I think I may have overdone it on the mincemeat front.

[sleeping emoji]

Why not freeze half of the apples for a future apple pie and continue with half of the remaining ingredients?

?

The apples have all gone in the pan, with cider. I've managed to balance the lesser ingredients on top. I will leave it to do it's flippin', thing now.

It's got to cook to a mush. Perhaps it will go down. Perhaps it won't.

Thank you though Cavewoman.

Still think apple pie with cider sounds good

Well, I guess you won't need to make any more for a while. That's something at least

Cave woman has the right idea Gonegirl and I’m also lacking jamjars - I wish people would return them when I’ve given them the results of my culinary efforts!

I've actually still got some of last year's left.

I have got jam jars but I like to use Kilners for mincemeat. Don't know why. Jam jars it will have to be though.

Better go and start sterilising 'em.

I am a bit puzzled my mincemeat recipe uses 2 grated apples to a kilo of mixed fruit and doesn't require any cooking, just mixing.

It is quite a different recipe Monica. It uses no suet. You cook the apples (larger amount then the usual) along with other ingredients, in cider. This stops it from spoiling. You add brandy or rum at the end when quite cold.

I am a bit annoyed because I'm going to a church fair on Saturday where I usually buy a couple of jars of other people's mincemeat, just to add variety. Think I might have to sneak some of this in for them to sell instead.

Well, as agnurse said your well sorted for the next few years anyway!

The sterilising jars is always a bit of a faff isn't it?

Selling at the local Christmas fair is a good idea.

The house smells delicious!

I could have lent you my DGS to help you with the apples. His autism makes him very precise. He once cut up some apples for a pie we were making. 5 cooking apples cut precisely........ into 2mm pieces (and yes I do mean 2mm) ?

I sterilise my clean jam jars in the microwave Namsnanny - two mins on full power, pot contents and lids on straight away.

I'm jealous of your mincemeat. I don't have time for cooking these days.

Doodle ?

Our mum makes a lot of jelly and jam, and she always sterilizes her jars in the oven. She'll take a piece of newspaper, soak it in water, use it to line a cookie sheet, and then set her jars on it in the oven. Then she keeps them in there, with the oven turned on, until she needs to use them. She sterilizes her lids by boiling them in a pot on the stove, and she keeps them simmering until she needs them, too.

Nobody has ever gotten sick from any jam or jelly that she made.

The recipe I've been using for years doesn't require cooking and keeps well for over a year. It uses grated cooking apples as well as the dried fruit etc, a good bit of sugar and a mix of sherry and juice of oranges and lemons. I often mix with cooking apples to make apple and mincemeat tart. If anyone wants recipe, I'll share it.

I sterilise jars in oven for jam, but not for mincemeat - just spoon cold mix into clean jars.

GG - you are not alone !
Made chutney last month , for some reason, ended up with far more chutney than I had jars .
Only option was to raid OHs DIY cupboard where jars contain nails, screws etc. all carefully labelled.
Let's just say he was not happy !

? Yes, I can imagine Hazel.

You know whose fault it will be when he can't find that special so important screw, don't you!

Definitely offer spare to your church fair Gonegirl. I was in charge of Jams and Chutneys stall at ours and was told I had precisely one jar to sell. Cue jam and mincemeat making on a mammoth scale at Purpledaffodil Towers. And I normally never make either.?