Grandma’s Mincemeat

Step 1

Cook beef and pork by boiling it or in a pressure cooker. Strain the liquid that the beef or pork was cooked in and refrigerate it until the fat hardens and can be removed from the broth. (This step is easiest if done at least a day before you plan to make the mincemeat). Use 2 1/2 cups of this broth for the recipe.

Step 2

Grind the beef in a grinder or a food processor. If using a grinder, use a medium to large hole disk.

Step 3

Chop apple finely in a food processor or grind using the same disk as for the meat.

Step 4

Add broth, lemon juice, pineapple juice, and 1/2 gallon of apple cider to a very large pot or caner base over medium high heat.

Step 5

Add in meat, apples, and raisins.

Step 6

Stir in brown sugar, sorghum or molasses, honey, salt, cinnamon and cloves.

Step 7

Lower heat to medium after mixture comes to a boil.

Step 8

Stir often enough that the mixture does not stick.

Step 9

Add more cider until you get the desired consistency. Add up to a quart more cider if you plan to pressure can the mincemeat. Add up the gallon if you plan to freeze the mincemeat.

Step 10

Cook the mincemeat for 1 hour if you plan to pressure can it. Cook the mincemeat for about 2 hours if you plan to freeze it.

Step 11

To can the mincemeat: fill hot quart jars with the hot mincemeat leaving 1 -inch head space. Make sure the jar rim is clean. Place hot, sterilized lid on jar and tighten down with the outer ring. Process in a pressure caner according to your caner directions for 90 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure.

Step 12

To freeze the mincemeat: turn off heat under mincemeat pot. Place mincemeat in jars like you would to can it. Or, place in smaller containers for the refrigerator. Place the containers of mincemeat in the refrigerator overnight. If in quart jars with lids, remove from the refrigerator and place in the freezer. If in refrigerator containers, fill quart size, zipper freezer bags with the mincemeat then place it the freezer.

Step 13

If you want to make a mincemeat pie from the the newly made mincemeat: leave in the refrigerator container for at least a couple of days before using it.

Step 14

You can make a mincemeat pie in an unbaked crust and freeze it for several weeks.