Mincemeat

Mincemeat is a traditional filling for pies and tarts, especially in British cuisine. It is a mixture of chopped dried and fresh fruit, sugar, and spices, bound with a fat such as suet or vegetable shortening, and often augmented with alcohol for flavor and preservation. The term does not reflect minced meat in modern recipes, although early versions sometimes included chopped meat.

Historically, mincemeat referred to a meat-based product made to preserve meat by combining it with fruit, suet, and spices. In the Victorian era, recipes commonly included beef or mutton. From the 19th century onward fruit-based versions became standard, and today many commercial mincemeats are vegetarian.

Typical ingredients include apples, raisins, currants, sultanas, chopped peel (candied citrus), sugar, and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Liquor or wine, most often brandy or rum, is frequently added. Some preparations use shredded suet; others substitute vegetable shortening or other fats for a vegetarian or vegan variant. The mixture is often prepared weeks in advance to allow flavors to blend.

Mincemeat is most commonly used as a pie filling, notably in mince pies served around Christmas. It can also be used as a tart filling or eaten on its own. Unopened mincemeat can be stored for months in a cool, dry place; once opened, it should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks. Modern production often emphasizes shelf stability and accessibility in autumn and winter markets.