Green Tomato Mincemeat

Makes about 6 to 8 pint jars

4 quarts green tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
3 cups sugar
2 cups (firmly packed) brown sugar
3 cups raisins
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup beef suet (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cloves
one half teaspoon ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mace

Put the tomatoes in a large heavy enameled, or stainless steel pot, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and drain. Repeat. After the second draining add the sugar, brown sugar, raisins, salt, vinegar, and suet, if using. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until mixture becomes as thick as commercial mincemeat, about 15 to 20 minutes. When almost finished cooking, add all the remaining ingredients.

Pack in hot sterilized jars to within 1-inch of the top. Immediately seal the lids according to standard canning instructions, and process for 15 minutes according to standard hot-water bath procedures. For good canning tips see the Ball/Kerr website: www.homecanning.com

Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie

For those who plan ahead, an amazingly unusual southern dessert, is green tomato mincemeat pie. Originally prepared with small bits of beef, most mincemeat today is made solely with fruit and spices. To make a pie combine 2 cups of diced apples with 2 cups of the green tomato mincemeat and bake in a 9-inch pie pan with your favorite flaky pastry piecrust - requiring both a top and bottom crust. Make several slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes... reduce heat to 375 and continue baking for 45 minutes longer. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with whipped cream or vanilla ice (or soy) cream.

Adapted from Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields
Broadway Books ©1998

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