19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, December 8, 1914: <<no entry>>
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
As Grandma’s Bake-a-thon progresses, I thought that you might be looking for some old-time ingredients. According to this hundred-year-old advertisement, mincemeat is wonderful in fruit cake, pudding, and cookies–and, of course, it makes fantastic pies.
A Hundred Years Ago 
That brings back memories, my grandma used to make minced meat pies for Thanksgiving and it was one of my favorites! Hugz Lisa and Bear
I’m glad this post brought back memories of your grandmother’s pies. They sound wonderful.
I’m familar with that brand, but have NEVER eaten mince meat!
They still sell None Such mincemeat in stores around here. I occasionally buy it. It’s good.
I’ve never eaten mincemeat either. (Said with relief….)
I actually like it. 🙂 Raisins and citrus peel are predominant ingredients. There probably are some spices, too.
I have a package of the 2014 version of None Such mince meat in my pantry right now. I will be making two mince meat pies for Christmas this year as I do almost every year. It is my daughter’s and my favorite pie. So sad to see this diary coming to an end.
mmm,. . I want to make a mincemeat pie this year, too. Doing this post has made me very hungry for it. I’ll also miss doing this blog after the diary ends–but I’m looking forward to starting the new one about my great aunt who was in the Women’s Army Corps.
I remember that product though my mother never used it. And for some reason, I can’t either. “Mince meat” in a pie…not for me!!!
I guess that mince meat pies are an acquired taste. 🙂
Had to look it up to be more certain… http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mincemeat
The other day I bought some new suet blocks for the bird feeder. Some were very plain. Others were ‘enhanced’ with lots of dried fruits and nuts, etc. Makes me think of how similar they are to mincemeat. 🙂
hmm. . .. maybe I’ll just try to not to think about any similarities between the two. 🙂
I think I remember the None-Such brand, and I know I did used to make mince-meat pies, but I can’t remember if I put those two things together.
(By the way, I couldn’t make pie at all if my husband didn’t roll out the dough. I could mix the dough, but made a huge mess trying to roll it out. My daughter later developed the skill, and I learned to buy the crust ready made.)
Making pie crusts can be tricky. My mother-in-law made wonderful pies–and I think that I learned how to roll them out from her.
I have never tasted mincemeat. I guess it’s not too popular anymore.
They still sell it in the stores around here, so some people must eat it.
My friend from England makes mince pies for Christmas. I assume that is where you would use mince meat.
I don’t associate mince meat with any particular nationality, but it might be an English food.
It is English.
I still use that for when I bake my Mother’s Mincemeat Bars, like date bars but with Non-Such mincemeat. Of course, the Nonsuch brand is NOT meat! It is raisins, apples and a signature blend of spices, very tasty!
I like mince meat, too. Your mother’s Mincemeat Bars sound wonderful.
My mom used to make mincemeat pies. I was not a fan.
I didn’t like them when I was a kid.
I love mincemeat pie! I make my own mincemeat though , but never thought to use it in cookies! Now that’s a thought!
Oooh! I want some …..
mmm. . . I’ve never tried making mince meat from scratch. Is it difficult to make?
Not hard, just takes a little time. I always make a large batch then freeze the extra. You can also can it.
Here’s the recipe , try it sometime. 🙂
1 1/2 lb of beef
1 1/2 lb of pork
2 lb of raisins
1 lb of brown sugar
2 lb of white sugar
2 oranges
2 lemons
2 tsp. of ground cloves
1 cup of apple cider
2 qt of chopped apples
1 cup of molasses
1/2 lb of candied citron
Cook beef and pork until tender then put though a food chopper
Cook raisins until soft
Chop citron, oranges, lemon , and apples until very fine.
Add meat and other ingredients together in a pot , simmer for 12 min.
Then it ready for pie making.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ll have to try making it. It looks like a very traditional recipe. It’s interesting how mincemeat can be made with or without meat. I’ve found all the comments that people have made on this post fascinating. Some people make traditional mincemeat; whereas others use more modern versions that are made with raisins, apples, and spices.It would be really interesting to make two pies–one using each type of recipe and then do a taste comparison.
My uncle Henry’s favorite holiday pie was mincemeat and it was always made with non-such. Maybe I will make one for Christmas this year. I have never had a made from scratch mincemeat pie.
I’m sure that I’ve never made a mince meat pie from scratch, but I may have eaten a few that were made from scratch. Back when I was a child, I think that the volunteer fire department in Watsontown used to make (and then sell) mincemeat as a fundraiser.
I love mincemeat pie. If you have any you don’t want, send it my way.
I think that there’s a mince meat pie in your future. 🙂
My mother and I always loved mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving. She used the same dried None-Such mincemeat that had to be reconstituted with water. I made some mince tarts last year and it’s still just as good and very reasonably priced.
I use the type of None Such mincemeat that comes in jars to make pies and have always liked it. I’ll have to try the kind that comes in boxes and needs to be reconstituted.
I think many of your readers are thinking that Nonesuch contains meat. Minced meat was once an ingredient, but as you and others have noted, there’s no meat in most of today’s version.
For a few years I bought some English mincemeat in a jar from Vermont Country Store, and it was fabulous. Now, it’s not available from them, so I may have to resort to Nonesuch. In any event, I always add extra rum or whiskey soaked raisins to the mix, and chopped nuts. It’s wonderful!
mmm. .. .it sounds delicious.
My mother makes my grandmother’s Minced Meat pie. Yum!!
Family food traditions are wonderful.