Xmas fruit mince 2008

Just jarred up the batch of fruit mince for this year that’s been soaking overnight in lots of brandy, orange and lemon juice. Fruit consistency is getting better from year to year as we hone our fruit mix and technique …

• 2006 was basically just a jumble of soaked fruit in jars – quite lumpy and we ended up with something like a raisin or 2 and bit of apricot in a pastry case with bits escaping out the side
• 2007 the Mister got a bit more involved and we cut up the fruit to make it a bit smoother and easier to fill pastry cases with
• This year – we used the great little suck-onto-the-bench mincer that M&D gave us for Christmas last year (I think Mother felt sorry for the Mister getting roped into making fruit mince, I mean what good kiwi bloke does that?, so gave *me* a mincer so I could do the women’s work myself) and the fruit got mushed to a proper mincey paste. Looks and smells goood. And the Mister was still involved – he wanted to turn the handle – it was quite hard to turn … needed a big strong man …

Now we’ll tuck the jars away until we get back early December. I’m not sure if you’re supposed to give real chefs food gifts but I’m going to take a jar to the Nikau chef. Just because she’s always cooking for us so this is a token doing something for her.