I Fermented My Christmas Mincemeat in Honey | South African Christmas Memories in a Japanese Kitchen

Not to be confused with minced meat, and despite what the name implies, this contains no meat at all. It’s a rich, spiced fruit filling traditionally used in Christmas puddings and mince pies.

This year I wanted to take a South African Christmas tradition and let it evolve in my Japanese kitchen. Instead of using sugar, I made a 2-week honey-fermented mincemeat using raisins, sultanas, figs, candied orange peel, kabosu peel, and a spoonful of ACV to encourage natural fermentation.
The result: a glossy, fragrant mincemeat with a bright citrus tang — familiar, but new.

This video blends storytelling, fermentation, and tradition, and shows how food can carry memories across continents. Whether you’re far from home or celebrating with family, I hope this brings a little warmth into your season.

What you’ll learn in this video:
• How to make honey-fermented mincemeat
• How fermentation deepens flavour naturally
• A gentle South African Christmas story
• How to adapt traditional recipes abroad
• Why kabosu works beautifully in festive baking
• A simple, tender pastry for mincepies
• How to finish the mincemeat with rum for classic richness

Timestamps:

00:00 - 1:34– Opening and introducing the 2-week honey fruit ferment
1:35 - 2:02 - Finished fermented fruit
02:02 - 3:18 – Cooking the mincemeat: apple, kabosu marmalade, spices
03:19 - 03:40 – Adding dark rum after cooking
03:44 - 03:49 – Mincemeat recipe card
03:50 - 04:52 – Making pastry
04:52 - 05:36 – Assembling and baking the mincepies
05:36 - 05:38 –Mincepies recipe card
05:39 – Finished mincepies

Recipe:
Honey-Fermented Mincemeat

Prep time: 30 min
Fermentation: 10–14 days
Cook time: 12–15 min
Makes: Enough for 12 mince pies

Ingredients:
Honey Fruit Ferment (prepared ahead)
80g Raisins
40g Currants
60g Dried figs, chopped
20g Candied orange peel
200 - 300g Honey
Kabosu zest — ½ kabosu worth
Kabosu juice — 1 kabosu (about 20–25g juice)
Optional starter:
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method:
Mix together and cover with honey. Ferment 10–14 days until bubbly, slightly tangy, and syrupy.

To Make the Mincemeat

Fruit & Citrus
300–350 g honey fruit ferment (fruit + syrup)
1 small apple OR pear, grated
2–4 tbsp sweet kabosu marmalade (or juice and zest of 1 orange)
20 g butter (or coconut oil)
Spices:
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp clove
¼ tsp nutmeg
Tiny pinch of salt
1–3 tbsp dark rum (Add ONLY after cooking)

Method:
1. In a small pot combine all the fruits and the marmalade. Simmer on medium-low heat until the marmalade (or honey) melts and everything blends into a fragrant syrup.

2. Add the butter and spices and a pinch of salt.

3. Reduce to low. Simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring often.
Fruit should soften, syrup thicken slightly, and spices bloom.

4. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

5. Add the alcohol. Let cool and allow the flavours to develop over a couple of days or weeks.

Simple Mince Pie Pastry

Prep: 10 min
Chill: 30 min
Bake: 20–25 min at 190°C
Makes: 12 pies

Ingredients
300 g flour
Pinch of salt
150 g cold butter, cubed
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp cold water

Instruction:

Mix flour, salt, icing sugar.
Rub in butter until sandy/crumbly.
Add egg + cold water; mix gently until a dough forms.
Wrap and chill 30 mins.
Roll out, cut circles, fill with mincemeat.
Bake at 190°C for 20–25 minutes until golden.

Music: Music by Ashot Danielyan from Pixabay and Danielyan from Pixabay