Basic Homemade Mincemeat

Ingredients

• 3 cups apples pulp
• some skins
• 1/2 large lemon with peel
• ground
• 1 medium oranges with peel
• ground
• 1 cup raisins
• seedless ground
• 1 cup raisins
• seedless whole
• 1 cup currants (or more raisins)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• all-purpose (or 1 tb arrowroot flour)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons applesauce unsweetened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Quarter and core apples, but do not peel.
2. Grind in old-fashioned meat grinder (food processor makes them too fine), using medium-coarse blade.
3. Remove seeds from lemon and orange, grind and add to apples.
4. Grind 1 cup raisins.
5. Mix all ingredients together, and stir until well combined.
6. Place in covered bowl or other container with tight lid; refrigerate at least one day before using, at least 7 days before canning.
7. The longer all the ingredients marry together, the better the mince meat tastes.
8. For canning: 1/2 inch head space, boiling water bath 20 min for pints after water returns to boil, longer for altitudes over 1000 ft.
9. If any jars fail to seal, freeze for later use.
10. To freeze after refrigerating for the recommended week, place in clean freezer containers or jars, leaving 1/2 inch at top.
11. Cover with clean lids and place in sharp-freeze section of freezer until frozen.
12. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
13. Makes 1 quart, enough for 2 8-inch pies.