Mince meat pie

[SEEYA]

Does anybody out there have a recipe for Mince meat pie? I have been all over the internet, and none are like my Grandmothers.

[Michael Bush]

They should have suet in them if they are the real "mince meat".

[SEEYA]

Thanks Michael Bush I have tried several internet recipes, but there always seems to be something missing.

[Michael Bush]

From wikipedia, here is a 19th century recipe that sounds nice, but I haven't tried it:

A 19th century recipe

        2 lbs raisins
        3 lbs currants
        1½ lbs lean beef
        3 lbs beef suet
        2 lbs moist sugar
        2 oz citron
        2 oz candied lemon peel
        2 oz candied orange peel
        1 small nutmeg
        1 pottle of apples (2 quarts)
        the rind of two lemons, the juice of one
        1/2 pint brandy

    Stone and cut the raisins once or twice across, but do not chop them; wash, dry and pick the currants free from stalks and grit, and mince the beef and suet, taking care the latter is chopped very fine; slice the citron and candied peel, grate the nutmeg, and pare, core and mince the apples; mince the lemon peel, strain the juice and when all the ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together, adding the brandy when the other things are well blended; press the whole into a jar, carefully exclude the air, and the mincemeat will be ready for use in a fortnight.

Don't think I'd wait a fortnight unless it was in the fridge... although they say it will keep for up to ten years...

[gailmo]

I make mince meat pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I use my aunt's recipe and it is both easy and very tasty.  I use the small boxes of condensed mince meat you can get at the grocery store.  One year my aunt made this pie using real meat and it was horrible!  Everyone agreed that Aunt Helen's regular recipe was much, much better. 

So here is our family "secret" recipe!!!

Aunt Helen’s Easy Mincemeat  Pie for deep dish pie pans (9 inch)

2 box condensed  mincemeat 
2 apples diced finely--I use tart ones like Granny Smith
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t allspice

Crumble two boxes into sauce pan and add 3 cups of water.  Add raisins, apples and spices.  Bring to boil and cook a few minutes.  Turn off and let cool.

Basically you follow directions on the mince package--but add the spices above and
IGNORE directions regarding egg yolk.

NOTES:  For deep dish pies – use two boxes of mince and only 3 cups of water!

I let the mincemeat filling cool quite a bit before putting into the pie shell.  A hot filling will “melt” the pie crust and make a big fat mess.

Bake according to the directions on the mince box.

Enjoy!!!
Gail

[buzzbee]

Gail,
Sound like my kind of minced meat pie!
Throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and now were talking!

[kingbee]

From the 1929 edition of "The White House Cook Book" by Steward of the White House Hugo Ziemann & Mrs. F. L. Gillette as revised by Mrs. Mary E. Dauge.  All punciuation is as it appears in the original, don’t blame me.

                                                                 MINCE PIES

Two pounds of lean fresh beef boiled and, when cold, chopped fine.  One pound of beef suet cleaned of strings and minced to a powder.  Five pounds of apples pared and chopped [don't forget to core them] two pounds of raisins seeded and chopped, one pound of Sultana raisins washed and picked over carefully, two pounds of currants washed and carefully picked over, three-quarters of a pound of citron cutup fine, two tablespoonfuls [Yes TABLEspoonfuls] cinnamon, one of powered nutmeg, two of mace, one of cloves, one of allspice, one of fine salt, two and a quarter pounds of brown sugar, one cup boiled cider and water to cover.  Cook 15 minutes. Bake between two crusts.

There is a lot of fruit in this recipe so the amount of spices is not out of line.  I don't know about the cider and water.  It could be 1/2 cup cider and 1/2 cup water or it could be 1 cup of each.  Either way add enough liquid to COVER before cooking.  Since this recipe was published in the middle of the “Great Experiment”  I don’t know if there was any rum or other liquor in the original recipe.

         

            CANNED MINCE MEAT
From the same cook book.

Mince Meat for pies can be preserved for years if canned the same way as fruit while hot, and put into glass jars and sealed perfectly tight, and set in a cool, dark place.  One glass quart jar will hold enough to make two ordinary-sized pies, and in this way “mince pies” can be had in the middle of summer as well as in winter, and if the cans are sealed properly, the meat will be just find when opened as when first canned.

Don’t forget to observe the proper sterilization techniques if you try canning mince pie filling!!!!
I would feel better if it was hot packed in clean glass jars taken right out of a pot of fiercely boiling water and at least processed by the hot water bath method for 20 minutes if using quart jars.  The amount of acid in the recipe however will help prevent bacteria growth.