Slow Cooker Christmas Mincemeat
Christmas is just not Christmas without mince pies and, generally speaking, the better the mincemeat the better the mince pies! This wonderfully easy homemade mincemeat is quick to prepare and is easily cooked in the slow cooker. Bursting with Christmas spices, oranges, lemons and all sorts of dried fruits, this wonderful mixture can be used in many different recipes, not just mince pies. See these Frangipane Mincemeat Squares below for example, or bake in a Bakewell Tart or use to make a light Christmas Cake or Christmas muffins.
Why should I make the mincemeat in advance of Christmas?
Making mincemeat in advance gives it time to mature and the flavours to better mix and develop. When stored in a dark, cool, dry place, it keeps well for up to 12 months.
How to make Slow Cooker Christmas Mincemeat
Collect all your ingredients together:
Dried fruit:
- raisins
- sultanas
- currants
- chopped candied peel
- dried cranberries
- dates, pitted and chopped
- dried apricots, chopped
- glacé cherries, quartered
- stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped
OR
- dried fruit of your choice
Sugar, Butter, Apple, Nuts, Fresh Fruit and Spices:
- medium oranges – zest and juice
- lemons – zest and juice
- Bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated
- soft dark brown sugar
- shredded suet
- mixed spice powder
- cinnamon powder
- grated nutmeg
- powdered ginger
- ground cloves
- fine salt
Finally:
- brandy
How to make this delicious Christmas Mincemeat in the Slow Cooker:
- Prepare the dried fruit as described in the list of ingredients.
- Transfer to the slow cooker, stir well and leave to stand whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Zest and juice the oranges and lemons and peel, core and grate the apples. Add to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
- Turn slow cooker on to low and cook for 2½ – 3 hours. If you are around, stir occasionally.
- When cooked, turn the slow cooker off and leave the mincemeat to cool, stirring from time to time. When cool, stir in the brandy.
- Transfer to sterilised jam jars and seal with a lid.
- You can use the mincemeat straight away or store it in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 12 months. The flavours will develop after it is bottled so try and make it a couple of months before Christmas.
Ingredients 
1 Chop apricots, cherries, dates, ginger 
2 Slow cooker 
3 Remaining ingredients 
Mix well 
4, 5 Cook
How to sterilise jam jars
- Wash the jam jars and lids in hot water, place on a baking tray and put in a cold oven.
- Turn the oven on to Fan Oven 140°C/160°C/325°F/Gas 3.
- Leave the jars in the oven for 20 minutes. They are now sterilised. Obviously they will be very hot, so be very careful.
- Cool the jars before adding the mincemeat.
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Slow Cooker Christmas Mincemeat
Christmas is just not Christmas without mince pies and, generally speaking, the better the mincemeat the better the mince pies! This wonderfully easy homemade mincemeat is quick to prepare and is easily cooked in the slow cooker.
Makes 4 – 5 x 400g jars
Ingredients
Dried fruit and brandy:
- 150g raisins
- 150g sultanas
- 100g currants
- 75g chopped candied peel
- 100g dried cranberries
- 125g dates, pitted and chopped
- 100g dried apricots, chopped
- 100g glace cherries, quartered
- 75g stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped
- OR 975g dried fruit of your choice
Sugar, Butter, Apple, Nuts, Fresh Fruit and Spices:
- zest and juice of 2 medium oranges
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 2 Bramley/cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated (250g prepared weight)
- 250g soft dark brown sugar
- 200g shredded suet
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Finally:
- 125ml brandy (or use rum, sherry, Amaretto)
Instructions
-
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
-
Prepare the dried fruit, if necessary, as described in the list of ingredients.
-
Transfer to the slow cooker, stir well and leave to stand whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
-
Zest and juice the oranges and lemons and peel, core and grate the apples. Add to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
-
Turn slow cooker on to low and cook for 2½ – 3 hours. If you are around, stir occasionally.
-
When cooked, turn the slow cooker off and leave the mincemeat to cool, stirring from time to time. When cool, stir in the brandy.
-
Transfer to sterilised jam jars and seal with a lid. See 'Recipe Notes' below for details on sterilising glass jars.
-
You can use the mincemeat straight away or store it in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 12 months. The flavours will develop after it is bottled so try and make it a couple of months before Christmas.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- chopping board and knife
- grater and reamer for the oranges and lemons
- box grater for the apples
- slow cooker
- 4 – 5 x 400g sterilised jam jars
How to sterilise jam jars:
- Wash the jam jars and lids in hot water, place on a baking tray and put in a cold oven.
- Turn the oven on to Fan Oven 140°C/160°C/325°F/Gas 3.
- Leave the jars in the oven for 20 minutes. They are now sterilised. Obviously they will be very hot, so be very careful.
- Cool the jars before adding the mincemeat.
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