Traditional Mincemeat Recipe: The Mince That Made the Butcher Wince

One quart

You can swap out any finely-diced fruits, like I did, although to be close to authentic, it should be pretty raisin-heavy. I've seen recipes using everything from dried cranberries, figs, and prunes.

In England, one can buy vegetarian suet , which I've never used, but folks say that it works well. I was also thinking that coconut oil might work, so if anyone experiments with that, I'd be interested in knowing the results. You can also make my Quick Mincemeat , which has no fat or animal products.

8 ounces (225 g) dark raisins

8 ounces (225 g) currants

4 ounces (110 g) golden raisins (sultanas)

1 large, firm apple; unpeeled, quartered, cored, and diced

2 ounces (55 g) candied orange peel, chopped

4 ounces (110 g) suet, grated or finely-chopped

1 cup (215 g) packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon (each) ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg & allspice

zest and juice of one lemon

zest and juice of one orange

3 tablespoons brandy