How to Make Easy Vegan Mincemeat

Easy vegan mincemeat recipe. I may be chastised for it, but I know I’m not alone in my love of Christmas. I’m not one of these curmudgeonly people who complain about the shops having their Christmas displays up in April. I revel in the cosy feeling you get from the warm pine scent of the Christmas tree standing next to the fire, its lights twinkling like the frost on the windowpane.

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I adore the idea of roasting chestnuts by candlelight and boiling Christmas Puddings for six hours. As I get older, the meaning of Christmas takes on a greater significance. It is a time to spend with your loved ones, appreciative of what you have, and not dwelling on what you don’t have. To play Christmas Carols and to gild walnuts, stringing them to the tree. Satsumas in Stockings. A glass of Sherry and a Mince Pie left out for Saint Nicholas. Sugar Plums and Plum Pudding.

I remember my early Christmases, which were always spent at my grandparents. The men of the household would visit the local pub sometime around 10am (and I can’t really blame them, if you so much as entered the kitchen, my grandmother would transform into a snarling, spitting hellcat) and re-emerge at around 1.30pm. My grandmother was demoniacal about the turkey being perfect and would quite literally pull her hair out with frustration.

One year my granddad persuaded her to cook it upside down, because he had seen a TV chef prepare one that way. However, not only did she cook it upside down, she also served it upside down. My mother had to pinch my leg hard enough to draw blood to assuage my childish snickering as this deformed, one-legged tipsy looking turkey was produced. In fact, it was the best turkey she had ever cooked but her mortification at serving a less than attractive turkey ensured that every year thereafter, the turkey was cooked – and served – right side up.

To me, it still means cooking lots of ‘once a year’ things, but advance prep, like pickles and preserves, for when, on Boxing Day, sated but still peckish, you serve bread, chips, hummous, peanuts, mince pies and Satsumas for people to lazily help themselves to.

I am boycotting the latent commercialism of Christmastime in my own small way by making my own mincemeat (and therefore, mince pies), Christmas cake, all baked cruelty free.

The mincemeat uses a wonderful Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, by way of Mimi Sheraton, from one of my favourite cookbooks, Visions of Sugarplums: lots of fresh fruit add a real lightness of flavour. It's also made without suet. I find that suet adds a greasiness that I don't enjoy, and omitting it, makes the mincemeat slightly healthier too! I have 2 large jars sitting, steeping, in the kitchen, flavoured with Amaretto which smells more like Marzipan than Marzipan itself.

Mincemeat FAQs

Mincemeat is really easy to make! I use my smoothie maker to blend up the fruit (I add a little cider to each blended batch to make it easier to pulse), but I don't have a food processor! A food processor will make the process even easier!

I like to keep a quarter cup of dried fruit aside to stir through to the mixture before cooking, just to add a little more texture.

Can I modify the fruit?

You can! Providing you keep the ratio between fresh and dry fruit as close as possible, then feel free to add fresh or dried cranberries, an extra orange instead of lemon, some more peel or glace cherries, or an extra apple. This recipe is very forgiving, but I would suggest if you find you've used a little more fruit that the recipe, then just cook it down for a little bit longer.

How can I tell when the Mincemeat is cooked?

You are looking for a "dry texture", which is to say, you want any liquid that might have been on the surface to have evaporated. If you still have a little liquid, just cook gently for a bit longer.

What can I use Mincemeat for?

• Mince Pies
• Stir some into a Christmas Cake or Pudding
• Place a spoonful into vanilla muffin batter before baking
• Mincemeat Slices
• Mincemeat Filo Parcels

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5 from 35 votes

Vegan Mincemeat Recipe (no suet)

YIELD 1 litre jar

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

7 days days

Total Time: 7 days days 40 minutes minutes

A traditional British preserve, full of dried fruits, ready for Mince Pies!

Equipment

• Sterilised Jars
• Large Saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 Orange large, cut into quarters, seeded
• ½ Lemon cut in half and deseeded
• 2 Apples cooking, cored and cut into large chunks
• 1 cup Raisins
• ¾ cup Currants or a mixture of mixed peel, dried cranberries, glace cherries
• ½ cup dried Cranberries
• ¼ cup mixed Peel
• ¼ cup Maraschino Cherries optional
• 1 cup Cider (I used alcoholic, but feel free to use apple juice)
• 1¾ cup dark brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground cloves, ground coriander, mixed spice, ground ginger and freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup Amaretto or Brandy or Whiskey (optional)

Instructions

• Using a food processor or blender, process the apple, orange, lemon and most of the dried fruit (keep ¼ cup aside) until combined but not smooth. You don't want any large lumps, but you need some texture. I use a little of the cider to help process it easily.
• Add this, along with the reserved ¼ cup of dried fruit and the rest of the cider to a large saucepan
• Bring to a boil, but quickly turn down to a very gentle simmer. Do not cover.
• Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to dry out (the cider has basically evaporated). Stir frequently to avoid the mixture from sticking.
• Now add the brown sugar, salt and spices, stir well, and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and, if using, stir in your alcohol of choice.
• Decant into sterilised jars. Leave for at least 1 week before using.

RECIPE BY Freya

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Mincemeat Recipe (no suet)

Serving Size

 

1 large jar

Amount per Serving

Calories

3148

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Sodium

 

1380

mg

60

%

Potassium

 

3448

mg

99

%

Carbohydrates

 

773

g

258

%

Fiber

 

37

g

154

%

Sugar

 

615

g

683

%

Protein

 

12

g

24

%

Vitamin A

 

616

IU

12

%

Vitamin C

 

128

mg

155

%

Calcium

 

587

mg

59

%

Iron

 

12

mg

67

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information Disclaimer

The automated nutritional information on my recipes can often be inaccurate due to the limitations within the programming. For exact measurements, there are lots of apps and websites that can calculate this information more accurately.

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