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Sour cherry, pear and ginger mincemeat

If you’re after a special filling for your mince pies  try this sour cherry, pear and ginger mincemeat. It’s a bit boozy, luxurious and a bit different to the normal mincemeat. Perfect for nibbles, cakes and pies - you can findrecipes with mincemeathere>>
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large or 3 small pears not too ripe
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup muscovado sugar
  • ½ cup dried sour cherries
  • 1 cup sultanas
  • ½ cup brandy cherry or normal
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp ginger powder
  • ½ cup chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or mixed
  • 2 Tbsp chopped stem ginger crystallized or in syrup
  • 1 Tbsp extra Cherry brandy or more

Method
 

  1. Soak the sour cherries in the brandy (for a couple of hours if you can, but minimum 30 minutes).
  2. Peel then shred the pears with a coarse cheese grater into a heavy based pan. Add the lemon juice and toss well.
  3. Add the sugar, sultanas, soaked sour cherries and brandy, then all spices.
  4. Gently bring to the boil, put on a lid, turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Stir in the walnuts and crystallised ginger, then cook for a couple of minutes, or until you get a thick, sticky mixture.
  6. Cool in the pan, then pour in the brandy and transfer the mincemeat to sterilized jars. Store the mincemeat in a cool, dark place. Once opened, keep it in the fridge.