Recipe: Bubby's All-Fruit Mincemeat

the appetizer:

Become a pie-baking expert with Bubby's Homemade Pies by Ron Silver and Jen Bervin, with recipes like Bubby's All Butter Pastry Pie Dough; Bubby's All-Fruit Mincemeat; Small Mince Pocket Pies with Clotted Cream; and Apple-Caramel Upside-Down Pie (Tarte Tatin).

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Bubby's All-Fruit Mincemeat

Makes 10 cups; enough to put up, give away, and enjoy in many pies (1 cup makes l6 little 2-inch pies)

Irresistible, on the tart side of fruity, this outstanding meatless mincemeat ages gracefully, concentrating and improving in flavor. Use high-quality, unsulphured dried fruit from a shop that sells it loose, by the pound. Our mincemeat keeps well all winter in the refrigerator. Plan to make it at least two weeks in advance of its first use to allow time for the flavors to develop.

1 cup roughly chopped whole orange (skin and pulp minus seeds)
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup ruby port
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup water
4 ounces dried apples
4 ounces dried cherries
4 ounces dried apricots
4 ounces dried peaches
2 ounces dried currants
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 ounce candied ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground, nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne

In a deep 6-quart saucepan, combine all of the ingredients. Cover the pan and set it over low heat to simmer. Cook the mixture for about 40 minutes, or until the dried fruit is nice and plump. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool completely.

Roughly chop the mincemeat in batches in a food processor so that there are still some pea-sized chunks in it. Store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before using. This mincemeat keeps well refrigerated all winter and improves in flavor.