/2 cups
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Brown
Sugar
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2 cups
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Currants
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2 cups
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Dried
Apricots, Diced
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2 cups
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Raisins
(Dark Raisins)
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2 cups
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100% Orange
Juice
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1 1/2 cups
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Dried
Cranberries
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1 cup
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Dried
Mixed Citrus Peel, Diced
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1 cup
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Glace
Cherries
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1 cup
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Lemon
Juice (Fresh or Bottled)
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1 cup
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Ground
Allspice
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1 tablespoon
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Ground
Cinnamon
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1 tablespoon
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Ground
Nutmeg
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1 tablespoon
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Ground
Cloves
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1 teaspoon
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Ground
Ginger
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1 teaspoon
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Brandy
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3/4 cup
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Dark Rum
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1/2 cup
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METHOD:
1. Wash jars in hot soapy water. Pre-heat the
clean jars by covering them in water and boiling for 10 minutes in a large pot
- or use your dishwasher rinse cycle.
2. If not prepared already, peel, core, dice and
measure apples.
3. Combine all
ingredients except for brandy and rum in a large pan. Bring to a boil then
simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in brandy
and rum. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Warm the lids in a bowl of
boiled water, removing them when you are ready to place them onto the jars to
seal.
6. Spoon the hot
fruit mince into the hot jars, to 1cm (1/2 inch) from the rim of the jars. Remove
bubbles with a non-metal utensil. Check headspace is still 1cm then wipe rims with
dampened paper towel and seal with lids.
7. Submerge jars in a pot of boiling water as
per the chart below, starting your timer when the water returns to a full boil.
When the time is up, turn the heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes
before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
8.
12-24 hours later: check jars have sealed
before wiping down jars, labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place
for up to 12 months.
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Processing
Time for FESTIVE FRUIT MINCE in a Boiling Water Canner
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Jar
Size
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Altitude
≤ 1,000 feet
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Altitude
1,001 - 3,000 feet
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Altitude
3,001 - 6,000 feet
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Altitude
≥ 6,000 feet
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Hot Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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30 minutes
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35 minutes
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40 minutes
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45 minutes
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SERVING IDEAS:
o Stir through vanilla ice-cream;
o
Fruit mince pies;
o
Filling fig newtons (instead of fig mixture);
o
Baking special fruit cakes (our recommendation).
NOTES:
o Other varieties of apples can be used;
o
4 cups of finished festive fruit mince will make a standard sized fruit cake;
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Sweet, fresh or alcoholic apple cider / juice can be used;
o Lemon
juice can be replaced with apple cider vinegar if desired;
o Omit or replace spices, if desired;
o Brandy
and/or rum can be replaced with more apple cider if you prefer;o Bottle
in 1-cup capacity jars for stirring into ice-cream or making a couple of fruit
mince pies at a time – or larger jars for bigger batches, including cakes. We
prefer pint/500ml jars for home and half-pint/250ml jars for gifting (salsa
style jars make wonderful gourmet gifts of fruit mince).
Author:
Megan Radaich
Image credit: Megan Radaich
Publication: Christmas Preserving Guide (COMING SOON)