Mincemeat Pie Filling

Recipe No. 412 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Pies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Beef, lean, cooked, ground — 3 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)

Beef suet, ground — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)

• Raisins, cooked, drained — 5 pounds (3½ No. 56 dippers)
• Sugar, brown — 5 pounds (4 No. 56 dippers)
• Apples, chopped — 10 pounds (8 No. 56 dippers)
• Apple cider — 2½ quarts (2½ No. 56 dippers)
• Molasses — ¾ quart (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Lemon, juice and grated rind — 4 lemons
• Cinnamon, ground — 3 ounces (12 mess kit spoons)
• Cloves, ground — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
• Mace, ground — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
• Allspice — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
• Ginger — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Water — 1½ quarts (1½ No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Cinnamon · Molasses

1. Combine all ingredients; mix thoroughly.
2. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until apples and raisins are tender.
3. Refrigerate approximately 1 week before using.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beef, lean, cooked, ground — 3¾ oz Beef suet, ground — 2½ oz Raisins, cooked, drained — 6⅓ oz Sugar, brown — 6⅓ oz Apples, chopped — 12¾ oz Apple cider — 12¾ tbsp Molasses — 3¾ tbsp Lemon, juice and grated rind — ⅓ lemons Cinnamon, ground — about 1½ tsp Cloves, ground — about ½ tsp Mace, ground — about ½ tsp Allspice — about ½ tsp Ginger — about ½ tsp Salt — about 1½ tsp Water — 7⅔ tbsp

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 412, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.