Mince Meat
Here’s an email conversation between my mom and her aunt Iwanna, regarding my great-grandmother’s famous mince meat pie recipe. To this day, Mamma’s mince meat is my favorite desert, but nobody seems to be willing to make it for me!
From: “mom”
Subject: mince meat
To: “Iwanna”
Date: Wednesday, December 16I remember you saying once you made Mamma’s mincemeat using pork roast [which is good since I since I don't want to tackle a hogs head]. Would you share that with me, please. And include any necessary information as to how to can things since I’ve never canned anything.
thanks
di
From: “Iwanna”
Date: Wed, Dec 16
Subject: Re: mince meat
To: “mom”This is the original recipe mother and I used back in the 40’s and 50’s.
In the 40’s we used the huge black cast iron pot and cooked it outside over a fire.
I helped with the stirring. In the 50’s Mother used the pressure cooker to cook the pork and cooked the fruit in a roast pan in the oven. I make half the recipe and cook it in my 18 qt. electric roaster.
Mince Meat
- 2 hog heads I made half the recipe in 2007 and used an 8.5 lb pork roast and 4 pig feet. The feet are needed to make it jell. I found them at Homeland.
- Salt to taste
- 4 lb. raisins
- 2 lb. dried apricots
- 3 lb. dried peaches
- 3 lb. dried apples If you can’t find these, a gallon of applesauce will work
- 2 qt. sorghum
- 1 qt. vinegar
- 15 lb. sugar (may need more)
- 1-3.5 ounce can each of
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Allspice
- Ginger
Cook pork in enough liquid to cover until it is easily pulled apart.
Pull off the bone and grind. Salt to taste.
Save the liquid from cooking pork, skim off excess fat, and use it to cook the fruit.
Grind the fruit and cook in enough of the liquid for it to appear little thicker than applesauce, the dried fruit will absorb a great deal of the liquid. Add all the other ingredients to the cooking fruit.
If it is too thin it needs cook a little longer to evaporate some of the liquid. It needs to be thick.
Taste for salt and sweetness as you go.
If you make the full recipe you will need to mix in a small tub. Bring to a boil and fill jars while hot. You do not have to use the pressure cooker or a hot water bath for the finished product. It has enough vinegar.
Makes 35 or so quarts. My half recipe made 18 qts.Canning
Wash and sterilize jars, rings and lids in hot water. (I wash mine in the dishwasher, it’s faster). Fill hot jars with hot mince meat, wipe the top of the jar if anything is on it. Screw on the cap and turn upside down and place on the counter free from drafts and cover with a towel or a few dish towels. When you hear the ‘pop’ you know it is sealed. If the lid doesn’t pop check to see if the lid has an indention. Turn right side up when they have cooled. Fill and cap only a couple of jars at a time, so they won’t cool too quickly.
When you hear the ‘pop’ you know it is sealed. If the lid doesn’t pop check to see if the lid has an indention. If not, heat and try again.
One quart makes two pies. If you want to make only 1 pie, can in pint jars.
Bake like any other 2 crust pie.
I cook my roast and feet overnight and start on the other ingredients the next morning. This will take most of the day, so don’t plan too much for the rest of the day.Good Luck!
Merry Christmas
Iwanna
Good Luck is right!
Obscure for those outside the nerd world:
I say hyphenation is cheating
Kyle, this is incredible! I am blown away. Very profound and thought provoking. I wish you the best and I know you will serve our country well. God bless you and your family.
All I can say is what the Lord once said to me — I know that’s very subjective.
But I once spent a great deal of time repenting of my feelings. I considered my feelings the TRUE expression of me. Once in the midst of such a repentence, The Lord broke in and said. That’s not who you are — it’s just how you feel
Similiar thing happened when we first moved to Tulsa. I was simply contemplating my last few months working with children in Lawton; ruminating on the adage that you can’t fool a child. Thinking, yes, you can. I fooled them every week. I didn’t love them but they thought I did. Again, I was interrupted when the Lord said, that was love. Love isn’t a warm fuzzy feeling — it’s what you do and you LOVED those children for me.
One of the most powerful teachings I have hung onto through the years came from a converted Jewish woman whose name I have forgotten. She was the speaker at a retreat I went to when we first moved to Lawton. The series of messages was Obedience: Squeals, Squawks and the deluxe combo. Squealing obedience was when what we’re given to do is exactly what we want to do and we squeal with joy. Squawking obedience is the opposite. And the dexlue combo are those situations that begin either squeaking or squawking and then the experiences reverses itself. The point she made over and over again was that if we obeyed regardless of our feelings [squawking] The Lord would write in His book _________obeyed me, one more time.
I think feelings matter but I don’t find evidence God is judging us by them. He is moved by the feelings of our infirmities.
Side bar — but we all have ways we used to “fix” ourselves when our feelings begin to overwhelm us – my pesonal favorite is worship. Which anyone can do driving down the road. Lenghty devotions are not the only solution. Kerry uses worship and also has a wonderful testimony of using just giving thanks.
How in the world are you having time to listen to so many messages and post reviews in the afternoon? Are you leading a double life? I am jealous, I never have that kind of time with my work…
I think the poem is spot-on, having lived on an anvil of late. Thanks for transcribing it! Hope I get a semi-noble part.
I don’t have time to read any more. But I have plenty of time to listen. In due deference though, I didn’t transcribe it. The lovely folks at Dave Harvey’s church sent me a copy when they wrote back to me.
I did put in the proper line breaks, tho’.
It seems there were only the two entrants. So who won?
Hope everything’s ok. Our prayers are with you guys.
When is his appointment with a neuro?
Dang! What would a person do with nearly 9 gallons of mince meat?!
I do happen to like mince meat pie, though my tastes are probably off since I’m used to the store bought stuff. Still, 9 gallons…
Blegh. I remember what happened the last time mincemeat was consumed in our family.
MMM, that does sound good. Next time you cook up a batch send me a couple of cans
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