Hurrah! the internet is much faster today so I am able to upload photographs of my latest culinary achievements.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago I got my act together this year to start preparing for Christmas well ahead of time.Not only does it prevent the last minute kitchen panic but it also allows the time for all the flavours to develop and make everything so much more delicious.
Last year I attempted a 'cooked' fruit mince but did not find it particularly tasty so this year I vaguely followed a basic recipe for a bung it all together variety.
I used every type of dried fruit I had in the cupboard - sultanas, raisins, currants (purchased in UK in May as they are difficult to get here), red and green cherries, and mixed peel being the regulars. I then added some dried apricots, pineapple, mango, figs and a couple of glace clementines and citron which I had left over from a visit to Paris, and some glace ginger. You can add what ever is your favourite to give it the personal touch. In the end I had approximately 2 kgs of chopped fruit. I then added 2 grated apples and a bottle of brandy - Yes! the whole bottle, - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove powder, ginger powder, and all spice (about a tablespoon of each but do this to your own taste), and about 500 gms of muscovarda sugar (you can use normal brown sugar if you cannot get this), popped the lid on the specially purchased pink bucket and it sat on the kitchen bench for about 2 weeks. I opened it up eevery 3-4 days for a stir. At the end of two weeks I added the syrup from the glace ginger jar, 250gms of suet and 250gms of slivered almonds.
Make sure the suet is clean when you get it from the butcher, it is not so easy to do this at home. If you dont want to use suet you can use melted butter but I would not add it until you are ready to use the fruit mince. You can also use half brandy/half orange juice if you prefer. I have had special requests for vegetarian and non-alcoholic mince in past years and it is just as delicous.
I sterilised my jars by submerging them in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Put the mince in the jars whilst they are still hot, fill right to the top and seal asap. To get a good seal I then put the jars back in a large pan and filled with water (about half way up the jars) and boiled them for about 10 minutes.
Lift the jars out carefully and place upside down to cool. This will give you the seal needed to store the mince for several months. Check that the 'buttons' on top of the jars have been 'sucked in'; they should not move when you press down on them. The suet will have melted and then reset. (I have not worked out how the commercial varieties manage to do this sealing process without the suet melting)
Dont worry. When you use the mince and cook it at high heat in pies the suet will melt and mix in properly.
My mince is now in the cupboard under the stairs waiting for December.
Next week I am preparing to regroup and start preparing the Christmas pudding and cake. I first have to ask Jim to fix a hook in the basement so I have somewhere to hang the pudding out of harms way (and the inquisitive eye of the bush babies!).
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