Homemade Mincemeat

Christmas comes earlier each year, but mincemeat has to mature for a few weeks before you can use it. So if you fancy making your own mince pies, November is an ideal time to start

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   1. Finely chop the apples.
   
   2. Mix with the dried fruit, sugar and spices in a large bowl.
   
   3. Add the grated rind and juice of the orange and lemon and the rum. Mix well.
   
   4. Pack into large jars and press well down. The less air there is in the jars, the better the mixture will keep. Cover the jars.
   
   5. Store in a dark cupboard. After about a week, open the jars, press the contents down thoroughly and reseal. By this time the sugar will have drawn some of the water out of the apples and the mincemeat will have started to form its characteristic sticky juices. Try to press all the fruit down so that the juices just cover the fruit, as it seems to keep better this way (I think because the sugary liquid acts as a preservative in the same way as in jam, but don't quote me on that).
   
   6. Leave in a dark cupboard for 3-4 weeks to mature, then use in mince pies or whatever other dishes take your fancy.
   
   The first time I made this I got the quantities wildly wrong and we were still eating mince pies in February. So I know it keeps at least that long.