Great Grandma Miller's Homemade Mincemeat

Homemade Mincemeat

Ingredients:

2 pounds venison, elk, or beef chunks
Water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1 large bay leaf
1/2 pound suet, finely chopped*
3 quarts apple cider
2 cups beef broth
3 pounds apples, chopped
3 pounds raisins (dark and golden)
2 pounds currants
1/2 pound citron
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 firmly-packed cup brown sugar
2 cups rum or Applejack brandy

* 1/4 to 1/4 pound butter may be ubstituted.

Preparation:

Trim fat from meat of your choice.

In a large heavy pan over medium heat, place meat; cover with water. Add cider vinegar, whole cloves, allspice, and bay leaf. Simmer approximately 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart. Remove from heat and refrigerate meat in cooking liquid overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and remove meat from liquid. Remove all fat from top of liquid; discarding the liquid. Separate meat from bones, discard bones. Chop cooked meat into small cubes.

In a large pot, combine meat cubes, suet, apple cider, beef broth, apples, raisins, currants, citron, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and brown sugar. Over medium heat, let mixture come just to a low boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer until the apples are cooked. Remove from heat and add rum or Applejack brandy and mix together.

Variation: For a wonderful flavor boost, zest and juice 2 to 3 lemons and 2 orange. Add to mince before bringing to a boil.

Refrigerate or pack in hot sterile jars and seal. May also be stored in the freezer.



Health Info & Remedies
Family
Family Canteen
Veianet Online Store
Love Crisis
Join Free and Earn Instantly

Mince Meat Pie Recipe

This has been my favorite holiday pie since I was a little girl. My mother used to make this pie just for me every Thanksgiving. Thanks Mom!

Mince Meat Pie / Old-Fashioned Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie*

1 quart prepared mincemeat**

Brandy to taste

* Check out my different recipes for making the perfect pie crust.

** 1 (28-ounce) jar prepared mincemeat pie filling may be substituted, but check out my Homemade Mincemeat Recipes.

Preparation:

 homemade mincemeat Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie pastry.

Spoon prepared mincemeat into pastry-lined plate. Add additional brandy to your taste. Cover with remaining pastry and flute. Cut slits in pastry so steam can escape. Cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE:  This pie stores well in the freezer.

Makes 8 servings.

Health Info & Remedies
Family
Family Canteen
Veianet Online Store
Love Crisis
Join Free and Earn Instantly

How To Make Turkey Stuffing

Turkey Stuffing Recipe 

Ingredients:

The below recipe is a only a guideline for making your turkey stuffing. Depending on your family's taste, add or delete ingredients (onions, celery, mushrooms, and or nuts) to make to your liking. Be creative!

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 loaf day-old bread, toasted and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups)
1 egg, beaten
Stock from the turkey giblets and/or chicken broth (approximately 1 to 2 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
Dried crushed sage to taste
Dried crushed thyme to taste

Preparation:

To make turkey giblet stock, place the turkey giblets (giblets and neck), water, and salt in a small saucepan over low heat; bring to a simmer and simmer for about 1 hour, uncovered. Remove from heat and strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

In a large pot (large enough to hold all the prepared stuffing) over medium-high heat, melt butter or margarine. Add onion, celery and mushrooms; sauté until soft.

Mix in bread cubes and egg with enough chicken broth to moisten. Add nuts, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme; stir until well blended. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.

Proceed to stuff turkey in your usual way. NOTE: Do not cool the stuffing. Spoon it directly into the turkey cavity right after preparation. Stuff the turkey loosely — about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound. Check out Advice on Stuffing a Turkey Safely.

Immediately place the stuffed, raw turkey in an oven set no lower than 325 degrees F. To cook your stuffed turkey, check out Guidelines For Roasting a Whole Turkey.

The USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165 degrees F. For safety and well done turkey, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer


Makes enough to stuff a 20-pound turkey


Health Info & Remedies
Family
Family Canteen
Veianet Online Store
Love Crisis
Join Free and Earn Instantly