Homemade Fruit Mince

Overhead shot of jar of mince, with some string tied around the jar.

This Gluten-Free Homemade Fruit Mince will be a welcome addition to your festive baking, and you will be delighted that it is so easy to make. If you have not previously made your own Fruit Mince, I encourage you to do so. It is full of vibrant flavour and is the perfect addition to our Fruit Mince Pies!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings cups

Calories 485kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (240 g) mixed dried fruit See Notes 1 and 2
1 medium Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and grated
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
2 teaspoon orange zest - finely zested See Note 3
2 tablespoon orange juice - freshly squeezed See Note 4
2 tablespoon water See Note 4
2 teaspoon mixed spice See Note 5
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon (40 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoon brandy - or additional orange juice See Notes 4 and 6

Instructions

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the dried fruit, grated apple, brown sugar, orange rind, orange juice, water, mixed spice and cinnamon.
Over medium heat, and stirring to dissolve the sugar, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside to cool.
When cool, add the brandy, if using, or additional orange juice and stir.
Place into a sterilised glass jar and store in the refrigerator. (See Note 7.) It is ready to use in 24 hours, however, for the best flavours, ideally, store it for a week before using it. You can make it up to 6 months in advance.

Video

Notes

Weigh your ingredients: for the best accuracy, we recommend you weigh your ingredients.
Mixed fruit: use a combination of dried fruit of your choice. We like to use a combination of sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel and glacé/candied cherries. You could also include some slivered almonds.
Orange zest: use just the orange zest and avoid grating the bitter, white pith. Zest the oranges prior to juicing.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each tablespoon listed.
Mixed spice: if you are not able to find mixed spice, Pumpkin Spice Mix is a good alternative.
Brandy: this is optional. If you prefer, you could use rum, port, whisky or Cointreau. Alternatively, for alcohol-free, use extra orange juice instead.
Sterilising the jar: to sterilise your jar, preheat your oven to 130 Degrees C (270F). Place a clean jar in the oven for at least 20 minutes, then remove and allow to cool before filling with your Fruit Mince.
Storage: once cooled, store it in a sterilised jar, with a tight-fitting lid, in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Nutritional information: please note, the nutritional information is based on one cup of this recipe. The nutritional information is an estimate only.

Nutrition