Recipe #3......Mock Mincemeat aka Green Tomato Mincemeat

In addition to the abundance of zucchini the end of the season also leaves us with lots of green tomatoes and the dilemma of what to do with it all.  We love pies!  All sorts of pies.  At the top of my list of favorites is this Mock Mincemeat (also known as Green Tomato Mincemeat).  In the old days, before pressure canners, this was a way of  preserving meats and the addition of suet (fat) to the mix was a means of sealing the jars.  The fat would rise to the top during the cooling process and solidify filling in all the crevices and blocking out air.  The fat is not needed in the mock version, but I like the added bit of richness of the small amount of butter. (If you prefer you can substitute 1/2 cup vegetable oil)

This mock mincemeat started as a recipe I found many years ago in very, very old cook book and over time made it my own by adding a bit of this and a bit of that.  Now then, I am not a drinker of hard liquor, but the addition of a bit of Captain Morgan really enhances all the flavors.  If you plan to use this mincemeat as a relish side dish for meat processing it into pint jars is ideal.  For  pies however you will need a quart (2 pint jars) per pie.

Mock Mincemeat aka Green Tomato Mincemeat

Ingredients:
3 quarts finely chopped green tomatoes  (add about 1 tbl salt and let sit in the fridge overnight, then drain off the excess liquid)
3 quarts peeled and finely chopped apples 
1/2 cup  butter (a substitute for suet)
32 ounces (2 lbs) raisins
2 tablespoons grated orange rind + the juice of one orange
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind + the juice of one lemon
5 cups well packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water or 3/4 cup *Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum (optional)
1heaping tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large kettle, and bring to a boil, stirring
frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until dark and thick - about 2 1/2
hours. Stir occasionally. Pour boiling hot into pint jars, allowing 1/2 inch
headroom, seal promptly and process in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes.
Store in a cool dry place.

To freeze, pack cold mincemeat into freezer jars or containers, leaving about an inch headroom for expansion. Seal and freeze promptly. I have found that using heavy freezer bags works great for
freezing.  After filling a bag with the cold mincemeat, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing, then lay the bag on its side and form it into a flat shape. Put several filled bags into a freezer bag large enough to hold them all, remove as much air as possible and seal.  Double bagging
reduces the risk of freezer burn, and the flat packs take up less freezer space.  

Yield: about 10 pints.

* The alcohol evaporates during the boiling process.