Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: Bernardin
Safety reviewed: 09/18/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Use the exact altitude-adjusted schedule in the tested recipe card.
Source & provenance
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Safety classification
Tested recipe. Documented by Bernardin.
Processing details
- Method: Boiling-water
canning ; hot pack - Jar size: 1 L jars
- Headspace: 1/2 inch (1 cm)
- Processing: 25 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); follow Bernardin’s altitude guidance above that elevation.
Tested/documented source
Bernardin: Green Tomato Mincemeat — Bernardin. The primary source and WPRM card remain authoritative.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare the canner, jars, lids, and measured ingredients.
- Complete every preparation and cooking stage in the WPRM card.
- Hot-pack, process for jar size and elevation, wait 5 minutes, then cool upright for 24 hours.
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner with rack
- 1 L jars with compatible lids and bands
- Large nonreactive preserving pot
- Jar lifter, funnel, and nonmetallic bubble/headspace tool
Visual method guide
- Prepare ingredients as documented.
- Cook to the source’s stated stage.
- Hot-pack and maintain 1/2 inch (1 cm).
- Process with jars covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water.
Safety essentials
Preserve the cider-vinegar, bottled-lemon-juice, and brandy quantities and all tested proportions. Do not add meat or suet.
Do not enlarge jar size or shorten processing time. Refrigerate any unsealed jar.
About this recipe
A meatless green-tomato and apple mincemeat with dried fruit, citrus, cider vinegar, bottled lemon juice, and brandy.
Before you begin
Read the complete recipe card and source, measure every ingredient, confirm your elevation, and prepare one tested batch at a time.
Altitude-adjusted processing
25 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft (305 m); use Bernardin’s documented adjustment above that elevation.
Maintain a full rolling boil throughout processing.
Green Tomato Mincemeat — Bernardin
Ingredients
- 8 cups (2000 ml) finely chopped green tomatoes, about 30 medium
- 4 cups (1000 ml) finely chopped apples, about 8 medium
- 2 cups (500 ml) raisins
- 1 cup (250 ml) currants
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) mixed glacé peel
- 1/4 cup (50 ml) candied orange peel
- 2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- 1 tsp (5 ml) cloves
- 1/2 tsp (2 ml) allspice
- 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cup (375 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250 ml) apple juice
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) bottled lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) brandy
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
Directions
- Place 3 clean 1 L mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use. Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised.
- The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed.
- Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning. Wash, peel, core and finely chopped tomatoes and apples.
- Combine 8 cups (2000 ml) chopped tomatoes, 4 cups (1000 ml) chopped apples, raisins, currants, glacé peel, orange peel, cinnamon, salt, cloves, allspice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, apple juice, cider vinegar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in brandy. Ladle mincemeat into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more mixture.
- Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining mixture.
- When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of hot water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time.
- At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 25 minutes.* When processing time is complete, turn stove off, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface.
- Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired.
- Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
- Processing: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 25 minutes - 25 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process - boil filled jars - 25 minutes
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Serve or use this preserve according to its fruit, condiment, or dessert profile.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a larger jar?
No. Use only the documented jar sizes and their matching times.
Can I change the formula?
Do not alter the tested formulation for shelf-stable storage.
Recipe context
A meatless green-tomato and apple mincemeat with dried fruit, citrus, cider vinegar, bottled lemon juice, and brandy. It is not interchangeable with an unprocessed refrigerator preparation.
Troubleshooting
Seal failure: Refrigerate the jar; do not store it at room temperature.
Spoilage signs: Discard the product without tasting.
Source and provenance
Primary source: Bernardin. Editorial organization changes only; tested directions remain in the WPRM card.