Edgar's Mincemeat

This is an old recipe that I found in my Mom's collection of recipes, I haven't tried this one, I always use my Mom's old family recipe, but I thought I'd put it out there for you to try - Have Fun!!

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Yields: 7 pies

Ingredients

• 3  lbs  blade roast (choose meat that is quite fatty)
• 3  lbs  pork shoulder (choose meat that is quite fatty)
• 3 1⁄2 lbs  firm tart apples
• 2  oranges
• 3 1⁄2 lbs raisins
• 1  cup molasses
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 5  cups maraschino cherries, halved and juiced
• 2⁄3 cup cider vinegar
• 2  tablespoons cinnamon
• 1  tablespoon  grated nutmeg
• 3⁄4 teaspoon allspice
• 8  ounces  mixed fruit, cut up
• 1  tablespoon salt
•  apple juice, if needed
• 1  tablespoon vanilla

Directions

1. Place meat in a large pots with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, uncovered over low heat. Skim foam as it rises. Let pork simmer for about 1 1/2 hours; beef for 2 hours. Remove from broth and cool.
2. Put meat through a grinder and weigh out a desired amount (you should have about 3 1/2 lbs).
3. Wash and core apples, but do not peel. Put through the food grinder, along with the unpeeled oranges (cut in wedges to remove seeds if necessary).
4. In a large roasting pan, combine meat, apples and oranges with all remaining ingredients except the apple juice. and vanilla,.
5. Place in a 200F oven for 2 hours, stirring frequently. Increase oven temperature to 300F and bake for another hour. If mixture appears to be dry, add apple juice to get preferred consistency.
6. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
7. Use immediately or let cool before storing in the refrigerator for a week or so to age. Bottle or package in pie-size amounts for gift-giving or freezing.
8. Use with pastry of choice; place mincemeat in an unbaked pie shell, cover with pastry and bake. makes 7 pies and about a dozen tarts; 4 cups fill one 9-inch pie.