PrintAdvice Needed: Making Mince Pie Filling
I've decided this year that I want to make my own (British style) mince and I've found a couple recipes that appeal to me, but I have some questions:
1) All of the recipes call for "mixed peel" which I assume is candied lemon, orange and lime peel? Can anyone confirm this for me? I guess I'll be making my own mized peel soon!
2) I want to avoid using "shredded suet" so that my daughter (vegetarian) can partake. What is a good substitute?
Thanks!
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11 Comments:
1) Mixed peel is available all over the place at this time of year. When I needed to make a Cassata for a birthday in September, I wound up using maraschino cherries!
2) I think the only comparable fat to suet is shortening (like Crisco). :(
chiff0nade at 9:18AM on 11/26/07
Yes mixed peel is candied rinds basically. Making your own is a great idea, as the stuff you get in stores is often old, and therefore tasteless. Re the suet, I THINK you can buy a "veggie" version of the stuff, precisely for this purpose. I'd look that up on a good vegan website - anyone have any suggestions?
I posted my mom's recipe for mincemeat filling up on this site just recently.
Maureen at 9:20AM on 11/26/07
I've seen several recipes that don't call for mixed peel OR suet - in the American food magazines. Have you looked at Epicurious? if I come across mine, I'll post it; it involves mostly pears and apples and raisins and I like it, but haven't made it in a while.
lemons at 10:07AM on 11/26/07
chiff0nade, I'm trying to avoid jarred peel-- plus I think making my own will be fun. :-)
Maureen, thanks! I'll look for the vegetarian option for suet! Also checked out your recipe... very helpful!
lemons, I did look at American recipes, but really want to duplicate the tiny little mince pies I eat when I'm in London for Christmas. So mixed peel and some sort of suet (substitute) is required.
Ann Fisher at 10:52AM on 11/26/07
Finally a q I can answer (am from Ireland)! Candied peel in the UK and Ireland is nearly always lemon and orange only, and suet comes in a vegetarian version, but if you can't get it, the best substitute is vegetable shortening which you should get really really cold and try to ideally shred,or if not chop up into the smallest pieces you can manage before it softens.
Mitsi at 11:19AM on 11/26/07
Mitsi, thanks! So no lime in the mixed peel... and I can use shortening in a pinch...
Ann Fisher at 12:05PM on 11/26/07
I know the tiny pies well, having found them in a church fair in Cardiff. They are yummy.
lemons at 2:32PM on 11/26/07
Perhaps it's because of the fact my father is of German derivation (his grandmother, who taught him, was from the "Old Country", but mincemeat in my vocabulary is just that: minced meat. He taught me to use beef neckbones, brisket, shank, or some other flavorful, but tough cut of meat, boil and grind it along with Granny Smith and Yellow Delicious apples, candied peel (lemon, orange, and citron) raisins (both regular and sultanas, and sometimes zante currants), spices, suet, and hard cider if he could get it, or port or brandy. He then let it age a bit (like a fruitcake) before he made pies.
No vegan version for that, alas. I'm vegan, but in my meat-eating days thought it quite tasty.
Pookha at 5:23PM on 11/26/07
Vegetarian suet is made by Atora and can be found online. In my experience, the quality of your homemade mincemeat is highly correlated to the quality of the dried fruits. Mixed peel can be found in most stores at this time of year but you would certainly be better off making your own.
Here is a simple recipe: Peel two grapefruits or three oranges, citrons, or lemons. Scrape the bitter white pith from the peels and discard. Cut the peel into narrow strips and simmer the strips in boiling water until they're tender, then drain off the water from the saucepan. In a separate saucepan, prepare a sugar syrup by combining one cup each of granulated sugar and water, and simmering until the sugar is dissolved. Add enough syrup to the peels so that they are completely covered, and then simmer the mixture until the peels are translucent. Drain, cool, and store in the refrigerator.
smallblondemom at 8:36PM on 11/26/07
Pookha, making it with meat is on my list of projects, for sure... but for now I'm going with the meatless variety commonly made in the UK... and avoiding suet so that my daughter can also eat them. :-)
smallblondmom, thanks for the lead on vegetarian suet! As for the candied peel... we both found the same exact recipe (gotta love the internets!) and that's the one I had settled on using.
Ann Fisher at 7:41AM on 11/27/07
So, how did it turn out? I'm fascinated.
Pookha at 1:41PM on 12/02/07