why do you call it mincemeat, when there is no meat in it?

Answer 1

Apparently a way back there was actual meat and spices in it.

Answer 2

The crusaders got a taste for samosas. When they came home, they tried to produce something similar using home grown ingredients. There was already a tradition of drying fruit to keep you going through the winter, so pies were filled with a mixture of meat, fruit and spices. Eventually the meat was replaced by suet. Real mincemeat still has suet in it. If you buy ready made pies, you get coloured flavoured glucose syrup instead.

Answer 3

In olden days meat was rare and what ever used be left over it was all mixed and cut into very very small peices. Thus the whole thing was really mixed, and one could not make out what part it belonged to. Hence, the word MINCE. As we say do not mince your words.
Similarly, there was a saying "make mince meat of some one". Again meaning to realy beat till you would nat make out anything.
Hence, when fruit is all mixed up and battered or cut into small peices by what ever method, we would say we have made mincemeat out of fruit.
Whether there used to be meat in it is another matter?
As fruit could be preserved by boiling in sugar, if there was meat in it, I doubt if it could have been preserved for long.
So, fellas,that is it..............

Answer 4

If you make it right there is meat in it.
Three pounds of tender lean beef, a pound and a half of suet, half as much prepared apple as meat, two pounds of chopped raisins stoned, two pounds clean currants, two pounds sugar, two cups molasses, one gill rose-water, the rind and juice of four lemons, one pint of wine or brandy, salt, mace, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, two tablespoon-fuls extract vanilla. Chop the meat, suet and apples, very fine. Add to them the raisins and currants. Then dissolve the sugar in the brandy, and mix thoroughly together all the remaining ingredients. Fill a deep plate with a rich paste; fill, cover and bake.

"Mince pies are always made with covers, and should be eaten warm."

www.pilgrimhall.org

Answer 5

it goes back to medieval times when it was all minced meat, gradually the meat has been replaced with fruit and spices

Answer 6

its 2 surprise u ;) hehe

Answer 7

idiosyncrasy!

Answer 8

YEAH! I WANT MY &%$@{*£ MONEY BACK