Ingredients

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas 1⁄2. In a large ovenproof dish or casserole, mix together the raisins, currants, dried cranberries, mixed peel, suet, sugar and the clementine juice. Add the squeezed clementine shells, too.
2. Cover with foil or baking paper, then put the dish in the oven and leave for 3 hours, stirring occasionally; the suet will gradually melt and coat the dried fruit. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about an hour initially, stirring occasionally.
3. Gently heat the brandy and port together in a small saucepan until just steaming, before stirring in the allspice, nutmeg and the clementine zest. Discard the clementine shells then pour the brandy mixture over the mincemeat, stirring well to combine. Leave to cool completely, making sure you stir as the fat cools so it doesn’t congeal in places – you want it to coat all the fruit.
4. Transfer to sterilised jars and store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. The flavour will improve the longer you leave it, so you can make this well ahead of Christmas if you like. Just be sure to keep in a cool, dark place.

Use this mincemeat to make...

Mince pies

Clementine and cinnamon mince pies

Mince pie shortbread tart with vanilla cream