Anyone else making Delia’s mincemeat?

I will probably make some in a couple of weeks. My Chistmas cooking starts after half term .

I definitely will, was wondering, if it could be made in a slow cooker rather than the oven???

I had my big bake up last week - Christmas cake, two puddings and mincemeat. I find it easy to do the whole lot in one go. A few years ago I made a spreadsheet with all the ingredients for them and can then simply use formulae to scale up or down and produce a single list for the lot. My DDs say that the Christmas spreadsheet had made sure that the recipes live on.

I put a frangipan topping on last year, they were lovely an tidy
I have never ben able to make mince pies without all the leakage, unlike my Mum.

Rosepaul

I definitely will, was wondering, if it could be made in a slow cooker rather than the oven???

I should imagine that would work fine. IIRC the mix goes in a very low oven for a few hours, in order for the suet or veg fat to melt and be able to be mixed in. Which is surely doable in a slow cooker.

Rosepaul

I definitely will, was wondering, if it could be made in a slow cooker rather than the oven???

Somebody has asked this on Delia's site:

www.deliaonline.com/ask-lindsey/mincemeat-in-the-slow-cooker

I usually make cake and mincemeat over the half-term break, both from Delia's Christmas book. I also make the Christmas chutney and the Apricot one.

I like the idea of making the mincemeat in a slow cooker - will give that a go. We don't put brandy in half of ours as some family and friends are teetotal and it lasts just as well up to Christmas.
GS will be here this half-term so he can lend a hand with the chopping and mixing as he has done since he was a year old. He's rather more efficient at it now that he's nearly 13!

Thank you CraftyGranny and Witzend much appreciate your replies

I used to loathe the grating of orange and lemon peel on a box grater - until I realised that you could buy a brilliant little gadget to make it so much easier - for about £7.

I dare say I was about the last person to realise that such a gadget existed!

Yes, i make Delias MM every year, also for my sister. I think next week i shall make a start, also Delias christmas cake and pudding....

Witzend please tell me about your gadget. I still use a box grater. TIA.

I used to make mincemeat from scratch - now I add some mashed banana and finely cut apple plus a little more spice and zest to a commercial brand .

I have been making Delia’s mincemeat for years. This year I made it early because I had been given some Bramleys and used the slow cooker. It turned out well, only cooked it for a couple of hours. The one change I make is to use vegetarian suet, which is drier, so I compensate with alcohol!

I usually make Nigella's cranberry mincemeat - delish! www.nigella.com/recipes/star-topped-mince-pies

mumofmadboys

Witzend please tell me about your gadget. I still use a box grater. TIA.

This is it - about 14 cm long.
I think it was by Good Grips - if you Google Good Grips Citrus Zester (or similar) it’ll probably come up.
Mine was £7 in the local dept. store.
It’ll do long curls as well as zesting, but I’ve never needed those.

PS, it was a godsend when recently making the annual mega lemon meringue pie for dh’s birthday (11 for lunch) last Sunday - 3 large lemons to zest!

Thanks Witzend. I'll look out for one

I use the slow cooker, no suet though, I use a vegan recipe.

I use a parmesan grater for zest, very quick and doesn't take any of the bitter pith with it. Also very fine as I don't like large pieces.

I made 2 lots last year, both with trad suet and with veggie ditto, for veggie family. TBH they didn’t really taste any different, not to me, anyway.

We've had a GoodGrips zester for years - can recommend it!

Ok so I’ve been having a go at this but I put the brandy in with all the rest of the ingredients at the beginning, will it matter? Should I put another lot in when it cools? Also why isn’t it packed when it’s hot into hot sterilised jars as you would with jam? I’ve got hot jars waiting in the oven, shall I leave them and do it all cold in the morning? Should I just have another glass of wine and give up on home-made mincemeat? I should definitely read the whole recipe at the beginning of the exercise and not speed read!

I put the brandy in at the beginning the first time I made it - didn’t realise until later - I don’t think it made any difference.

As long as the jars have been sterilised, I doubt it’ll matter if the mix goes in cold.

Thanks Witzend, I’ve got it all in jars now. I put another glug of brandy in for luck!