Magic from the Middle Ages!

Hi, ElsBeth here. Do you know about a holiday creation called Green Tomato Mincemeat? Sounds strange, I know, but it tastes amazing. This magically delicious dessert originated in the Middle Ages. Imagine feasts attended by kings and queens and you’ll have the idea.

Even the word is interesting: The "mince" in mincemeat comes from a Latin word meaning "smallness". "Meat" was also a term for food in general. It used to always be made with meat and sometimes still is but can also be vegetarian!

My chroniclers created some this fall and I thought I would share the process with you so you can plan to make some for next year. When you have a garden I find you need to think ahead. Sometimes for a year or more! That’s lots of thinking but you will be delighted at what you have to harvest and put in jars for gifts and have yourself throughout the seasons!

Here is what the Grandmother and I use:

8 quarts green tomatoes, minced (We have lots of tomatoes still on the vine when it begins to frost in New England, so that is the perfect time to make this treat!)

8 quarts minced, cored apples (Fortunately we have all kinds of apples ripe at the same time.)

1/2 pound beef suet or oil (The traditional way to make this is with suet, which, by the way, our birds love in winter, too!)

6 pounds maple sugar or palm sugar or other sweetener of choice

1 cup distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground cloves

2 tablespoons ground allspice

2 pounds raisins

32 ounces hand made candied mixed citrus peel using honey (optional) (I can share the recipe if you want. It is a bit of work but so worth it!)

7 large orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into bite-size

2 lemons, finely chopped

Here is what you do:

In a very large pot, combine green tomatoes, apples, suet (or oil), palm sugar, vinegar, chopped oranges, chopped lemons, raisins, and candied peel. Season with salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Cover, and cook over low heat for 3 hours. Don’t forget to stir every once in a while! And, with all the cinnamon and spices and citrus it smells heavenly!

Since you are making a big batch, you can it in glass jars when you are done. And there you have it – mincemeat for a year!

Hope you try it! Let me know!!