MINCEMEAT

Mincemeat is just about my favorite pie. I've already eaten one, all by myself, this holiday season. I'd like to have them year 'round, but stores only put out mincemeat pies, ready-made, for the holidays. I know, I should just make my own, and perhaps I shall for the next one, when we have guests. I used to always make my own pies, and even made my own mincemeat and canned it. My mother canned mincemeat, so did my grandmother McIntyre. But modern conveniences have made me lazy, I guess. I still reminisce, though, about those home made mince pies of yore.

When my father made mince pie, he "doctored" it up the dried mincemeat with sliced fresh apples, chopped black walnuts, wine, and whatever else was around that appealed to him. His mince pies had personality! Even though we used meat in our home made mincemeat, we also put in fruit and sugar. Venison makes good mincemeat, more flavorful than beef. Medieval mincemeat was much meatier and less sweet. If you order mince pie in Maine, prepare yourself. They are purists up there, and their mince pies are mostly meat. Period. Oh, they add a few spices, but I've never noticed much spice flavor. I've had mince pie at church suppers and in restaurants along the Maine coast. They're meat.

Somewhere along the way I lost my mother's recipe for mincemeat. I was happy, then, to find a history of mincemeat and a recipe for mincemeat last month in my email newsletter, King Arthur's Baking Sheet, from King Arthur Flour in Vermont. I guess they do it differently in Vermont, as this recipe has more fruit than in coastal Maine.

From King Arthur Flour:

"Our version is a typical New England mincemeat. It will make 2 quarts, enough for 2 1/2 to 3 dozen small pies (or tarts) or three 9-inch pies. We are giving you the whole process from mincemeat to pies even though the mincemeat is best when it's made several weeks ahead of time to allow the flavors to mature. Make enough for Thanksgiving and then keep some to mellow for Christmas. We'll even give you some ideas for using mincemeat that you might not have thought of.

These ingredients for mincemeat are by no means written in stone. If some aren't available, substitute what you have on hand or what appeals to your own sense of taste. If you're a vegetarian, you can even leave out the meat.

The important thing when you make this is to surround it with a bit of ceremony. One legend says that everyone needs to stir it once clockwise while it cooks, or while it's "ripening," to bring luck in the New Year.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound venison or lean beef
1 quart apple cider (or 2 cups cider and 2 cups cranberry juice)
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 pound ground suet or 1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1/2 pound currants (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)
1/2 pound golden raisins (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)
1/2 pound fresh cranberries, cut in half (about 1 cup), or 1/2 cup dried cranberries
minced rind and juice of 1 lemon (or orange if you like it less tart)
1/4 cup "spirits"
1 cup blanched, chopped almonds or other nuts (optional, for crunch)
granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of small pies (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Trim the meat if necessary and dice it into small cubes. Pour the cider into a large saucepan or small kettle and add the sweeteners and spices. Add the meat and bring this mixture to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, turn off the heat and add the currants, raisins, cranberries and lemon rind and juice to the hot cider/broth mixture. Let these steep while you grind or mince the meat along with the suet, if you're using it. (Suet gives depth to the flavor of the mixture.)

Return the meat (and suet) to the fruit mixture, bring back to a boil and then down to a simmer for about 1/2 hour. Boil off enough liquid so the mixture is thick.

If you opted not to use suet, melt and blend in the butter at this point. Butter was used in place of suet in years past but was considered a luxury in a pie. Since these days we're more apt to have butter around, it may not be quite such a luxury for us and may be more to our 20th century taste.

After the mixture has cooled, add 1/4 cup of "spirits." This may be anything from a maple liqueur to brandy to rum to a hearty red wine. This adds flavor and helps preserve the mincemeat.

Cover and store mincemeat in a cool place for 2 or more weeks if you have time. Give it an occasional stir (clockwise!) And add 2 or 3 more tablespoons of spirits if you wish.

MORE MUSINGS AND SOME SNIPPETS

Instead of my ramblings this month, I'm just going to pass on to you pieces of information that I've picked up in my web surfing, or that have been sent to me by friends. Enjoy the reading!

This was sent to me by Hawkeye, a Celtic Wiccan High Priest and husband of my Celtic Wiccan friend, Donna.

"In the Norse tradition, Yule is a 12-night long celebration, a concept which probably came from the Pagan Near East, where it eventually became incorporated into Christian myths. The first eve of Yule (the night before Solstice), is called Mother Night, and is a night when the Norse pagans sit up and await the rising and re-birth of their Sun Goddess, Freya. It is also a night for spirit contact in celebration with one's ancestors in much the same manner as the Celts observe Samhain. The Norse Goddess, Holde, Guardian of the Spirit World, opens her doors at Yule to all sincere seekers. The final night of observance, called "Twelfth Night" became, for awhile, the 9th Sabbat. This is on the Norse Pagan calendar." (From the book Sabbats by Edain McCoy)

In many rural areas of Ireland still today the custom of whitewashing the outhouses and stores prevails. At one time, it was the whole farm, inside and out. The women would scrub and polish everything 'til it shone, and the men would take a bucket of whitewash, or limewash, and purify everything in honour of the coming of the Christchild.

This custom goes back long before Christianity or even Celtic civilisation. It was a purifying ceremony from the most ancient of times. The ancient Mesopotamians, 4000BC, would cleanse their homes, sweep the streets even, in an attempt to assist their god in his battle against the powers of chaos. And in Central European lore, it was believed that the deity, Frigg, would check all the threshholds of each house to make sure they were swept clean.

The links are so tightly intertwined, it becomes difficult to separate one belief from another. Christmas is like a Tapestry, tightly and colourfully woven. It is almost impossible to find a thread and trace it to its beginning in the picture. From this ancient custom comes the modern traditions of putting up fresh curtains, a special Christmas Bedcover, cushions and table linens etc. (From Christmasarchives.com)

And, as always, tell your aunts, uncles, cousins and friends about the novels of Clovenstone Chronicles. Give them an adventure!

Good Fate Be Yours —
Ruth

All art work and text © copyrighted by Ruth McIntyre-Williams unless otherwise noted.