Food doesn't get more festive than mincemeat with all the lovely fruit and spices and you’d be surprised at how easy it is to make your own at home.  Follow the below recipe and you’ll end up with jars full of festive flavours

Ingredients

75g/2½oz soft dark brown sugar
60 ml/2 fl oz ruby port
300g/10½oz cranberries
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
75g/2½oz currants
75g/2½oz raisins
30g/1oz dried cranberries
1 clementine, zest and juice only
25 ml/1 fl oz brandy
few drops almond extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. honey

Preparation method

In a large pan, dissolve the sugar in the ruby port over a gentle heat.

Add the cranberries and stir.

Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, currants, raisins, dried cranberries, and the zest and juice of the clementine.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit has broken down and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan. (You may need to squish the cranberries a little with the back of a wooden spoon to incorporate them fully.)

Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.

Add the brandy, almond extract, vanilla extract, and honey, and stir well with a wooden spoon to mash the mixture down into a paste.

Spoon the mincemeat into our lovely jars and,once cool, store in the fridge for up to two weeks.