The Cottage Smallholder

Does any one else make Constance Spry's all fruit mincemeat?

No suet or even vegetable suet and no sugar

Just dried fruit bound together with cooked dates, stewed apples and mashed bananas. It is so fresh and fruity tasting ( not surprising really!)  but the down side is that it has to be kept in the freezer and ours is usually full

FRUIT MINCEMEAT

2lb Cooking Apples            8oz Dried Dates               4 Bananas         1 unwaxed Lemon, zest and juice

1lb Currants                      1lb Sultanas                      8oz Raisins         8oz Prunes, chopped

4oz Glace cherries              4oz Apricots, chopped     4oz crystalized ginger, chopped

4oz Mixed Peel                   4oz Nibbed Almonds         2oz chopped Walnuts

1/2 Cup Sherry                  4 Tbsp Brandy

1tsp each Mixed Spice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg            1/2 tsp ground cloves

1. core, chop and cook apples ( with peel )

2. Chop dates and cook with a little water til really soft

3. Mash bananas with juice of lemon

4. Combine all together and leave to sit overnight before using or freezing

Will keep almost a year in freezer

Obviously dried fruit can be changed round a bit so long as proportions aren't changed too much. Dried cranberries wern't available when we got this recipe.   Spices/ alcohol can also be changed according to taste

Shame it's a bit early for mincepies – someone will have to flag this up again in Dec!